By Kate Goodwin

Personal style has become more of a social commodity than a form of self-expression within our generational hierarchy. It serves as a distinctive identity marker and signifies where you stand as an individual. People you have never even spoken to assume so much about you exclusively based on the way you dress. It seems reductive to place such weight on something so trivial, but we all contribute to a biased interpretation of style without batting an eye. Because everyone does this, it is all too easy to become consumed with the image of ourselves through the eyes of others. 

This outside perception that looms over the decisions we make is incredibly limiting, especially in the context of personal growth and self-expression. There is an immense amount of unnecessary pressure we place on impressing a faceless collective, oftentimes losing ourselves in the process.

The most challenging part of personal growth and self-becoming is rejecting this pressure. Shifting awareness back onto your own thoughts and perspective rather than concentrating on trending normalcy is incredibly challenging. But this shift in perspective back onto the individual dismisses outside criticism and allows room for self-improvement. I think that there is an important connection between style, outward expression, and personal growth. 

The phrase ‘personal growth’ means different things to different people. It has become a sort of buzzword in popular culture.

It’s important to recognize that only you can define what personal growth means for yourself. For me, the majority of self discovery relies on drowning out outside pressures and focusing on who you want to be. The small victories amount to the greatest influence, and I have found a lot of agency in style and clothing. 

In the past, I have faced difficulties in expressing my femininity specifically through clothing and style. I had a deep-rooted distaste for traditionally feminine garments which contributed to a lot of confusion in terms of my identity and self. I didn’t have a concept of what it means to be feminine because I had been letting the opinions of others hold more weight than my own. Oftentimes in the realm of style, there are specific boxes you fall into. Although it is common to not prescribe to one variety of clothing, it seems easier to go with trends as to not draw attention or step outside of your comfort zone. It feels safer. Confronting whatever misogyny I had embedded in myself throughout the course of my life allowed me to move beyond this discomfort and opened up a lot more options in terms of outward expression through clothing. Self-expression became exciting. There is a stimulating palette of colors, textures, patterns, and aesthetics to explore and make your own. 

The best part about the intersectionality of self and style is that it is ever changing and evolving.

Invisible boundaries and constraints do not matter when you begin to acknowledge the dimension and complexity of being an individual. As you move away from cookie cutter ideals of both yourself and your clothing, life and style becomes a much more freeing and creative experience.