Growing up, my morning routine consisted of me getting dressed and my family telling me that they wouldn't leave the house with me unless I changed. If I'm being completely honest, this still occurs regularly. If there is one thing that they have learned in my nineteen years of being around, it is that the chance of me changing the abstract pieces of clothing that I have paired together are about as likely as the chance of them not leaving the house with me.

Fashion is art. We are told that art of any form is used to express ourselves. In fact, we are encouraged to express ourselves through art. So why do we get shot down whenever we do just that through the things that we wear?

We have all heard the famous words, "never judge a book by its cover." These words bring along so much truth, but perhaps to an extent, they don't necessarily have to be true.

When it comes to my wardrobe options, I choose the pieces that I choose because I want people to question my choices. I express myself through the things that I wear, and I don't doubt that many other people do as well. If I am sad, my black dress with undertones of gray will tell you that. If I am happy, catch me wearing bright stripes with tights and abstract heels. Not only is it okay to do this, but we should want to do this. We should want to be us.

We live in a society where it has become an inconvenience to sit down and talk with someone to understand more about them. Fashion gives us this outlet that allows us to show people a little about ourselves without the communication. By this, I don't only mean that they can see who your favorite band is through your band tee. I mean that's awesome; music is a great conversation starter. But there is so much more that can come from the things you wear- your color choices, patterns, Vans or stilettos, brown hair or blue. These things can conform to a greater understanding of the things you may be into.

You may even learn things about yourself through your fashion choices. When I get complimented on the things I wear, it's great. When I get weird looks over the things I wear, that's great too. In these cases, we are learning things about each other.

Fashion is a part of who I am, and with that comes taking risks. Pair the stripes with the plaid and let people quesiton it. Let people know that you aren't afraid to change things up a bit. Next time you want to wear a dress from the 70s with a polka dotted undershirt or dye your hair purple, just do it. Let people see that you are quirky and fun.

Let people see you.

I want people to question my wardrobe choices. I want people to wonder what exactly I was thinking, and maybe they will understand it. That's okay. Maybe they never will. That's okay too.

Judge me for my wardrobe. I wouldn't wear the things that I wear if I wasn't okay with that. It is the one thing about myself that will make you want to read the pages of my book, or the one thing that will save us both time. Judge me for my love of fashion. It is the one thing in this world that I am absolutely sure of, and it is the one thing that no judgment will ever make me change.

Let's not be afraid of the strange looks. Let's not be afraid to be us.