Self-expression is a huge part of anything you do – the clothes you wear, the places you go, the company you keep. It’s not something we actively do, it really is subconscious. Our life is just one big reflection of our self-expression. We can’t help it, and that’s beautiful. When we’re authentic, we’re the best versions of ourselves… we’re also the happiest.
The art of self-expression isn’t necessarily sculpting your life in a certain way, it’s more about self-appreciation. It’s about loving yourself first before you love anything else. It’s about backing ourselves up and not tearing ourselves down. It’s about being unapologetically YOU.
Growing up, I always loved charm bracelets, bejeweling my binders, drawing on my t-shirts… anything customizable, you name it, I did it. I even made my own clothes at one point (Holy crap, it’s hard!). I think it’s because of how much I loved being able to personalize and customize something that I wore and was showing to the world. It was about telling the world – THIS IS ME 
I don’t necessarily throw rhinestoned patterns all over my clothes anymore, but personalization still gets me every time. So when I came across a new way to personalize my looks, I was so down.
Ziggit pins literally let me throw my trademark anywhere I want and express myself in a way that I feel is ME. They’re bold, they’re strong, and most of all, they’re fun – and I love that. It makes a simple outfit, a boring belt loop, or a dangling shoelace mean that much more. They’re basically perfect for customizing just about anything.
The best part is that there’s no right way to wear it. You wear it how you want to.
The aesthetics of the pins are bold, they’re unapologetic, they’re strong; so the message you convey with them comes across like the perfectly stated mantra of confidence. I love their philosophy. They really are on a mission to help us to not only be ourselves, but to love ourselves unconditionally. It’s about celebrating our differences, owning our originality, and making people’s heads turn with confidence. Basically, they speak my language.
I’m also happy to share that Ziggit is also Canadian, hailing from Montreal. I could not be more proud to be Canadian and to see fellow Canadians celebrating what it really means to be from our beautiful and diverse country.
They’ve got ready made kits, but I loved the customization aspect of choosing what I wanted my pins to say and how I wanted them to look. Their mantra, after all, is:
Remember to keep it real. Always express how you feel.
I chose to keep it simple, as per my style and aesthetic. I have MEL in different colours, as well as some symbols that hold a pretty cute little space in my heart:
$ : to remind myself to continue accomplishing the goals I set out for myself and to continue setting new ones
#: to remember how strong we are as a community online and to remember to be grateful for being able to share my life with all of you
9: not only because it’s my favourite number, but because it reminds me that no one is perfect… but you can work to be damn close
*: to never let anyone deter me from making myself a bright shiny star
I loved styling the pins on my choker, but I also throw them on my belt loop (to spice up a boring jeans and a tshirt look), as well as on my shoelaces. I have no doubt I’ll be throwing them onto basically anything else I can clip them onto… or even just bringing them along as spirit tokens (def’n: something I keep in my purse to remind me of certain things).
They clip onto most 10-12mm straps and are super easy to throw on. The best part is that they actually don’t damage your clothing though. No poking, prodding, and ruining your clothes. It’s actually their invention – they’ve got a patent pending! And you know how I feel about innovation 
I’m a sucker for people building something new to share with the world!
I can’t wait to see how you style your Ziggit pins. They’re super cheap (and are incredibly addictive – I’ve got 12 already)! If you’re craving some inspiration on how to style them, check this out.
Whether you’re subtle and minimalistic, loud and in-charge, or just craving a little bit more of YOU in your outfits, these pins seriously have your prayers answered. Most of all, they encourage to bring the best out of all of us, and that’s something I will passionately support. Because there’s no better message, advice, or learning other than… JUST BE YOU 
