When people look at you, what do they see? What do you show them?

Sometimes, what people see and what you carry inside you are two completely different things.

As for me, I’m a tailor — and over the years, I’ve learned that I don’t just sew clothes; sometimes, I have to sew my confidence together too.

Now, here’s where it gets funny. I make clothes for both men and women. But the moment I tell people that I also sew men’s outfits, the look on their faces alone could tell a whole story.

When someone recommends me to a male client, I walk into his office ready to take measurements, with my tape around my neck and my notebook in hand. The moment he looks at me, the measuring starts the other way around — he starts measuring me!

First with his eyes, then with his assumptions.

And I can almost hear the thought running through his head:

“Wait, this small girl is the tailor?”

Ofcourse those that can't keep their thoughts to them selves always ask.

It doesn’t help that I look younger than my age. People often think I’m an apprentice or a student doing tailoring as a school project. One man even asked me, “So, when will your boss be coming?”

I smiled and replied, “Sir, you’re looking at the boss.”

And guess what? After all the doubting, once they see my work — the neat finishing, the fit, the design — the same people suddenly become very respectful. Their tone changes from, “You sew?” to “You’re the one who made this?!”

At that point, I just smile quietly. Because really, actions speak louder than words — and in my case, stitches speak even louder.

But these experiences have taught me something deeper. I’ve managed to push through because I can communicate. I can speak up for myself when people try to look down on me.

But what about the girls who can’t?

The ones who have the skill, the creativity, the talent — but not the voice?

The girls who are deprived of opportunities just because they look small, shy, or “too young”?

That’s why I’m considering starting something I call Changing the Narratives in the nearest future— a movement to build confidence in young girls who face discrimination or doubt based on their appearance, size, or gender.

Through this movement, I want to teach them how to communicate, how to express themselves, and how to let their work speak when others won’t listen. Because sometimes, being good at what you do isn’t enough — you also need the courage to show the world who you are.

So, when people look at you, what do they see?

And more importantly — what do you show them?

For me, I show them that I may look small, but my dreams are not.

And every stitch I make says the same thing:

“Never underestimate a woman who knows her worth.”