Lessons From 4-H: The Most Important Part

I learned a lot of things from my time in 4-H. I discovered everything from tricks that help me overcome my fear of public speaking to a love of full-skirted frocks. It's hard to say what's the most important thing I've learned, but I can clearly say what the most important thing I learned from my time in fashion review was.

No matter what you're wearing, how it fits, how it looks, whether it's considered conventionally fashionable or not, there is one thing that makes any outfit:

Confidence.

I wasn't a brave kid by any stretch of the imagination and not comfortable in my own skin. Modeling clothing that I had made myself, and doing so on a stage in a public venue, was terrifying. But I did it. I had to learn confidence, but, by the end of my 4-H experience, I had learned to own every single item of clothing in my wardrobe. If I picked it, if I loved it, then I was going to wear it and hold my head up high.

You know that cheesy song from Annie, "You're Never Fully Dressed (Without a Smile)"? Well, as cheesy as it is, the song has a point: you are what makes the outfit.

When you love what you're wearing and are confident in it, you can pull off most anything.