On self confidence.

[kcello]

Hi! This is something I really need help with. At my school, people typically wear things like abercrombie and fitch, hollister, gangster clothes, etc. And for the longest time, I just wnt along with the styles, because I wasn't comfortable standing out. But the clothes I love, are like hipster and surfer looking. And I'm wondering, how can I get myself to have self confidence to wear what I love and what is actually ME?
Another thing, how can I save up money to go shopping? All my clothes right now are what's "in" and I want to get a wardrobe that is actually...you know.
Anything helps. I want to make a change for myself.

[PSY]

Hey there! I was actually coming from the opposite side of the spectrum in high school. I couldn't afford to buy the clothing I wanted, so I was stuck with whatever I could get on sale racks. I was very self-conscious about how I looked - which was "poor" and "dumpy," in my mind. What I ended up realizing, however, is that once people got to know me better, they didn't pay attention to the clothing. All they saw was a compassionate, friendly person.

People will always judge you, regardless of what you're wearing. They will judge you based on the color of your skin, your age, your weight, etc. Changing your clothing will never stop people from judging you - so you might as well wear whatever you want to wear! =)

As for saving up money - you can offer to baby-sit, to tutor other students, to walk neighbors' dogs, to mow front lawns, to hand-wash cars, etc. If you want to make money at a young age (before you're old enough to be employed by a company), you'll have to think like an entrepreneur. What do the people in your community want, and are they willing to pay for it? If so, can you meet the community's needs, and are you willing to work for the price that is being offered? You may literally be earning $20 a day for hours of work... but if you're determined to change your wardrobe, it'll be worth it. You can also make the most of that money by going to places like Goodwill vs. expensive department stores, or you can wait until you see advertisements/flyers in the mail before going on your next shopping trip. =)

Oh, and don't forget - yard sales for all that unwanted clothing! You'll make quite a bit if you take the time to create/post signs the day before and hold it bright and early on a Saturday (and by "bright and early," I mean having everything set up by 6:00 AM!). Put everything in boxes in front of your house, make sure people don't walk away with your stuff without paying for it, and don't let people talk you down too much (ex. convincing you to sell a pair of jeans marked as $10 for $5).

[George^^]

^^ Don't be afraid to be yourself! I'm still working my way out, through there isn't a particular style at my school. Just buy the clothing you like that you can afford, go out and be yourself. If people are really friends they won't care what clothing your wearing.

[Koharuchan]

As the others said, never be afraid to be yourself! Don't wear what others wear just to fit in. Stand out, dare to be different. I never understood the concepts of fashion. I always thought, "why wear it just because others think it's cool? Why not wear what you like and what's comfortable?" Real friends won't care what you're wearing. They'll accept you for who you are. Let the real you shine!

To earn money, maybe do some chores around the house, babysit, help out some other people you know who need a few jobs done, whatever you can think of.