Bold and Beautiful
“My hair, my glasses, my clothes! I like that people remember me by my glasses or my curly hair or bright colors. Whether it’s new friends, new coworkers, or an interview, I think having a bold or colorful look helps people remember having met me.”
—Anna R.
Teacher Knows Best
"I express myself in fashion: nerdy little accoutrements, living like I could go to a concert/dance party/music festival at a moment's notice. I try to be comfortable and confident in my own skin because I would want to be doing that anyway, but also because I work in an all-girls middle school, and I hope that by presenting as a confident, open, empathetic, feminist woman, I can inspire young girls to discover and embrace their own individual identities.”
—Erin I.
Body Hair Don't Care
“I've always been really self-conscious about my body hair, especially on my hands. When I was younger kids used to call me 'werewolf,’ and it dampened my self-esteem. Now that I'm older I honestly don't care about my body hair and flaunt my hairy fingers with awesome manicures — because if you've got a poppin' manicure people are SURE to be looking at your hands.”
—Ashley B.
Following the Funny
“My individuality definitely comes out in my sense of humor. I was raised by one of those pun-prone, Scrabble-loving dads, so I’ve always had a thing for that kind of humor. My way with words sets me apart in every room, and I’ve found that people consistently remember that wit when they think of me. It’s resulted in cool jobs, new friendships, and even a date or two.”
—Sam C.
Man, I Feel Like a Woman
“Wearing men's pants and shirts. I feel especially good about my outfits when I'm mixing up traditionally masculine-looking clothes while highlighting one part of my femininity, like men's joggers with a shirt that shows a little cleavage or a button-down with really bright lipstick.”
—Lily A.
It's a Toss-up
“Long, voluminous hair! Gotta have that hair toss ready at all times.”
—Anjela M.
The Rebel Yell
“I tend to make loud high-pitched yells when I’m excited or amused in social settings or at shows. I have ‘I shriek a lot’ in my Twitter bio, and a friend thought it was a joke until he went to a party with me. He texted ‘AHHH’ to two friends, and they both said they could ‘hear my scream.’ By leaning into the absurd tendency it’s become a unique and recognizable part of me.”
—Cassidy G.
Same Same, but Different
"Well, I'm a twin, so looks are out! I define myself by the jewelry I wear and the places I go."
—Elise C.
Born and Braid
“I'm proud to be a black woman who expresses her individuality through braided hairstyles, which I only started doing when I turned 22. I had damaged my hair in the pursuit of the stick-straight white-girl hair look, and after a particularly bad (and painful!) perm my sister was like, 'STOP IT. Get braids!' I love how I can change the way I look through the numerous styles I can choose from.”
—Carla F.
Putting Things in PR-spective
"I decided, when making the career choice to go into PR, that I would do things my way. I didn't set out to have a distinctive pitching style — rather, I just spoke to journalists the way I'd want to be spoken to if I were receiving hundreds of emails daily trying to capture my attention. My frankness and lightheartedness has led to a shocking amount of notoriety and opportunities!"
—Chelsea L.
Perfectly Imperfect
“I express my individuality through things I don't do. I don't have a traditional career path, a steady schedule, a bra on (usually), my legs perfectly shaven...”
—Lauren G.
Individual by Design
“The most immediate and constant way I express myself is through my personal style. I’ve spent a LOT of time by myself, getting to know myself and understanding my demons, and I love to embrace what I’ve learned through my clothes, makeup, hair, and accessories. My vibe has come to be a mix of intimidating vixen, sweet feminine girl, and ‘don’t care about fitting in’ artsy weirdo chick. It doesn’t matter to me if people 'get' me right away, but presenting myself in a very stylized shell helps me feel very comfortable out in the world and vulnerable among strangers, and it has drawn a lot of interesting, wonderful people to me.”
—Mandy C.
All-inclusive Womanhood
“I identify as a woman. But only since I realized that anything I am, think, feel, and do can be of a woman simply because I claim it. I can wear a tiara and a tutu and belch and play with worms, and it's not because I'm part tomboy, part fairy princess; it's because I'm a woman. I don't think of myself as so much expressing my individuality but rather attempting to live my authenticity.”
—Karen I.
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Additional images from Getty Images.