The best thing to wear is confidence

False eyelashes are the equivalent to the killer leather jacket or pair of shoes you need to wear when dressing up — simple on its own, yet capable of turning you from “clean” to “on-point.” Better yet, accessories like these not only make you look good, but also feel good.

So when my dear friend — who I will call Jackson for the purpose of anonymity — tells me to put my “falsies” on, he’s essentially telling me to mentally prepare myself for some type of environment that will require extra social energy for a couple of hours.

Last weekend, Jackson told me to get my falsies on and an hour later, we went to a party. It was 11 p.m. and Jackson was game — he was hoping to get some drinks in and I was excited to witness the chaos of a college party. As I walked in with both leather jacket and falsies on, my expectations were immediately met.

String lights, red cups and blasting music. There were circles of people throughout the backyard, either yelling at each other over the music or just laughing together. To my right, I saw a few couples tucked away in a dark corner, getting friendly with each other or just eating each other’s faces. “Maybe the party ran out of chips?” I thought. To my left, a small table with drinks was surrounded by people taking shots together. But before I could further assess the scene and make way to investigate whether this party really ran out of food or not, “Mr. Dude” came my way.

Caught off-guard and a little confused, Mr. Dude ignored my confused look and proceeded to initiate a conversation. Throughout his speech I thought to myself, “Why are you talking to me? Where are your friends? Where are MY friends?”

As my initial joy from having expectations met slowly melted away, I was angry that Mr. Dude just ruined my energy. I didn’t come here to actually mingle, I came to observe and be with my friends. Mr. Dude was still talking. I don’t actually recall saying much besides, “No, you can’t kiss me.”

My intention for the night was to people watch, specifically Jackson hitting on girls and getting rejected (hopefully something Snapchat-worthy, too). Yet, the unwarranted encounter with Mr. Dude threw me off. I wasn’t trying to meet new people, but this guy and others kept approaching me with whatever they thought was interesting enough to engage me.

I find it ironic that when I want to meet and mingle at parties, it becomes very difficult to meet people. But when I don’t want to have any attention on me at parties, people end up overwhelming me with meaningless conversation. On a bigger scale, why am I receiving attention from guys when I’m not looking for romance?

I believe Mr. Dude may have been attracted to my false eyelashes and leather jacket, or more importantly, that I was wearing my confidence on my sleeve. In these moments of not seeking, there was no need to impress anyone or put up a facade of being more than who I really am.

My favorite outfit is this — comfortable. While falsies and leather jackets may be some of my favorite things in my closet, there’s nothing more flattering than fitting into what feels most in tune with myself. Confidence is also like my favorite perfume — while it can’t be store-bought, when it’s spritzed into the air I’ve found that it’s also a scent that other people are really into, too. It’s these things that allow me to not be too conscious of myself and rather be focused on the people and environment around me.

The best part of it all, however, is that comfortable and confident are a packaged deal. The two are pretty much synonymous; being comfortable and okay with yourself is a type of self-love that allows you to embrace your quirks and personal characteristics. So forget fretting over wearing something that Zara or Urban Outfitters may sell to be just for “you,” dig into the closet that you’re naturally equipped with and own it.

Dani Chang is a senior majoring in cinema and media studies.  Her column, “Feisty Woman,” runs every other Friday.