Hi, my name is Holland, and I’m a sweatpants addict. I’m not talking about the cute yoga pants you can wear from the gym to Starbucks. I’m talking big, baggy ones: Sweatpants with a capital S! When I was growing up, my school required us to wear uniforms, so I never had to think about what to wear during the week, and on weekends I’d just pick the comfiest clothes possible. But then I went to college, and I had no idea what to wear! Everyone looked so cute, but I had spent so many years in a uniform that I didn’t even know what kinds of outfits I liked or looked good in.
So when my friends and I were shopping for a Saturday night out, I would try on the things they picked out: bandage skirts, low-cut tanks, and heels. It was fun at first... until I realized I was tugging at my skirt every five seconds, trying to make sure I wasn’t exposing my butt. What bothered me more than that was feeling like everyone was looking at me—it was like I was putting my body out there just for guys to stare at. But even though I knew overtly sexy wasn’t my style, I didn’t realize there were other ways to look and feel hot, so I kept dressing that way.
A few years later, I got cast on Teen Wolf. My character, Lydia, is always decked out in stilettos and push-up bras. She likes using her assets to get attention, but doing that every day at work just confirmed how much I hate it. Wearing things that made me uncomfortable every single day led to an epiphany. I may not be able to change the costumes I wear for my job, but I can change what I wear after hours. That’s when I knew I had to try new styles and find outfits that made me feel unstoppable.
I started by asking myself what I thought was sexy, and I came up with an answer pretty quickly. It had nothing to do with getting all dressed up in a skintight dress. For me, being sexy is about feeling comfortable enough to do something totally brave, like walk up to a cute guy and spark a great conversation. I ask myself, What would I want to wear to meet a new guy? The answer isn’t a shirt that shows off mega cleavage; it’s a long boho dress or a pencil skirt with this particular blazer that I absolutely love. I like knowing that when I talk to a guy, he’s actually paying attention to what I’m saying. I know for some girls, tight clothes make them feel like they can take on the world—and that’s fine too. But I don’t think that sexy only means showing skin: It’s all about wearing whatever makes you feel the most badass.
