To the girl in the fitting room,

I know the excitement you may feel from trying on a possible new outfit. I bet you are already imagining how it is going to look with a new pair of shoes, or the necklace you bought a month ago or even what kind of hairstyle you will rock with it. You are five steps ahead and you haven't even tried it on.

I also know the dread of enduring back-to-school shopping, or having to find another pair of jeans that fit you just right because your trusty ones finally gave up. I understand the nagging feeling of having to try on clothes in general when you are just really not in the mood.

The stuffy fitting room, the odd lighting in some, mirrors you swear are distorted. I know the whole ordeal sucks, trust me, I do. Sometimes you are in the mood, but sometimes you couldn't care less how it looks on.

But I want you to know that, when that t-shirt doesn't flatter you, or the dress you tried on did not look how you expected, or the shorts you grabbed did not fit your legs smoothly, that it is okay. It is completely okay.

I too have been one to get a little too excited over an article of clothing, so that when I go to try it on and it does not work out, I easily turn to blame myself. I am here to tell you to not do that. I know it is easy to point out the flaws in yourself before ever thinking that the blame could be placed on the clothes themselves, but do not fixate on what you need to change. You do not need to change a single thing.

Trying on clothes and finding things that fit has not exactly been a smooth ride for me either. Being 5 feet tall, curvy with short arms and legs, I have had a fair share of fitting room struggles. After years of me judging myself, asking myself "why can't I fit into this stuff like other girls?" and being constantly frustrated, I had a realization.

Of course, some items of clothing were not going to work on me! I am shorter, I have curve where others don't, I overall do not have what others have. This is not the "Sisterhood Of Traveling Pants," not everything is going to fit perfectly on everyone. So I took what I had and I worked with it!

I started small and worked my way up as years went by. I started by finding some styles that worked for me. I found the pants I like, the shirts that fit well, the patterns that flattered and so on. I stemmed from there, onto what my style is now.

I now know what I prefer, and what looks best on me! I still try new things every day and surprise myself, but I do not turn the blame on myself when my expectations do not match with the image in my head.

Clothing companies do not make every size 14 the same, or every medium the same, that would be nice! But it is not possible. I would take this into consideration while trying on, because before if I did not fit into my usual pant size that would bring a whole load of paranoia. "Did my pant size change? Is it the pants, or is it me? Do I need to watch my lifestyle? Do I need to go down a size?" It was aggravating but also very upsetting. I would add all this extra stress on myself for no reason.

You do not have to be a certain kind of pretty to wear the shirt you have been eyeing for awhile now. You can wear that skirt no matter what body type you have. We are sometimes lead to believe that we have to be a certain type of person to look how we want. Whether it is sporty, alternative, preppy and furthermore.

I will tell you now that is a lie. You buy what you love, and what you want.

So, next time you are in a fitting room, if you do not fall in love with something it is okay. You are fine just the way you are. If you do fall in love with it then score! Yes! You just added something new to your wardrobe.

Life is too short to not wear what you adore.

Just know that no matter the outcome, you are you. A beautiful human, different from everybody else in more ways than one. That's pretty dang special right?

Yours truly,

The other girl in the fitting room.