Walk through the halls of high school, mall, or walk through a college campus and you will discover one thing: everyone dresses differently. It may be subtly different or drastically unique, but there is no escaping the fact that everyone has their own personal style. And you know what? That is awesome! Life would be so boring if we were all the same! Unfortunately, sometimes we catch ourselves making fun of or negatively commenting on other people’s style, saying that it looks weird or isn’t the cutest. Here are just a few reasons why we shouldn’t make fun or bash other people’s personal style.

1. Different is just different, it doesn’t make it ugly: For a lot of us, our tendency is to think that anything that is different from our own preferences isn’t cute or is wrong. If you love wearing colors and patterns, then simplistic style may seem boring and dull to you. If you love preppy style, the boho/hippie style trend is probably far from your favorite. But, just because we aren’t interested in it or don’t want to wear it ourselves doesn’t make it un-stylish or ugly!
2. Style is personal: And it is also a journey. When I was in middle school and the early high school stages, I loved wearing name brands and t-shirts with their logos on them. Now, I rarely wear those brands, and tend to wear more trendy pieces and am more adventurous with my wardrobe. Your style changes as you change, and it can even depend on how you are feeling that day when you pick out your outfit! So, teasing someone on their outfit choice is ultimately telling them that their style isn’t as mature as yours or they have no clue about what is fashionable, when that isn’t the case at all!
3. Experimenting is fun: Wearing the same style of clothes day after day can get boring, so switching up your style keeps things fun and interesting! Why wear what you think everyone else is wearing or what you think others will like when you can wear what YOU like and feel comfortable in? Experiment with different looks and have fun with fashion. Don’t put yourself in a style box and feel like you have to stay within that “style,” and don’t let others feel like you have to BE in a box!

So, next time you see someone wearing an outfit that is so not your style, just look at them and think “They have interesting personal style, and they totally rock it!” You know the awesome feeling of putting together an outfit that is totally “you” and how confident and pretty you feel when wearing it, so you can recognize when someone else is feeling that way about their outfit and themselves.

XOXO, Chels