“Happiness is the secret to all beauty. There is no beauty without happiness,” Christian Dior. Wearing something I love brings me much joy. I grew up Christian, and finding clothing that was both comfortable and modest was always the most significant difficulty, and often I would end up unhappy. I’ve grown into myself in the past two years and have found these delightful clothes that bring me joy, some of which I made myself. Making my clothing has been simple, but I feel this extra joyous moment anytime I put on my creation rather than something I buy at the store. When I was 11, my dad remarried my stepmom, who had two older daughters. My stepsisters were obsessed with looks and clothes. I, on the other hand, could not have cared less. As I got older, though, I grew interested in sewing, and when none of my family would show me how, I did it on my own. My first dress had so many things wrong with it, yet I couldn’t help but feel proud of it. My mom then began to show me the ropes. We went to Hobby Lobby, and I picked a pattern and some fabric. That dress still fits like a charm. I started to get into art in middle school. I slowly started to grasp just how vast the art world is through social media. When I got my Instagram account, I found these other young ladies, just like me, that were making these colossal princess gowns. Designers like Asta Darling, Rosie Somerville (valentinemoon), Nylea Winter, Alexandra Louise, and Cresent Shay have stirred up this desire within me to make something of myself. To make something of all my fabric lying around. To dust off my sewing machine. These ladies have lit a passion for fashion design heavily, but surprisingly, my feminist self has found that my favorite creations were originals of the man Christian Dior. The haute couture collection of fall/winter 1949 was pure genius. Junon and Venus deserve recognition outside of the fashion world. Dior took a gorgeous creature and made gorgeous gowns, and that makes me wonder what else could become something great. Every day, I wake up and choose an outfit to show my feelings. Subtlety lets me fade into the background, but bright, bold colors like red and yellow allow me the opportunity to stand out against a crowd. I can choose to make a difference in this world by thrifting or avoiding fast fashion. As Rachel Zoe said, “Style is a way to say who you are without having to speak.”