Becoming the demographic

I've never really felt welcome inside retail stores, despite the 'customer comes first because they have the money' policy that I assume many stores have. I've never really had a problem with this (aside from feeling slight anxiety and judgement but nothing too major) as I assumed that they'd had a long day working in a store, and wouldn't want to deal with outfit choices of a tiny Korean girl that was way to small to fit a lot of their clothes, or didn't have much spunk nor vision. I just simply wasn't their key demographic really. This spanned through my preteen and teens, where I grew slightly taller (slightly), and kept an eye for things that I found interesting, and started to build upon my wardrobe. (mostly crazy things that nobody else had because we're only young once #yolo).

Now that I've started uni and I've completely been consumed by this drive to be unique (no regrets with rainbow flatforms, fluro tunics and cropped turtlenecks) It seems as though somewhere, well actually, more like sometimes I get something right. A t-shirt, a skirt, a necklace (+ friendliness too to be honest). And store owners are slowly warming to me. I'm not saying they are bad at their jobs, or they're ice queens à la  Narnia, just that I've changed (from the exterior). I was still this little Korean girl but now one with supposed spunk and vision and audacity. Slowly, I'd become part of this demographic that retail stores target, of the intrepid and interesting girls that wear their clothes (which are conveniently the ages of 18-21). From this I've noticed the shopkeepers have began to make conversation 'I like your skirt! I haven't really seen it in stores?' as well as be more willing to help me out (I'm looking at you, high end stores).

Although I've noticed this natural transgression into this what feels like lapping waves of friendliness I don't really know how to feel about it except this; people make snap judgments. To be honest I guess I am a more friendlier person, and less shy, and slightly less anxious, but in all, my inner disposition is the same little Korean girl, but in our current society, the way you're is dealt with will be their first impression of you. From this, clothes can play a large factor, especially in an industry where aesthetically pleasing is good, no matter what the person's personality is like. I guess from I'd like to say that I kinda learnt something; everyone will be at a point in their lives where they're figuring things out, or don't feel confident, but I shouldn't judge people by what they look like, or what they wear. They shouldn't have to become my demographic for me to see who they are as a person, or want to see and I've discovered that most people are pretty cool too if you give them a chance. And to sum it all off in the eloquent words of Leo Tolstoy; 'It is amazing how complete is the delusion that beauty is goodness'.