What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when you think about fashion?  A catwalk with supermodels?  The latest trends?  Fancy labels?  Famous designers?  Expensive clothes?  Women’s magazines?  Rules about what to wear and what’s so last year?

Well, these are certainly elements of fashion, but what I’m proposing today is that we broaden our conception of fashion. Fashion doesn’t only have to be these stereotypical images.

The reason those images represent just elements of what fashion can be is because fashion can really be about you!

Your Fashion, Your way

For me, fashion is about self expression, above all other aspects, and I believe that fashion can be a wonderful way to express your identity. It’s a way to show the world who you are without saying a word.

Fashion is much more than dressing in a certain way or following trends that are fading away as we speak. It’s more than dressing by the “rules” for your type of body. This kind of fashion is restrictive.

Instead of a prison, fashion can be liberating: you don’t have to be a “fashion victim” and follow the latest trends to enjoy fashion. This is about finding out what you love and making it works for you!

We are talking about your body, what makes you feel good, comfortable, beautiful, confident and happy. And you are the only person that has the power to decide what to wear. Never lose sight of that fact: you are your own fashion expert.

Defining What Fashion Means to You

Everybody has to wear clothes (nudist colony attendees excluded), and finding what makes you feel good doesn’t have to be complicated. More than that, it can be fun!

To make the job of getting dressed as easy and enjoyable as possible, it’s necessary to have clothes that fit you comfortably. This is the corner stone of a self acceptance approach to fashion because it’s almost impossible to feel confident, beautiful and fun-loving when you’re feeling uncomfortable with your outfit.

Having comfort in mind, you can choose what suits your personal taste: the styles that you like most, the colors, the textures, the lengths, the fabrics, the prints. There are endless possibilities!

And you don’t have to pick up just one style: you can choose a classical dress today and wear a hippie-ish outfit tomorrow. Or mix a little bit of both and see if that suits you. There are no rules. Wear what you feel like in a way that you feel is appropriate for your daily activities.

Every day is different and unique and your clothing choices can reflect that - or not.  Maybe you like to dress the same way every day. That’s ok, too. Some people like variety; some people like having their trade marks. And that’s perfectly fine.

Being True to Your Fashion Sensibilities

Stay true to what you like and what makes you feel good. If you love lemon-lime green and it’s not “fashionable” at the moment, wear it anyway! If you want to wear something deemed “inappropriate” for your body type/size, labels be darned! Wear what you want!

To make fashion your own you have to let go of “do’s and don’ts”, you’ve got to take risks, letting go of restrictive rules and prejudices. You have the right to wear what you love and to enjoy your choices.

Consider going to the store and trying on some piece of clothing that you would like to wear but you never had the courage to. If store’s aren’t smart enough to carry your sizes, order online, try things on at home - maybe with a friend? - and send back what you don’t want.  To be even bolder, add some accessories or color.

As you do this, note what you like and what works for you. These little steps help define your own version of fashion, which can be much wider and richer than stereotyped fashion images. One step at a time, you can make fashion your own.

I’d love to hear about your style! Please share at the comments.

Patricia Morgado is a Brazilian teacher, jewelry designer and a self acceptance and fashion blogger. She has a degree in Pedagogy and a Master's degree in Human Rights Education. She believes that the key to a happy life is learning to love ourselves. She also believes that fashion is for everyBODY. You can find her jewlery work at Madame Papu's.