Insecurities

There it is. The dress hanging in your closet, gathering dust. You loved it when you saw it in the store, but your mom says it makes you look fat. Or maybe you swear you get weird looks when you wear it out the door. Perhaps you have decided it is not cool enough for the lowly likes of yourself.

We all have fashion insecurities. Heck, we all have all types of insecurties. In an open call to the student body, we sought to learn more about why we don’t wear what we want to wear, and what’s stopping us.

“I use fashion as a way to boost my own levels of confidence, it’s a create voice for me. This outfit represents what I would be afraid to wear before I stopped caring about what other people think” Maddie

“I had this jacket made in India, where I am from. I want to wear it, but sometimes I feel like my body shape hinders me from wearing any style of dress I want to wear.” Manasvi

“I loved these pants when I saw them, but I don’t like to wear them because people look at me when I do. They’re attention grabbers.” Gabby

“I am pretty insecure about my legs and thighs area, in fact I even wear pants when it is hot out. I chose this from my closet because it is the shortest thing I own.” Risako

“My fashion confidence has grown over time. I used to wear what everyone else was wearing, but once I played into what I wanted to wear, I developed my own style.” Allie

“This is so much pink. Like so much pink. I usually avoid wearing statement pieces, so I am challenging myself in wearing this.” Dana

“I liked this in the dressing room, but never wear it out. My mom always told me that how you dress is how you present yourself to others, but sometimes that stops me from wearing something I like.” Madi

“This top has never seen the light of day. What I wear ties to how confident I feel, and coming to college changed my perception of what it looks like to dress confidently.” Ellie

“I love fishnets because they are worn by a lot of kpop stars, but have always been afraid to wear them. I feel like I’m overcoming a certain fear in wearing these now.” Victoria

“A friend and I ordered these shirts, but as soon as I got it I became afraid of wearing it to class and having to explain my shirt while talking to a professor.” Sophie

“I believe that what you wear determines how you feel. Seeing plus sized models on instagram helped boost my fashion confidence, because body positivity is something I have struggled with.” Abby

“Growing up in a more conservative family, my mother wouldn’t allow me to wear very revealing things and I never really bothered trying. But right now, I feel great!” Victoria

Direction RACHEL HELLMAN

Photography ANDREW WENG

Media ROSE HO

Styling MADDY RITHOLZ