I'm an Indie Kid!!

I tried to be artistic.. This is what I usually wear. 

It's funny, the other week my friends ("friends"?) at college were trying to give me a label. One of them is goth, another is scene, another is a metal head.. They couldn't really give me a label, other than alternative. 
Which, I guess, is because I don't have dyed hair, facial piercings, or even loads of ear piercings, and what I wear varies from day to day. Sometimes I will wear really cute, floral tops, and sometimes I wear oversized band tees and ripped skinny jeans. Heck, I've even worn a skirt to college before!! Yeah, for a whole day. So I am label-less, I guess. The only thing I could be described as is a rocker, when I wear my Docs.. 

But I'm actually pretty happy that I don't have a label. I think it means that I have nothing to conform to, I don't have to always wear grungy clothes, or pretty clothes; I can mix and match and be 100%, purely myself. 
This generation, and many before, are obsessed with having labels. Is someone your boyfriend, or your best friend? Does it really matter? And there's groups in society, too.. The '70s had the mods and the rockers.. And now there are so many different groups of people.. There's the hipsters, and the preppy kids, and the alternative people, like goths, and punks and scene kids.. Like, why do we have to have a label, why do we have to conform??
As I've already mentioned, I wear so many different styles of clothes.. I wear guy's clothes, girl's clothes.. I don't really care. And yet, so many people do. So many females will not shop in the guy's section. Why? What does it matter? Clothes are gender neutral. If you're looking for things like hoodies, or jumpers, or big tees, just check out whatever is in the men's section, because it's all actually really nice. And so what if a guy has the same item of clothing as you?? If you'd shopped in the girl's section, another girl would have the same thing as you.. 

I don't really know where I'm going with this, but bear with me.. 

Society, and the press, and just people in general, put so much pressure on people to label themselves, and conform to what that label states they should do/say/be. I've seen so many things around the internet to do with not being punk unless you dress punk, and that's so wrong. I, for the most part, identify as a punk, not because of how I look, but because of the music that I listen to, and the mindset that I have (y'know, the "I don't care what society thinks" kind of thing). I can also identify as indie, because of the music I listen to, and the clothes I wear. But I don't purposely try to listen to that music, or dress the way I do. It just happens because I wear/listen to what I like. 

I feel like most people expect girls to be skinny, and pretty, and wear nice clothes, and have perfect makeup, etc. And I'm a girl. I am not like that, at all.. I mean, sure, I guess I'm skinny, and I think I am pretty. But I don't always wear nice clothes, and I never look 100% put together, with perfect hair and makeup; my eyeliner smudges like there's no tomorrow, my eyeshadow probably makes me look like I have black eyes, and my hair is never perfectly straight, no matter how much I straighten it.

I don't wear foundation. This is a pretty big one, or at least, something I've been thinking about for a while. I feel like I should, but I don't feel comfortable doing so. I don't really like the feel of having foundation on my skin, and I touch my face a lot, so it would probably mess up anyway. I have pretty okay skin, despite getting the odd spot, or ten, but whenever I watch YouTubers doing these "get ready with me" videos, they always wear foundation, and concealer, and look perfect. I can't help but think why don't I look like that? 

I guess the point of this post is, you shouldn't worry about the pressures of society, or even the pressure you put upon yourself to look a certain way, or be a certain way. 
Sure, wear makeup if you want to. I have to admit, it is pretty fun, as is wearing pretty dresses and cute tops. But then, so is wearing a tonne of think black eyeliner and dirty Converse.. 

Be unapologetically yourself. Go to local gigs and buy merch. Cut the sleeves off and wear it with pride. Go to vintage shops and wear old Docs, or shop at high-end clothes stores. Just make sure that you're doing what makes you happy. Because, ultimately, it's your life. Don't try to be a certain way, just because society says you should. 

I'm going to say it again...

BE UNAPOLOGETICALLY YOURSELF! 

Okay, bye for today!!

- Dottie.