Wearing the Version of Me I’m Becoming

The Language of Clothes

As a child, I went through many stages of questionable fashion choices. Skinny jeans had their moment (unfortunately). Leggings became a uniform. There was even a phase where I wore winter coats in the summer.

At the time, I didn’t have the words for it, but my clothes were speaking for me. They reflected how I felt about myself, what I was carrying, and who I thought I needed to be. I wore winter coats because I was insecure about my weight. I dressed like my mother because she felt familiar and safe, and because children naturally mirror the women they admire. None of it was accidental. It was protective. It was instinctive.

What We Communicate Before We Speak

You can tell a lot about a person by how they present themselves. That’s why interviews come with an unspoken dress code, not because clothing defines competence, but because it signals care, intention, and self-respect.

When I go into interviews, I always wear the same outfit. A pink blazer, a crisp white button-up, and cream colored loafers with matching pants. It’s deliberate. Fashion is one of the ways I represent myself, and wearing my favorite color feels honest. Pink, to me, is confidence without hardness. Femininity without apology. It’s a quiet way of saying I know who I am.

It may seem like a small detail, but small details are often the most revealing.

Dressing With Intention

Fashion isn’t just about what’s trending. It’s about alignment. It’s about choosing how you want to move through the world, and sometimes choosing the version of yourself you’re still stepping into.

As Blair Waldorf once said,

“Fashion is the most powerful art there is. It’s movement, design, and architecture all in one. It shows the world who we are and who we’d like to be.”

– Blair Waldorf

Blair Waldorf has been a reference point for me ever since I first watched Gossip Girl. The show even inspired XOXO, Layna. Blair embodies elegance, confidence, and certainty, even in her most mischievous moments. She knows what she wants, and she doesn’t shrink herself while going after it.

I don’t admire her immoral decisions she’s made throughout the show, but I do admire her decisiveness, her presence, and the way she takes up space with intention.

Becoming Her Through Style

As I’ve grown, I’ve noticed my taste in style has grown alongside me. As someone who started out believing she was a nobody, I’ve since grown to love the person I am today. I can confidently say I accept myself for who I am and don’t give a sh*t what anyone thinks. This is exactly how Blair is. I’ve noticed she’s become my philosophy, even in fashion.

I was drawn to the elegance of old money inspired clothing. Pieces that feel timeless rather than trendy. I gravitated toward colors like dark green and wine red, tones that feel rich, grounded, and quietly powerful. Nothing loud. Nothing accidental. Accessories became intentional, too. A headband, a watch, a simple pair of earrings. Each choice felt considered. I learned that elegance isn’t about excess, but about restraint. About knowing when something adds to you, and when it distracts.

Dressing this way changed how I carried myself. I move more deliberately. I feel composed, even on days when I was still figuring things out internally. It reminds me that confidence can be practiced. Sometimes, you step into it through what you wear. This was not about becoming Blair Waldorf. It was about allowing her confidence and clarity to inform my own. About dressing like a woman who knows her worth, even when she’s still growing into it.

Wearing Growth

I don’t dress the way I used to, because I am no longer trying to hide. My clothes are not armor anymore. They’re an extension of who I’m becoming, more grounded, more self-assured, and more intentional.

I dress for clarity now.
For confidence.
For the woman I’m actively choosing to be.

Who are you dressing to become?