Without a doubt, female fashion today no longer requires relying on waist-cincher corsets, masculine power suits or shoulder-pad blazers to feel empowered.
But although there is no one-way guide to it, here is a list of four self-driven females and their tips and strategies on how to boost your inner talent, skill and spirit using fashion.
Aminah Ali
“Fashion has allowed me to express myself through the way I dress. It has allowed me to create styles that have become part of my identity and through this, I have been able to explore who I am as a person.
Be your own person and don’t feel the need to always follow trends or change your self-image to ‘fit in’ with the majority. Express yourself in a way in which represents you and be proud of the way you choose to carry yourself.”
Saba Ikram
“As a hijabi, Asian clothing is an advantage for me as I don’t feel limited with its choices in comparison to Western clothing.
Being able to represent the diversity of my culture through fashion is an honor and therefore my way of empowerment. Each dress displays its own uniqueness of Pakistan. Go all in and show confidence by embracing your culture.”
Hanifah Mohammad
“I feel like working in the fashion industry has made me feel more confident, especially since I am naturally an introvert; it forced me to get out of my comfort zone and build relationships with people. It’s also educated me on different topics as I feel politics has definitely impacted
the fashion industry. Being a photographer in the industry it’s also made me realize the lack of representation for south Asians, especially women in the industry. I have never met a hijabi who works in the industry so it does feel daunting sometimes being the only poc on set. But that motivates me to infiltrate (that work maybe change cause it sounds really aggressive lmao) these spaces that are often made up mostly of white men.”
Zainab Ikram
“I love fashion as it expresses my personality and it tells people who I am before I even speak.
I like to break boundaries especially as a curvier woman and wear whatever I want to wear! I
remember when it was a popular thing to say ‘chubbier women shouldn’t wear crop tops’ (I even have a post about it on my gram), and I thought it was nonsense! Fashion is whatever you want it to be, whatever makes you feel comfortable and beautiful and that’s what’s most important.
All in all, fashion is about breaking boundaries!
‘You do you’ is the motto 😎”
By Aniqa Tahsin
@brownandbrit / @_aniqatahsin
