Most of us wear clothes every day and the clothing we wear tells stories about who we are... well, personally, I live in my pyjamas most of the time and the story they tell about me is that I'm lazy but, when I'm not wearing my PJs, I believe in using clothing as a form of self expression.
People make assumptions about us based on what we wear, you're probably guilty of it yourself. When we pass people in the streets wearing floral trousers, or a suit jacket, or a pair of strappy heels or a vintage dress, our brains instantly presume things about their lifestyles, interests and personality traits. Without even realising it, we choose outfits based on what we like, our life experiences and the messages we want to put out into the world. Our body is very much a canvas and by building layers of clothes on top of it, we are creating art each morning when we get dressed.

The most beautiful thing about fashion is the diversity within it. No two people are the same and, even if two people were to wear the exact same outfit, they would still wear it differently. Fashion says so much about us and I believe we should never feel ashamed to wear what makes us happy. At the end of the day, life is too short to walk around in outfits we hate and dreaming of feeling as confident as everyone else around us.

Many of us battle with confidence, or lack of it, rather, and it can take a while before we feel comfortable enough to wear the things which truly express who we are. But, I'm here to remind you that you deserve to feel free and confident in whatever outfits you wear. You should enjoy picking out what you're going to wear each day and should feel a sense of pride as you march through the streets. You should feel like the most fulfilled version of you as you leave the house and radiate confidence with every step. You shouldn't pay attention to the small-minded folk who judge you for your appearance, nor should you allow them to dictate what you wear. So what if they snigger when they see your pink jacket? Surely that's just an excuse to wear said pink jacket even more?

With time and baby steps, you will reach the destination of full fashion confidence. In such a judgemental world which shames us for what we look like, it can feel like a never ending journey and it can feel as though we'll be walking around in outfits we hate forever. When all you want to wear are pattered trousers and vibrant shirts yet society stares at you when you wear anything that isn't a hoodie or a pair of jeans, unleashing your inner self and fully expressing who you've always wanted to be in terms of clothing can be such a terrifying thing. However, once you do do it, it will be the greatest feeling in the world. You will feel like a huge weight has been lifted from your shoulders, you will feel the hot sun on your face and the breeze in your hair more so than ever before. Once you learn to fully accept yourself and stop feeling ashamed of sharing that with the world, you will find such a deep new love for every aspect of life.

Wear what you want and don't allow anyone to tell it's "too smart," "too girly," "too masculine," "too frilly," "too bright," "too boring," "too casual" or "too revealing." Allow your clothing to be an extension of your inner identity and use it to show the world who you truly are. Whether you want your clothing to convey certain ideas about your gender, sexuality, hobbies, loves, feelings, lifestyle, occupation, whatever, use fashion as a creative tool. Take inspiration from those who live as their most authentic selves and, rather than hide behind their clothes, they show them off. Start buying things that you like and reinvent the ways in which you wear what you already own. Introduce on new thing at a time if that helps you get there gradually. Don't feel bad about sticking out like a sore thumb or even blending in too much, don't feel bad about keeping with the trends or staying clear of them entirely. Whatever you want to wear, however you want to wear it, your clothes are yours to play with and fashion is your world to explore. Do what you like with it and create an identity for yourself. Make your mark. Go bold, go bright, go printed. Or, go dark, go casual, go safe. Whatever end of the spectrum your style lies on, perhaps it goes from one extreme to the other depending on your mood or perhaps you know what area you like and want to stick with it, let your clothes do the talking. Walk tall and keep your head high without fear of judgement because, chances are, if someone is staring, they're probably wondering where you bought your trousers from.