Healing Your Inner Child Through Fashion

Because who’s going to tell us we can’t leave the house in our princess dress?

by BECCA CARR ★ MARCH 28, 2023

Whether we realize it or not, in college, we become our own parents and have the freedom to do as we, please. Although it may not seem noticeable, our sense of style can experiment with the most during our college years. In our current fashion era, we are seeing lots of ruffles, bows, lace, and pink in our wardrobes this season. Personally, this has been the most exciting time in fashion as we women begin to embrace our most feminine selves, feeling like a princess and in a way, healing our inner child.

I love fashion for so many different reasons as it reflects our expressions, bends the rules of gender (especially for my people who love RuPauls Drag Race), and gives us the freedom to wear everything our parents never wanted us to whether it’s mini skirts or princess dresses outside of the house. With croquette and girly girl core taking over the last couple of months, it feels comforting that we dress like our inner child of being delicate, feminine, and playful with our clothing. This trend has been a personal favorite of mine, and this is rare for me as someone who hates to follow a trend. I believe these current trends help women not be shameful of femininity and embrace it in the most expressive form through lace, ribbon, and ruffles. On the opposite side, we have been influenced by creators like Devon Lee Carlson who flourishes in being Gen Z’s edgy princess and explores her childlike and adult self through her company Wildflower cases with bunnies, teddy bears, and feminine designs that have us reminiscence our childhood in the most stylish way. 

Growing into our adulthood means we can do whatever we want. In this case, it means we can wear our princess dresses outside of the house without our parents telling us no. I have always loved the spectrum of fashion from expressing our femininity through bows and wearing pink; to owning our inner rockstar dreams through leather and edgy designs. As we part from our hometowns, high school friends, and parents, we lose a sense of caring about what people think about us and I always love seeing the evolution of style from high school to college. In a new environment, we begin to reinvent ourselves as we become our own parents. I always loved being super girly and sophisticated one day, being edgy the next, and then blending both in my casual wear. We have to always remember that we can always reinvent ourselves and that fashion can be fun and healing.

Throughout my life, fashion has become my therapist as it allows me to express myself without fearing judgment and feeling a sense of liberation in discovering myself. Whether we find ourselves through matured princess dresses, worn leather, or exploring the boundaries outside of trends and recreating ourselves, it can help us learn how to be our own mentor and heal our inner child through simple daily expression.