Every now and then when I go to a new place or city, I will be welcomed with that knowing look. Many people say “ah welcome back!” or “Good to see you again!”. It will baffle me and I will think, “where do they know me from?”. But after years of this I realise that they have obviously met another person who is a wheelchair user that looks similar to me. I’ve found that when you look distinctive people don’t really look at you, but just generally look at you and in my case, my disability.

I used to reply and say “ah you too!” but now I’m a bit cheeky and say, “I’ve never been here before”. The best one was when I went to Glasgow for the first time and the train assistant said “welcome back, pal!” and I said “it’s my first time here  – but thank you!” They looked mortified and said, “no I’m sure I’ve seen you before!”.

Anyway, so on this topic I thought about what makes me, me. Because we all have our little things that make our identity. So here’s mine…

Bold Colours
I always try and wear bright colours. Especially pinks and purples. I’m really enjoying cami dresses at the moment, they look elegant but really easy to throw on. I say throw on but it still takes me a good two minutes to find where mi head goes because it’s so long. I also love bright shoes, the more eye catching the better. I got these last spring from Next I believe, I always get comments that they look like wizard of oz shoes…

This is also the case for my nails too. I have such a wide range of colours, I mainly go for Barry M. They have a great choice of both bold and glitter products. In the picture above I’ve gone for my staple ‘cotton‘ colour which is what I wear pretty much every day.

Glasses
I’ve worn glasses since I was about 4 years old. They are a massive part of my identity. I literally put them on as soon as I open one eye on a morning and sometimes fall asleep with them on if i’m way too tired on a night. I recently had a photo without them on and I think it makes me look so different! Definitely prefer them on.

Glitter, the more the better
Glitter makes me feel really good, whether that’s on my eyes or my accessories. I’m a bit of  a magpie like that. At the moment I have 2 bags on my chair at all times, one is gold sparkly and one is shiny rose gold. Then for my eyes I’m currently enjoying this Revolution ‘life on the dance floor sparklers‘ palette. If I’m going out out I like to add this collection glitter on the top.

Long hair
And finally, hair. I recently got my hair cut which did feel good and much healthier as it was getting super knotty, but ultimately I feel much better when my hair is longer. I very rarely wear my hair up, one because #energy to do it but two because I do think it looks better to drape down than up. I’ve recently been using my trusty Babyliss wand and loving it. Easy to do on those achey days and lasts for a full day if you put some hair spray in afterwards.

---

---

Do you experience a similar situation, do people assume they know you? I’d love you to think about #whatmakesme. I’ve really enjoyed experimenting this year with my style and found what works for me. All of the things I’ve mentioned in this blog are my personality and how I want to be noticed, as well as my disability. Let me know what your little quirks and statement pieces are by contacting me, I’d love to know. In fact, I tag Pippa, Chloe, Ross and Emma to answer their #whatmakesme to start the ball rolling!

---

If you enjoyed this, you may also like:
OOTD: What I Wore for my 25th Birthday Celebration

Following the Crowd | When Fashion Doesn’t Fit

“You don’t mind showing your flesh, do you?” | Disability and ‘Body Confidence’