How I Came to Own Hundreds of Dresses

I'm not really into clothes. (If you know me personally you're laughing to yourself thinking, no kidding). Fashion has never really been a huge appeal to me. Of course I want to look cute and attractive, who doesn't? But being stylish, wearing the right name brand, or dawning the latest trend is not very high on my priority list. In fact, this week I've worn pants with holes in them (not the cool kind), shorts that are missing a top button (they have been that way for weeks and I keep putting off sewing it back on- but with a long enough shirt you can't tell) and t shirts I received for free from random events here or there.

This is my typical everyday wear.

So why did I start a shop that sells clothes?

It's fairly blatant how the fashion industry objectifies females. It is everywhere and I hate it.

And I rarely use the word hate.

I remember feeling those pressures as a young girl (and to be totally honest, just yesterday). Those pressures can feel demoralizing and suffocating and I feel as though the voices that place self worth on looks are only getting stronger. Not only that but they are getting more personal- (hello social media). So even though I know clothes are just clothes, I also know that the world teaches differently.

So what was I going to do about this? Unfortunately, I can't escape the need for clothes, it's a necessity in society and we can't escape the fact that what we wear does send signals to those we interact with. So I knew, as a mom, I was going to have to face the music (or mirror in this instance), especially with my own daughters. Although they are young and have to wear what I provide them, I wanted to teach them in the process.

So I thought about how I want my girls to feel when they put on their clothes.

What I want them to think about.

What signals I want their clothes to send to others.

                

I decided that even though the purpose for clothes is to cover bodies I didn't want their mind focused on bodies. I want them to realize that the people in the clothes are much more important.

I hoped that everyday when they get dressed they wouldn't think about what they looked like but they'd think about what they ACT like. I want them to know that they can be attractive, confident and a force for good no matter what they wear.

So how was I going to teach this to them? I know that they get dressed everyday (let's be real, sometimes multiple times a day). So if I could use that moment of getting dressed everyday as a teaching moment how powerful would that be?!

In comes Daisy May and Me.

  

I wanted what they wear to remind them of good people, more specifically, inspiring females.

So I went "shopping" for something like that. And what did I find?

Not much.

I found a few places that sold shirts with inspiring quotes or powerful female faces on them. Or some shops that sell clothes that help others, which don't get me wrong, I like and think is a step in the right direction. But I needed more.

So I began to feel a call to create this space myself.

Like I stated before, I am not a clothing person. I have many other passions in life or areas I feel more adequate in. So this call, prompting, feeling, whatever you want to label it, worked and weighed on me for a looong time before I actually conceded and took action. And I admittedly took my sweet time, you could maybe say I was dragging my feet but I'd say I was just cautious. It all sounded like so much work and had way to many obstacles or challenges (i.e. being a mom + starting a business = all the balls dropping). But after lots of prayer, fasting and soul searching I began to take baby steps (frankly, I still am). 

I knew I wanted to create a new market for women. A space where clothes not only represented real, inspiring females but also helped and supported real, inspiring females. If I was going to buy clothes to put on my girls why not dress them in clothes that make a difference?

How neat would it be to use their clothes as an opportunity to share a story about a female who has made a difference in the world? Or better yet, tell them that the clothes they are wearing is making a difference.

If I can create teaching moments that will be with them everyday, all day, my hope would be that those outside voices telling them that their worth is only as good as the reflection in the mirror, will be weak and exposed as the lies that they are. My hope is that they will be able to recall at any given moment a strong, female example that looked outside of herself and helped those around her. My hope is that when they're looking in the mirror every morning, instead of seeing only themselves, they see so much more. 

 

So why am I sharing this?

I'm sharing it with you so you can see a little more deeply into the purpose and mission of Daisy May and Me. It's not really about the cute clothes or the latest fashions, it is about providing opportunities. Opportunities for us to learn from each other and help each other. Opportunities to teach our daughters, friends, sisters, etc how to encourage and uplift. Opportunities to change the way we dress, think, and act everyday.