Back to School // Outfits

The night before the first day of the fall semester, I spent a little bit of time (okay a little more than a bit) deciding what to wear and trying things on.

Not in the way you would think though! My concern wasn't really about what is the newest fashion or the "it" accessory for fall or do these leggings make my butt look good?

I was worried about the message that what I was wearing would send to my new classmates, TAs and professors.

A nice, put together outfit with cute ballet flats, jewelry, and hair and make-up done would say "I'm a serious, studious, young professional and have it together." OR it could say "Hi, I'm trying to hard, and I'm stuck up, and I care way to much!"

But on the other hand my go-to leggings, sneakers, and perfectly slouchy white t-shirt would say "I'm a lazy and don't care enough to put on for real clothes for this class." OR it could say "I'm sporty and laid back and cool."

OR, OR, OR!!

IT WAS CRAZY! I WAS CRAZY!

I realized that I needed to calm down about what I wore. But to do that I realized I needed to figure out where all this worry about what others thought of me based on my clothes was coming from.

I thought to myself that if the roles were reversed I wouldn't assume those things, good or bad, about other people. Making judgements like this about another based on put together or comfy clothes isn't cool.

Yes, I have judged a fellow student for wearing slippers and a t shirt that was obviously slept in to class. I thought "Wow how lazy, are they!?"

But for all I know they could have been up all night doing really important work for the 17 classes they are taking to became a brain surgeon or the 3 class they are taking to study art history.

Or they waited until the last minute night before to write a critical analysis of an artwork that they had known about alllllll semester (guilty). But all are valid reasons for wearing or not wearing slippers and a pajama shirt to class.

Because does it matter? Is it any of my business? Is it anyone's business? Nope, absolutely not.

It is quite possible that every single person in my 9:30 am lecture is judging my yoga pants and no make-up. Is it probable that every single one pays that much attention and/or cares? Not really.

And even if one person cares enough to pay attention and then is concerned even more to judge me based on what I chose to wear to class, does it change who I am?

Does their judge a book by its cover analysis of me in anyway change who I am as a person? HECK NO JOE! Only if I allow it to.

No one may be judging me at all and I would be worrying about what to wear for nothing while I could be doing more things that I care about.

You quite literally do not know what is going on in a persons life or why someone chooses to dress the way they do unless they explicitly tell you. And vice versa. No one knows you better than you, so don't let the judgement of others affect what YOU do.

In matters as big as a major life decision and as small as what to wear tomorrow.