I’m wearing a tribal print waterfall shrug, a high-neck pullover, leather panelled pants and studded ankle boots. If someone else were to comment on my outfit, they’d use adjectives like “bold”, “gutsy” or even a little “edgy” to describe it. But here’s the thing, as much as I feel good in what I wear, I’d be expected to keep others’ opinions in mind.  

Whenever a woman dresses to please herself, there’s always someone telling us to tone things down. Either the outfit is too tight, too loose, too damn long or too short for comfort. 

The irony is that models look good in everything, but when we emulate ‘high-fashion’ we’re made to feel as if the look is not for us. We live in a time when the length of our hemlines defines how sanskaari we are. Bold fashion choices, no matter how comfortable they make the individual feel, apparently must be worn with caution. From defining how a tubby girl shouldn’t wear crop tops to heavily judging women with dark complexion for wearing bright colours, we’ve come a long way into our disillusionment. 

Apparently what we wear needs to be whetted by societal rules and it’s time we spoke up against it. 

At the end of the day, what I put on my body is a reflection of how I feel. It builds my confidence, it makes me stand taller. I feel beautiful and full of fire, one that won’t burn any less bright for the world. So I speak to those who covet what they want to wear and then cower down because ‘what will people think?’

I want to tell you that as cliched as it sounds, we really have one life to live. 

It’s short and it whizzes past faster than you can achieve your goals. So turn a deaf ear to those that tell you, “blue isn’t your colour”, or “makeup makes you look ashy” because you are a resplendent queen and queens rule! Sport what you wear with pizzazz because if it makes you feel an iota of happiness, it’s all worth it. 

Just like Shrishti from Patna, who in this video by Myntra Unforgettables, is owning her style with confidence despite her rollercoaster life. Here’s a girl who despite her pitfalls, her loss of job, relationship and loved ones has built herself from the ground up, much like a phoenix rising from its ashes. Her story gives the rest of us hope that despite all ups and downs we’ll endure through our style. For all our shopping needs, we’ll have Myntra to fall back on, of course!