Here Are 3 Trends I Used to Think I Couldn't "Pull Off" But I Was WRONG

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I used to hate myself, like, a lot. It was terrible and boring and sad but I'm mostly over it now. I don't wake up every day with a smile on my face or anything, but I don't cry anymore when I look in the mirror.

So that's cool. 

When I thought of myself as this horrible gross monster who looked terrible in everything, I wore a lot of baggy flannels and sweatshirts. I also wore a LOT of things that were the wrong size, because I had a hard time dealing with my actual size. (Which, for the record, never went above an 8. Why was I so upset about being an 8? Jeez.)

I had a hard time dressing my body, because I didn't want to spend enough time looking at it to figure out what looked good. In fact, I had a hard time believing I ever looked good. 

There were a lot of trends that I rejected flat-out because I assumed I couldn't "pull them off" for whatever reason. Now that I'm a little bit older, and a little bit wiser (haha), I know that I was in fact missing the one thing you really need to pull off most trends -- confidence. 

Now that I'm more confident/vain, I firmly believe in my ability to pull off most anything. I probably actually take it too far sometimes now, but oh well. Let's take a looksee at the various ~*trends*~ I avoided for far too long, and how I wear them now. 

1. Strapless Dresses

A lot of women with larger chests dismiss strapless tops because strapless bras are BS. I was pretty much the opposite -- I've never gone above a 34B, but I was convinced I didn't have enough boobs to look good in strapless.

I grew up in a family of larger-chested women and someone at some point in my adolescence made a joke about me not having the chest to hold up a strapless top and then I just considered them no-gos from then on. 

I also have a hard time accepting those little bits of fat in my armpits. (What are those? How do I get rid of those?) Whatever. When my best friend got married in April and asked me to be her maid of honor, I sucked it up and wore this gorgeous sweetheart, strapless dress from David's Bridal. I realized that I don't need any specific amount of boobage to pull it off. Getting it fitted to my body made sure it wouldn't fall down halfway through the ceremony. 

Strapless things still aren't always the most practical options, but they can be so flattering! I'm glad I got over my weird phobia of them because this dress is pretty, and I will totally wear it again because it cost too much money. (Other people's weddings, amirite?!)

2. High-Waisted Pants

As a young teen in the age of the ultra-ultra-ultra-you-need-a-bikini-wax-for-this-low-rise jean, I never thought I'd grow up to embrace the high-waisted trend. However, as I got older and began to obsess over vintage fashion and magazine editorials, I realized what a great look a higher waist can be. 

I just assumed, though, that high-waisted pants would look terrible on me because I have wide hips and a flat butt. I remember trying on a pair of high-waisted bell bottoms at a thrift store in Towson in 11th grade and tearing them right back off with a loud and resounding "NOPE."

Just because I hadn't found a pair of high waisted pants that fit me well didn't mean I couldn't pull them off at all! These days, I wear high-waisted pants, skirts and shorts most of the time, and I look pretty good doing it, if I do say so myself. As with all clothing items, the trick is in the fit. These high-waisted, printed joggers from Target are lightweight enough for summer and they're fun to pair with simple tops. 

 

3. CROP TOPS

It's hard to believe that just a few short years ago I was too shy for crop tops. I was convinced they were for "skinny" girls only (body dysmorphic disorder is SO FUN) and that I could never wear one. I saw lots of my friends wearing them in the summer, and I envied them. I would see them in stores and online and think, "Once I lose 30 pounds, I'll buy one." Ugh, it's exhausting to remember how my brain used to work! 

Anyway, in the past couple years I have come to looooove crop tops. I don't know what my life would be like today had I not embraced crop tops as my Lord and Savior, but I'm so thankful to be where I am. 

(Those jeans are from ModCloth and the crop top is from H&M, FYI.) 

There are definitely still some trends I'm a bit wary of (heyyyy palazzo pants, I see you) and there are even more definitely some trends that simply DON'T work on my body (oh hi, drop waist dresses) but I'm glad to be a bit more confident these days, and more willing to try out new things. 

Are there any trends you were once positive you couldn't pull off, but you now love with reckless abandon? Are there any trends you want to rock, but need some guidance? Holler at me in the comments, y'all!