Self esteem is an ongoing battle for a great percentage of the human race. Come Christmas time, things can get a little scary for some people- especially when it comes to dressing for Christmas parties.
This may sound a little strange, but at times I feel like I’m living a bit of a double life.
Sometimes I want nothing more than to get glam and rule the world, but mostly, the idea of primping myself and having people look at me inflicts nothing but fear.
Oddly enough, the photoshoot you’re about to see is the toughest one I have ever done. For whatever reason, wearing something that I would never usually even contemplate wearing threw me for more of a loop than lying on a riverbed completely bare faced.
It wasn’t until I actually stood before the camera that I realised how vulnerable I would be feeling the second I hit upload on this.
I spent the day getting ready and writing two beauty related posts and when I looked in the mirror before heading out, I felt empowered and completely confident.
But the second it dawned on me that the entire world would see me like this, there was a momentary lapse where I felt completely horrible about myself.
People always say that putting yourself out there online subjects you to a massive amount of sheer cruelty, as commenters are able to hide behind their screens and say things that they would never say in person.
In my experience, it has been the opposite.
Not once have I ever received a negative comment about my appearance online, but I have in person on many occasions. We live in an age where people are beginning to realise that tearing down someone else doesn’t make them better people, and in my online community, I’m starting to see a massive amount of change.
Obviously this may not be the case for everyone, but once I reminded myself of this, my mind was a little more at ease.
When I saw this particular style on Missguided, I got this instant vision of myself in it. It’s much more revealing than anything I’ve ever worn and I tend to shy away from putting certain body parts on display, but for whatever reason it ended up in my cart and I bought it.
I’ve always found bold fashion choices to be quite fun, but cosplaying as a disco ball isn’t something I’ve ever done before.
In the middle of my meltdown, I just kept telling myself that I’m doing this for fun. Fashion is experimental- it wasn’t like me wearing this once would commit me to a lifetime of ‘excessive’ cleavage.
What I want you to take from this post, is that you should never ever feel pressured to dress or feel a certain way.
Social media has a massive effect on generations of people, but please don’t let yourself fall victim to it.
Don’t feel like you have to cover up because you don’t fit society’s mould of a ‘perfect’ body.
But by the same token, don’t feel like you have to flaunt your body if you aren’t comfortable with doing so.
You should wear the outfit; the outfit shouldn’t wear you. “I look good in this”, not “this looks good on me”.
All in all, don’t take your fashion choices or your life too seriously. Fashion is creative, and being creative is immensely fun if you allow it to be.
You get one shot at life on this planet, so I beg that you don’t waste it trying to please passersby on the internet.
Until tomorrow, 😉
P.s. This is NOT a sponsored post and I’m not affiliated with Missguided. However, I do have an “invite your friends” type code which will get both you and I a discount. Simply type in ‘Claire Ince’ at checkout for $20 off your order.
