A fucked up cuff

I can do this. I can do this

Ok, hi guys! My name's Shannon and...

What's up?

I drank way too much coffee today

Okay, so today's video is a little different

I've never done anything quite like this before

I guess technically is like a storytime video

I'm assuming you can tell from the title of the video kind of what it's about

Basically, in the last 2 weeks

I've had 3 very annoying situations happen to me

while I was shopping in the men's department in stores

And there were enough of them so close together in a row that

I feel the need to make a video about it and talk to you guys about it

and just rant about it really quickly with you guys

and I hope you like it

Let me start by saying I don't even shop in the men's department that often

but every once in a while I will see a t-shirt that I like

or wanna try on something new just to see if I like it

I don't know, you never know!

You never know what's gonna fit you and look really cool on

So sometimes, yes; I will go venturing to the men's department

and try something on

And I'm gonna tell you guys the 3 situations that happened to me just recently that bothered me

The first one

I was in a Forever 21

and I went to try on a pair of boy's shorts

These little short boy shorts

And when I was going into the dressing room

the lady told me:

"Uhmm...These are men's shorts"

And I was like:

"Okay, yeah...I know...I just wanna try this one"

It was really uncomfortable and just awkward and I don't really know why she felt the need to tell me that

'cause I knew and...

Yeah, that was it, that's all that happened

The second situation that happened...

I was shopping in a boutique here in LA

I was just looking at a t-shirt on the boys' side in this little boutique

and this older lady who was just shopping there came up to me and she was like:

"Do you shop in the men's section?"

And I don't think she meant anything right by it

I think genuinely she was just curious

But it made me very uncomfortable

and I just felt like "oh my god, why is she watching me shopping?"

Just awkward and I just said back to her

"Yeah, sometimes. I guess it just depends"

And then the third thing that happened, I was shopping with a guy friend of mine in a Levi's store

and we have had some of our stuff in the same bag

so I gave him his stuff out of the bag

and then I gave the guy my stuff to check out

and he grabbed this shirt that I'm wearing right now

Very plain shirt

Grabbed the shirt out of the bag and was like:

"Oh, I think you forgot to give him this"

And I was like: "No, no, no, that's for me. I'm buying that one"

It wasn't even that bad but his reaction to it was so uncomfortable

'cause then it was like he felt awkward and he tried to overcompensate for the mistake he made and he was like:

"Oh, yeah, that'll look really cool, like when you wear something casual...

"...yeah, and wear this when you're more dressed up"

It was just really awkward and I was like: "oh my god, just let me buy it and let me leave"

"I don't wanna talk about my fashion plan with you just because you feel awkward that you said that"

Anyway

Obviously, all 3 of these situations aren't really that big of a deal

they're not that crazy things, they're pretty mild

But the fact that they happened so close together

and also in LA, it just...

kind of blew my mind

and I was thinking to myself "oh my god"

"That's happening to me here in LA"

"I can't imaging what's happening to other people around the world"

"who are freakin' in a more close minded sec- area

"more close minded area of the world than Los Angeles

Yeah, so basically I just wanted to sit down and talk to you guys about that

And just say that if you are a girl and you wanna shop in the boys' section

Do it!

And if you're a boy and you wanna shop in the girls' section

Do it!

And if you don't know who or what you are

and you just wanna experiment and shop in every fucking section...

If you wanna buy a dress from the maternity section

Buy that dress!

You can do whatever you want

You're allowed to dress and wear whatever you want

And don't let people make you feel uncomfortable or

you aren't allowed to be looking in the section that isn't "designated" for your sex

Which is just stupid in general

Basically, if you're looking in a mirror and you're seeing yourself look back at you

you're doing it right

And if you hear me say that and you're thinking "okay, everytime you look in a mirror you're looking at yourself"

that's not necessarily true

because there've been times in my life where I've looked into a mirror

and I do not recognize the person staring back at me

because I wasn't wearing the clothes that made me feel comfortable

I was wearing the clothes that I felt would make other people feel comfortable

And how does that make any sense? I'm the one who has to wear them

I'm the one who has to walk around in them

not other people, not the people who I was trying to please

You have one life to live

You get one chance to do everything you wanna do and be the person you wanna be

Don't let close minded or just people in general

Don't let the opinions of other people keep you from

doing, and wearing, and being the person that you wanna be

because...

You have one life

Live it to the fullest! Please!

Do what you wanna do!

So if you're feeling down or uncomfortable

or nervous to shop in a department that you wanna shop in

or you feel judged for wearing the clothes that you're wearing

I want you to come back and watch this video and listen to what I'm about to say

You. Look. Great

You. Look. Hot

You look awesome in those clothes that make you feel like you

And no one can't take that away from you, no matter what

You look awesome!

I'm so proud of you for doing what makes you comfortable

and not letting other people and their opinions of you stop you from doing what you want

'cause that is so brave, it's harder than you think

It's hard

Anyways, I love you guys

Good luck out there. There's always online shopping

but I recommend that you just walk boldly into the section that "you're not supposed to shop in"

and shop away

Love you guys

What does this look like?

What does it look like?