Growing up, I had a hard time relating to my peers. Something, I think, a lot of us have felt at some point or another. I was teased about my style (I looked too "weird" or "old"), my hair (it's too bushy), my eyebrows (they're too big) and most of all my eyes ("THEY'RE SO BIG! YOU HAVE BUG EYES!"). My sister (who,by the way, has GORGEOUS big Blue eyes) and I got teased for things that have now turned out to be quite ahead of our time and very on trend now!
For Example:
For Example:
- My love of Vintage fashion: Those of us who appreciate various eras of fashion have now been able to come of out hiding, if you will. Back when I was growing up (the late 90's and early 2000s) this was NOT something people understood or took kindly to.
- My hair: Now, as my mother would tell you, where I got my thick, wavy and frizzy hair from is a family mystery, but growing up, if you didn't have pin-straight, flat hair, you were automatically out of place. Nowadays, people utilize extensions, wigs, volumizers, etc. to achieve full, voluminous hair!
- My eyebrows: I was born in 1989 and I'm sure those, like myself, who grew up in the 90's remember the John Waters Moustache, thin eyebrows that friends, parents, and all, were rocking. Again, my bodie's profuse hair supply meant my eyebrows were ALWAYS thick, full and IN CHARGE. I lost count of how many times kids would say I had "caterpillar" brows and the one time a hairstylist tried to wax them off! Torture I dare say! It's no shocker that, that trend died a painful death, only to live on through embarrassing photos people share on Social Media via flashbacks. Luckily, natural, full brows are loud and proud albeit a bit too late for my former pre-teen self.
- My BIG EYES! So help me God, BIG EYES!: Eyes of all shapes and sizes are beautiful! Why? Because they're the first things that truly show someone who you are! I'm a firm believer that eyes are the windows to the soul, as cliche as that sounds. I remember days where my sister would get off the school bus in tears because a boy called her "Bug Eyes" or people would tell me my eyes were "Alien-like". If it weren't for one of my childhood friends finding a picture of Twiggy, in all her glory, I may never have realized the true uniqueness of big, voluptuous eyes! Bless his glorious, fashion loving heart! *Note to self: remind him of this*
We've all been there... this long and winding road of self-love and self-appreciation. It's hard and painful! Tears are shed, expletives are thrown and love ones can only do their best to keep your head on straight. All I can say is that I'm getting there.
I've recently taken to doing mini portraits of myself on Instagram as a practice in self-acceptance. The lovely people who take time to comment and leave nice notes are more appreciated than they know, but their comments don't mean much. Appreciated, but not expected in the slightest. No, my friends, I do this for ME. Not for attention, not for vanity (maybe just a little), but to show myself than I CAN appreciate the person I am. We have good days, we have bad days. The point is that we FEEL it and learn from it. That way when we come across someone who is struggling like are, we are able to know what they're feeling and appreciate it, not judge.
Lace Bell-sleeved Blouse : Nasty Gal
Overwire Bustier: Vintage "Lady Marlene"
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