For most of my life, getting dressed felt like a battle I couldn’t win. I’d walk into stores full of beautiful things — racks stretching wall to wall — and leave empty-handed, or worse, leave with something that didn’t fit right but felt like the best I could do. The dressing room was the hardest part. Fluorescent lights, mirrors that seemed to highlight every insecurity, and clothes that were clearly designed for a body that wasn’t mine. I’d tug at hems that were too short, squeeze into zippers that wouldn’t close, and tell myself that maybe I just needed to be different before I deserved to feel beautiful. I believed that for a long time. Too long.

The plus size section — when there even was one — was usually tucked in the back corner like an afterthought. Bright florals and geometric patterns and shapeless cuts. Nothing that felt like me. Nothing that felt like joy. Shopping was supposed to be fun. For me, it was a reminder of everything I thought was wrong with my body. I’d come home feeling smaller on the inside than when I left.

But somewhere along the way, something shifted. It didn’t happen all at once — self love rarely does. It started with small moments. A friend who told me I looked beautiful when I didn’t believe it. A photo where I caught myself smiling and actually liked what I saw. A day where I put on an outfit just because I loved it, not because it was safe or hiding something. Slowly, I stopped dressing for apology and started dressing for joy. I started paying attention to what made me feel alive — sexy cuts, curve hugging fabrics, pieces with personality. I realized my body wasn’t the problem. The clothes were. And when I finally found pieces that fit the way they were supposed to — that moved with me, celebrated my curves, and reflected who I actually am — everything changed. I stood taller. I smiled more. I stopped shrinking.

That journey taught me that style is not a reward you earn after you lose weight or reach some version of yourself you think the world will accept. Style is yours right now, exactly as you are. And every person deserves to open their closet and find something that makes them feel like themselves — beautiful, bold, and completely unapologetic.