With a change in wardrobe came a change in how I felt

Aqeela Starks remembers being dressed by her grandmother and told how to wear her hair by her older sister. Then she figured out she was different from other women in her family. "I went from bright florescent colored outfits to a much more tomboy feel, with more pants and tights... With a change in wardrobe came a change in how I felt and how society perceived me. Before, I was quiet and bullied. After I turned 13, I was bold and demanded respect from others." Aqeela reflects on how adopting her own style of dress helped her come into her own identity, on the Medium page for The Know.