The Power of Fashion: Self-Expression

I have lived majority of my personal life without knowing how to find my personal style. In primary school, I had to wear a uniform. In high school, I had to wear a uniform. Outside of that, I went through a myriad of different fashion choices – from loving Doc Martens and Dangerfield dresses, to constant skinny jeans and Nirvana branded singlets.

And this is where the essence of my personal self faces conflict. Where I am a huge advocate for self-expression and personal fashion autonomy, I also struggle to know what I should wear half the time, or rather, what my style is. And I know I am not the only one.

Consistently over the past few weeks, my social media accounts have been ramming my feed with images, videos and montages of the most fashionable, beautiful and free people I have ever seen. And it is inspiring me. I want to be these people – carefree to wear whatever I want, to feel good doing it, and to know that I am wearing it for myself.

Here are the ones that made the biggest impressions on me and why.

One, Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell in their iconic strut in the 1956 film, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. I was scrolling on TikTok when this came up on my feed, accompanied by The Beegees crooning More Than A Woman. And Barry Gibb and his brothers are right – these ladies are way more than women. They are beautiful, confident, suave, intimidating and effortless, free, people. If we take a moment to pretend that in these few seconds, they were existing in an ungendered and sexism-free world, we can recontextualise this moment to suit us and truly appreciate this iconic walk for its preferred intention – liberated, colourful and striking. And don’t even get me started on how timeless their sparkly dresses are, I would re-adorn these to every event possible if I could.

**Lesson I learnt:** it doesn’t matter where you are, who is watching, or what time you are living in. Women are more than gorgeous women. We are free, mind-boggling icons, even if we are locked up in sweats. Wear your Adidas with confidence.

Two, Miley Cyrus and Phoebe Dynevor giving us shaggy, androgynous, rock star glam. Each time these two came up, respectively, on my Instagram and Facebook, and both times I slightly lost my breath. I turned to my boyfriend, showed him Miley Cyrus, and said:

“*I need this outfit. This is the most amazing outfit I have ever seen. I am so happy to see Miley Cyrus finally wearing what she wants to wear, because oh my gosh, she looks so amazing*.”

Her emerald shoes, seventies inspired beaded ensemble, muscular arms showing off those tattoos, and the phenomenal shaggy hair do…I was astounded. The ease at which she wears it, the comfort within her soul (I hope at least from her latest transformation in her music, which will need its own article) told me, with a simple Instagram post, that she is finally free from the eyes of Disney and her Bangerz days, and has finally found her way back home to her version of Texas – glamorous, free and herself. Plastic Heart and whatever follows, will surely bring in the new reign of Miley Cyrus.

On the other end, the global phenomenon that was Bridgerton brought Phoebe Dynevor onto our television screens, and I am so grateful. Not only did I love the Netflix series (which finally gave us a story that gave the world a perspective of sexual awakening from the female perspective) and the books, but I love what Dynevor gives us, especially this moment.

She is unproblematic, wears whatever she wants, and can rock absolutely any hair or makeup style ever, from prim, regency England to punk glamour. At first I did not understand how this was possible and I was plagued with questions – which style is truly her? Is this all for public show? Is she promoting something? But then I remembered that even if all of those were true, the reason why she looks so amazing, and carefree, and comfortable, is because she is. The bones that hold her system do so happily, with a mental and emotional understanding that she is the best version of herself she can possibly be. Presenting that through gorgeous sequins and the platinum blonde shaggy do, is a testament as to how beautiful you can feel, inside and out, if you trust yourself.

Lastly, Adele. Sigh. Where do I even start with my Queen? As a singer, Adele has been one of my top greatest vocal inspirations. Many of my personal singing habits are courtesy of her music. And now, with a potential Down Under tour, I am going crazy over any update.

What I will acknowledge is that disappointment surges through my veins when I would see comments over the past two to three years stating that her beauty was new-found, following her weight loss.

I will be the first to say that maintaining a healthy lifestyle is highly important, but I deeply believe that Adele has always been a beautiful person. Never once has she ever worn an outfit that wasn’t *her*. Never has she done her hair or wore makeup in a way that didn’t express who she was. Never once has she pretended to be someone who was not her in interviews and public appearance; she cackles, story tells and talks about her life as if you are her close mate, every time. No matter what the media has ever said, this women has never strayed from being comfortable in her own skin and doing whatever she wanted. And when this picture came on my feed, all I kept thinking was how much I adore that about her.

Now, my goal for these coming holidays is to free my wardrobe of the clothes that bound me to the conforms of “buying this was smart because it was cheap” and “I wore this to one party, so I can’t wear it again” or “I look fat in this dress” or “I don’t have any shoes to match this” or “I spent a lot of money on this so I can’t get rid of it even though I never wore it.”

Instead, I vow that I will only keep, and in the future, buy, clothes that free me to be the best and most comfortable version of myself possible. I want to make Marilyn Monroe, Jane Russell, Miley Cyrus, Phoebe Dynevor, Adele and everyone else, proud.

I can’t always tell whether I am merely admiring the freedom of self-expression of these wonderful, beautiful people, or whether that is the style I want to see on myself. What I do know, and the message I have taken home to myself for this past week, is that self-love, confidence and knowing that you are the best version of yourself that you can possibly be, is the first step towards free self-expression in fashion.

Honourable mentions