MY JOURNEY WITH FASHION AND SELF-CONFIDENCE

This is the sign you’ve been looking for. Listen to my story and maybe you can start yours.

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Early Years

I never considered myself a person who easily fit in with the social settings I grew up in. Being an Indian-American is not easy, especially when you’re in your predominantly white school district. I was bullied a lot when I was growing up for a lot of weird reasons. From the way I oiled my hair to the way my food smelled and the way I dressed, I was picked on for everything. And it didn’t help that my name literally has the word “sh*t” in it (Lakshita). Every little thing about me just acted as ammunition for my peers. I never got a break.

So, my self-confidence fell apart, and honestly, so did I. 

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Slow Changes

I lived like this for the majority of my grade school life. I never really had a big group of childhood friends, and I never really wanted one because I couldn’t tell the difference between those who were genuine and those who just wanted to make fun of me (believe it or not, many girls tried being “friends” with me just to bully me). 

But then that all changed when I started high school. The end of my 9th grade year marked the start of the COVID-19 shutdown. I could finally retreat into the safety of my own space without worrying about being judged by others.

That’s when I finally started embracing who I was. I stopped feeling ashamed of oiling my hair, I started wearing what I wanted, and I was no longer afraid to be myself. Slowly, I started regaining my confidence. I didn’t need anyone else’s approval.

I realized that I was enough. 

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Self-Expression

I started expressing myself through different avenues as I regained my confidence. I started writing, painting, drawing, recording songs (I actually had songs on Spotify for a while before I took them down), and I discovered the art of fashion and personal style. 

I started dressing better in the sense that I actually liked what I wore, and I didn’t try to fit into what everyone else was wearing. Then, when I returned to in-person school during my junior year, many of my friends were shocked at my newfound confidence. The way I carried myself had changed, and people noticed that without me even having to say a word.

I like to think that the way I chose to express myself through fashion was what allowed me to carry myself differently.

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My History With Fashion and Personal Style

I’ve always loved experimenting with my outfits. My mom recalls how when I was around four years old if I ever found a new piece of clothing that I loved, I would never take it off. And I mean never. My daycare teachers had to change my clothes because I wouldn’t let my parents remove my favorite dress. 

I like to think that was the beginning of my journey with personal style. As a child, I wore a lot of colors but I also tended to dress a lot older than I was. I specifically remember one moment in sixth grade when I was wearing big heeled winter boots and a winter jacket (that I still wear to this day) and a boy in my class told me that I was dressed like a whole adult. That was a shocking comment for me but it was a key moment in my relationship with fashion.

Yes, it’s true that I lost touch with my personal style during my less confident years, but those challenges ultimately helped me appreciate who I am. Today, you will not catch me degrading myself to the extent that I used to. Of course, I still have days where I feel ugly or not as confident, but to me, the overall change is what’s important.

I am much more confident now, and I’m grateful that experimenting with my personal style played a major role in my journey of self-love. 

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Find Your Stylistic Confidence

Fashion helped me a lot growing up, and it has the power to do the same for you.

That is why I am now on a mission to empower you to own your style and be Stylistic in any way you choose to be. It doesn’t matter if you want to follow along with the latest trends or completely defeat the norms. As long as I can help you find the confidence and love for yourself to wear what you want and to be who you want fearlessly, that’s all that truly matters.

I hope you’ll join me on this journey, and I can’t wait to see how we all grow together.

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