I was sitting in a coffee shop the other day waiting for an old friend to arrive when a young woman, about my age, walked through the door. She was wearing grey leggings and running shoes with a big long-sleeved T-shirt. Her hair was up and she had glasses on, the absence of makeup kissing her face.

The first thought that came into my head when I saw her was, "I really like that shirt." It was big and had that vintage touch, the lettering faded whether on purpose or from repetitive wear. Turning my attention back to myself, I heard the pair of older women behind me begin to whisper. Being the excellent eavesdropper that I am, I tuned into their conversation, hearing things like, "she looks like she just got out of bed," and "would never be caught dead," and "they all wear that now." It suddenly dawned on me that they were clucking on like hens about the girl with the rad shirt. For me, that was the last straw.

Growing up in a big family, I was raised to become a young lady, respecting myself and others; and while I know it was never meant rudely by my parents, there were countless times when I got the, "You're wearing that to school?" line. This would normally be addressing my lack of effort into an outfit, mostly because I was seeking comfort, not attention. That's where we should pause: comfort.

I don't know how many occasions I have heard someone say that you should never be comfortable in an outfit because comfort isn't pretty. I don't know how many times I have had someone stare at me and ask if I was wearing any makeup because I looked really tired. I don't know how many headlines I have read about how to "appeal" to someone else (normally men) by the way us women dress. All of these things, especially the latter, truly make me cringe. There is never a time I have worn my yoga pants and big sweatshirt and said to myself, "well, guess they're right about comfort not being pretty."

Yes, there are times in which I compare myself to a thumb or trash can because I know I could have put a little bit more effort into my appearance, but if I honestly believed that, I would never be seen in public. I may say things about my appearance, but I wear my confidence more prominently than anything else. I feel like in today's public sphere and societies venomous passive remarks, girls forget that it is, in fact, perfectly fine to dress like you really don't care.

It is completely OK to not spend 30 minutes per eye-perfecting (or attempting to perfect, if you're like me) your winged eyeliner. It is completely OK to not paint your face with four different bases and contour your God-given facial structure, only to take it all off in five hours. It is completely OK to let that really cute boy in your Monday/Wednesday class see you without makeup, to see your natural glow shining from within your soul. If you don't show the world your face every once in awhile, you will only be known for your mask.

Now if you are one who enjoys putting on makeup and feel genuinely good, then by all means, girl, shade and color in those eyebrows; but please, don't do it because you read it on the front page of the latest issue of Cosmo. Society has thrown so many "goalsy" body images in our faces that so many girls question whether it's acceptable to actually be happy with who they are. If it's not on some cover of some magazine or social media, it's in the mouths of the judgmental hens who refuse to accept natural as beautiful, and to me, that's unacceptable.

Wear that big T-shirt that you slept in the night before and top it off with your favorite flannel. Put on those high heels and tight black pants that make you feel fierce and a part of Beyoncé's squad. As long as you feel like you, your wardrobe should be under your fingertips, not the talons of society.