Clothes You Can Only Wear In A Liberal City

Clothes You Can Wear In Seattle, But Not Enumclaw

Let your freak flag fly

Madison McKeever
Madison McKeever Apr 9, 2019
139
views

I grew up in a very conservative little hick city in Washington State called Enumclaw. Everyone seems to ride horses there, go to school in either camouflage or safety orange, and they all keep their hunting rifles in their trucks. I've even seen some flying Confederate flags despite us being in the north of the United States.

I left this little town and traveled an hour drive north for college to Seattle, Washington. Seattle is a large and very liberal city, with a gay mayor even. Without the oppression and fear of getting shot for coming out at both queer and goth, I could finally let me freak flag fly. Here are five types of clothing I wore to class at the University of Washington that I couldn't wear to Enumclaw High School.

1. Ballgowns

Maddy McKeever

I dressed like I listened to Taylor Swift until I graduated high school. As soon as I hit college, I chopped all my hair off, dyed it red, and became goth. As a goth, I have a flair for the avante garde.

On my 21st birthday, I wore a ballgown, black lipstick, and a tiny top hat to my classes for the day. I even had a black lace parasol to block the sun. There was a group of middle schoolers passing by me on campus and they parted around my dress to let me through while staring. I expected the worst, but as I left, I heard one of them tell their classmate, "I want to be like her when I grow up, so cool."

Wear the crazy clothing, the dramatic and the weird, the uncommon. You may just make someone elses day. You may also give a child that was scared to wear clothing like you the confidence to be themselves.

2. Witch Hats

Maddy McKeever

In Seattle, you are free to be whatever gender, sexuality, ethnicity, and also religion. This includes being a Wicca — I am a witch.

I love showing off my witchy crystal jewelry and spooky cloaks around the city, but my favorite accessory to bring out of the closet is my wide-brimmed witch hat — it goes with every outfit!

Being in a town where inclusivity is important can be liberating. No discrimination on who you are or how you dress can make a big impact on how you carry yourself.

3. Wigs

Maddy McKeever

If you can change up your wardrobe, why not change up your hair. For me, some days I really don't feel like or want to be myself. On those days, I wear a wig to give myself a fresh look that only has to last a day. I have plenty of wigs for costumes, but they are nice to wear on some days with normal clothes, a beanie, and a pair of headphones.

Wigs give you a way to stand out or blend in depending on your preference. They also allow you to experiment with new looks before you take the plunge with your actual hair.

4. Queer Pride Clothing

Maddy McKeever

I didn't come out as panromantic or asexual until I turned 19. Ever since then, I've had a giant ace flag on my bedroom wall to show pride in the fact that I can be open about who I am. I frequently dress in black and purple as testament of that freedom.

When I was in high school, you could get beat up and shoved in lockers for standing up for the queer kids or being a member of the Gay Straight Alliance club (GSA). Then imagine how people reacted to you being out as queer yourself.

Something as little as being able to wear a rainbow can improve your outlook on life significantly. Having who you are torn down can take a toll, so allowing that pride to shine can make or break a lifetime.

5. Cosplays

Maddy McKeever

Even something as simple as being able to wear a costume to class on Halloween can be a big deal. But what about casual cosplays whenever you want. Costumes allow people to take on the personas of those they appreciate.

If you can't have a little fun once in a while then what's the point. Be who you want to be, even if that day it's a character from a show nobody else will know. You won't get made fun of for it in Seattle.

My wardrobe and my world view has expanded greatly since moving up to Seattle for uni. I love my hometown, and it made me who I am today, but after moving somewhere where I can be myself, I like where I'm headed for the future even more.

Madison McKeever
Madison McKeever Apr 9, 2019
At University of Washington

Popular Right Now

10 Things You'll Recognize If You Grew Up In A Small Town

Those stop signs were more like suggestions.
Jensen Reed
Jensen Reed May 23, 2017
801
views

Whether you're from the Northwest or Southeast, all small towns share basically the same characteristics.

From hanging out at car washes to eating endless meals at that Mexican restaurant, if you're from a small town, you'll probably relate to one (if not all) of these things:

1. Yes, that Mexican restaurant.

Whether you came here to eat after ball games or simply came because there was nothing better to do, you probably spent way to much money on burritos and cheese dip. (For real though, cheese dip was so worth that extra $3).

2. Churches. Churches everywhere.

There seemed to be more churches than people, and everywhere you went one of them was staring you in the face. At least you knew that the whole town was covered on seats when it came to Sunday services.

3. Yep, you hung out at the car wash.

For some odd reason, teenagers like to hang out at the car wash. We don't know why we did, we just did. No car every got cleaned. We just sat on our hoods or tailgates and talked or listened the music. What a wild night.

