When I was a child, around 2013 to 2020, I attended a rather traditional church with my family. All of the boys were expected to wear suits or button-ups, while the girls were expected to wear dresses or skirts. As a young boy (though I did not know that at the time) I heavily resented dresses. I found them to be far too long, far too heavy, and far too feminine for my tastes. I was also forced to wear restricting nylon tights, hard shoes, and occasionally my hair would be tied up so tight that I got a headache. Although these components made me squirm in discomfort all throughout church, I was still forced to conform to the standards of what a girl “should” look like. This extended all the way until my teen years when I left the church. In the church environment, my individuality in my style of fashion did not matter. What mattered was enforcing a sense of conformity among groups through fashion. Said conformity was dictated by the values of those in charge, such as traditional femininity, masculinity, modesty, and purity. I internalized this message until I was finally allowed to make my own decisions regarding my appearance, leading to me discovering how I could make my fashion reflect my own values, rather than others.