If anyone has seen me out in public during the cold, Christmas season, they know it's no secret that I enjoy my warm, cozy sweatpants. I have three pairs that fit me perfectly, and by perfectly, I mean they cover my ankles. You see, I'm kind of on the tall side for being a girl. 5'8" and a quarter inch, to be exact. So it's hard for me to find long sweatpants when I go shopping. Petite just doesn't cut it. I'm sure that the people who hang out with me or see me every day have noticed that I only wear those specific sweatpants. I'm usually mismatched because of them, but I don't really care. I'm warm, and that's all that matters.
Today was one of those rare days where I did not wear my cozy sweats. As I began to put them on, I thought, "I need a change." So, instead of wearing my black Jaguar pants, I slipped on my ripped skinnies. It's hard for me to find jeans that are comfortable around my waist, and the ripped pair is the only pair I own that fits right. Don't worry, they're warm, and there's fabric under the ripped, stringy parts. Anyway, I slipped them on and wore my TDF shirt with them (I've been over-wearing it lately because I just love it so much), and after adding some eye makeup, I looked in the mirror and thought, "Yes. I look good today." Apparently I wasn't the only one that noticed.
My friend Brittany and I headed up to college to meet Jes and to wait for Taelor to finish her final so we could all go to Starbucks. We had been planning this day for a few weeks now, so I was pretty excited. Anyway, we walked into the student center, grabbed Jes, headed to the library to see if the tech desk could help Brittany fix her computer (there was a virus on it), and then returned to the student center for lunch. Brittany headed straight for the table underneath one of the TV's, so Jes and I followed her. We walked past a table of guys and set our things down, and I looked over at them and saw that two out of the three were looking at me. We continued to sit down and talk, and each time I glanced over at the table, one of the two guys was staring. I wanted to say, "Take a picture, it lasts longer." But I ignored the urge and went to grab lunch.
I find it amazing how changing just one article of clothing can change the way people look at you. I went from sweat pants and glances to jeans and stare-downs. Do bottoms really affect an appearance that much? Sure, jeans show off a little more ass, but I hardly have one anyway. I didn't see the jeans as much of an upgrade, and I couldn't tell that they really changed anything about my physical appearance. It frustrates me, really. Attraction should never be based solely on looks, and I've found that liking someone for his appearance and then getting to know him completely changes how he looks externally. I never bet on looks anymore. Sure, I can take a look at a guy and say that he's cute or attractive, but what it boils down to is how he is as a person. Humans can be very beautiful and enjoyable to look at, but there is only so much appreciation that can be given for it. I feel like if you get to really know someone for who they are, you'll always have something about them to appreciate because there are just that many layers and components that make up their personality.
I wish people could ignore the outside and focus on what's on the inside. Society has become corrupt with how they think our people should look, so much so that it can actually cause self-harm to those who don't feel pretty enough or think they can't meet the standards. I know that I could majorly branch off into eating disorders and cutting and suicide, but I'm not going to do that. Instead, I am going to encourage each and every one of my readers to just take one day out of their entire lives to be comfortable on the outsides of their bodies. Wear some sweats and a shirt that doesn't match. Throw in a randomly colored hat and some mismatched shoes. Don't fit society's standards for just once in your lives and wear whatever you please, because being beautiful on the inside is way more important than how others view you on the outside! Not only will you be defying society's evil ways, but you will also be helping those who don't fit in feel better about themselves. And if people have the nerve to shoot you weird, judging stares, look at them, smile, and simply say, "Take a picture. It lasts longer."
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