4. Quick stops.

Gas stations were called quick stops and thank God for those quick stops. You could fill up your tank and get a snack without having to drive 30 minutes to the nearest city. Plus their boiled peanuts were always the bomb. #blessed

5. "Stop" signs.

Those stop signs were more like suggestions. No cop, no stop, right? Same thing with speed limits - merely suggestions.

6. The football field.

Fall Friday nights were made for football games, and there was no getting out of it. Do any of you small town girls really remember going on a Friday night date? Yeah, me neither. Football games were the closest you were going to get to a date on Fridays. You either waited for Saturday or the end of the season. Honestly though, those Friday nights hold some of you and your friends' favorite memories.

7. The good ole grocery store.

Sorry bud, Walmart, Costo, and Kroger were 30 minutes away, and driving to the city was not about to happen. You either went to Shop and Save or Piggly Wiggly for your groceries.

8. "The park."

You either played as a kid, coached a peewee team, refereed as a teenager, or simply watched your siblings play here. No matter the case, you've been to the park, and you're lying if you say you haven't.

9. Those white welcome signs.

Literal *cringe* just looking at it. Passing this sign after coming home from the city meant you were once again stuck in this little town with nothing to do, but you honestly kind of love having nothing to do sometimes.

10. This view.

Sure, there's not a whole lot going on in your small town, but with views like this you can't complain. #NatureIsCool #SoAreSmallTowns

Cover Image Credit: Myself
Jensen Reed
Jensen Reed May 23, 2017
At Mississippi State University

Related Content

Connect with a generation
of new voices.

We are students, thinkers, influencers, and communities sharing our ideas with the world. Join our platform to create and discover content that actually matters to you.

Learn more Start Creating

12 Ways To Save Money During The Summer When All You Want Is To Spend It

Saving is important year round, but it's most important in the summer

Sarah Avdakov
Sarah Avdakov May 22, 2019
123
views

Over the summer, everyone normally has more free time than during the year, and that means more time to spend more money. Saving money over the summer is important, not only so you can be prepared to pay for things in the future, but also so you can enjoy your summer and no be stressed about how much money you've spent. Saving money is something that should happen year round, but it's especially important to do in the summer.

1. Create a budget

Starting the summer off on the right foot is super important to stay on track throughout the rest of the summer. A budget is something that you should have year round, but it's important to adjust it for your summer plans.

2. And stick to it

Not only do you have to make a budget, but you have to stick to it. If you don't follow your budget, you're wasting time and money, and it's hard to keep on top of finances.

3. Take advantage of student discounts

During the summer, college students find themselves with a lot more free time than in the school year. When you're planning what to do with your extra time, make sure to look if the place offers student discounts or not. Why pay full price when you don't have to?

4. Don't always go out to eat

College students tend to spend time with their friends going out for food or for drinks, and that adds up fast. If you have friends over to cook dinner, it can be healthier and cheaper to do.

5. Sublet

If you have an apartment you're not going to be staying in, or need to stay in Columbus, it's beneficial both ways to sublet. Neither way do you have to pay full price on an apartment, and any discount, no matter how small, saves you money

6. Take day trips

Obviously, no one wants to stay in one place the whole summer, but travel is super expensive. By going on day trips you get to see more of the state or city, but you don't have to pay for lodging overnight. It's a good way to get out without eating into your budget.

7. Walk around

Columbus has great parks and trails that not enough people think about using when they're planning what they want to do. If you walk around outside, you can spend as much time you want there and you don't have to pay anything.

8. Split costs with friend

Do both of you need a Hulu and a Netflix account? Why not share the costs and the passwords with each other, so that you both can save some extra cash in the future. This doesn't just have to be with streaming services, but it can apply to food and parking costs as well.

9. Don't impulsively buy big items

Maybe you've worked a ton recently to start saving for summer, or you have graduation money flowing in. You feel like it doesn't matter how much you spend, but it does. If you hold off on those purchases, and you save your money, you'll be in a better spot financially at the end of the summer.

10. Get a job

The obvious one. If you're doing an unpaid internship or your normal job isn't offering you many hours, then getting a second job where you can work to have a little more money can help you achieve your savings goal.

11. Don't be too hard on yourself

The hardest part of setting goals is when you don't achieve them. Even if you haven't saved exactly as much as you wanted, making even a small change can help your financial wellbeing and can be enough to make small changes in the future.

12. Don't force yourself to make big changes

Everyone's saving tips to Millennials are to stop getting coffee every single day from places like Starbucks. While cutting down on spending in these ways will greatly help you save money, it's not the only thing that will help. There's no reason to make yourself miserable in order to follow the rules of someone else for a small change financially.

Sarah Avdakov
Sarah Avdakov May 22, 2019
At The Ohio State University

Related Content

Facebook Comments