Self-loathing is an epidemic of our generation. The idealization of specific body types ruins self-image in children. Personally, I have thought that I needed to lose weight since elementary school. But it’s not just a weight thing. It’s stretch marks, fat dimples, skin tone, hair color, eye color, eyebrow shape/size/color, nose shape, fashion sense, makeup abilities, even foot shape. People are growing up self-conscious about physical characteristics that nobody else has ever noticed, because our brains are trained to analyze every “flaw” on our bodies.

I say we change that. We need to stop blaming a gender, an industry, or a society for our self-esteem issues and just fix them. We all need to set out on a journey to love ourselves just as we are. In order to love ourselves we must do two things: find reasons to love what we see when we look in the mirror, and we need to set goals and establish purpose. For me, fashion does both.

Loving Yourself:

We cannot change many of our physical traits. So instead of obsessing over them, we should learn to embrace them. Figuring out how to dress in a way that compliments your physical appearance and showcases your personality is a huge self-confidence building experience! If you’re not in a place where you can love you for you, putting on a shirt that makes you look smokin’ hot is a good first step to reaching that place.

To be honest, self-esteem issues are the root of my love for fashion. Like most of my generation, I hated my body growing up. I still hate it frequently. But when I get to that place, I go to my closet and I put a new outfit together. It seems like a small distraction rather than a solution, but loving your outfits helps you love your appearance, which helps you love yourself.

Goals and Purpose:

For people with low self-esteem, finding motivation can be hard. Setting a cute outfit out for the next day is a reason to get up in the morning. Putting on that cute outfit is a reason to go out and have a good day. Looking super cute in that outfit is a reason to love yourself.

A sense of accomplishment is super important for building self-esteem. You can find this daily by outfit building, but you can also set long-term goals. Clearing every piece out of your closet that makes you feel insecure and replacing those pieces with items you love allows you to feel confident in what you wear each and every day.

Again, these may just seem like distractions, but from experience, they do wonders for self-esteem. Achieving the look that’s quintessentially you— there’s nothing like it. Give yourself the confidence boost you need by developing a wardrobe and a look that helps you love you!

Love,

Lindsay

P.S. Tell me about the piece in which you feel most confident in the comments!