BECOMING WHO I WAS MEANT TO BE

“Meri beti doctor banegi.”
“My daughter is going to become a doctor.”

That sentence followed me for as long as I can remember. Somewhere along the way, I was made to believe that this was not just a hope, it was my destiny. I scored well in biology and chemistry, and numbers became proof. Proof for everyone else, and eventually, proof for me.

At sixteen, I left home to pursue higher studies in Canada. Standing at the airport, watching tears well up in my father’s eyes, I promised him, “Papa, main aapko doctor ban ke dikhaungi.” I’ll become a doctor one day. I don’t think either of us knew how deeply that promise would shape my life.

I completed high school in Toronto, focused mainly on sciences. Even though I secretly loved English literature and creative projects, I stayed loyal to my promise. And unfortunately or perhaps conveniently, I was still good at science.

I got into the University of Ottawa. Then came a phone call from home.

“Hello… actually, there’s a change in plans. We would like you to move to Pakistan.”

I was the good girl. I didn’t ask questions. I packed up my life and moved, because I didn’t want to be the cause of my parents’ stress. I’m sure something major had happened for them to ask this of me. In hindsight, moving to Pakistan turned out to be one of the best decisions they ever made for me.

Pakistan felt alien, even though I was Pakistani. I had grown up in Cameroon, by the Atlantic Ocean. I was (and still am) a water baby. I dream of the ocean constantly. Life eventually brought me to Texas instead. Texas has its own sweetness, and I’ve learned to be happy here. 🙂

A few months after arriving in Pakistan, I sat for my medical entry exam, and failed. I saw people attempting that exam for the third and fourth time. For me, that felt overwhelming. If someone does that out of passion, I deeply admire them. But if they’re doing it because of family pressure because of “meri beti doctor banegi”then I feel them. I want to hug them and cry with them a little.

For me, this failure felt like a doorway. A chance to switch paths at the right time. When I voiced that thought, it was immediately shut down. Creative fields were considered risky, unserious. Science was safety. Stability. Respect.

I know my parents wanted the best for me, based on what they knew and experienced. They wanted security for me, and I respect their intentions wholeheartedly.

I went on to complete my Doctor of Physical Therapy degree - largely to make my father happy. I’m proud of myself for seeing that through.

But then came the question I couldn’t ignore anymore.

Now what?

The real world begins after school. And when you’re not deeply passionate about a field, you fall behind. That’s exactly what happened. And suddenly, 32 years of my life had passed.

The Breakthrough

Throughout all these years, this girl inside me never disappeared.

She was a dreamer. Talkative, yet often lost in thought. Quiet, but deeply observant. She listened intently, absorbed stories, and built her own parallel world, one where she was free to choose.

She was a storyteller who could invent a story on the spot. A movie-watcher who got consumed by characters. Someone who listened so deeply that she often knew exactly what to say to make others feel safe.

She was a protector. A nurturer.

She was a writer who never wrote.
A performer who never performed.
A leader who never led.

She would photograph the same tree in summer and then again in winter , not because she loved photography, but because she was fascinated by change. By loss, adjustment, and rebirth. By how something could shed everything and still return fuller.

She didn’t know that all of this was quietly building toward something beautiful. That one day, it would give birth to a business rooted in stories.

The Big Day

When You Wear You was forming inside me long before it had a name.

Externally, I was failing at everything, job rejections, course failures, firings, layoffs. I experienced all of it. Quietly. With a smile.

I didn’t ask anyone for permission or advice. I knew one doubtful comment could shatter the fragile confidence I was finally building. Instead, I started moving. Slowly. Silently.

I visited fabric shops, printing studios, embroidery workshops, this time not to buy, but to observe. To learn. I wasn’t ready, but I was in action.

Two people deserve immense credit for helping me take that first leap.

My husband, Irteza, held my hand through uncertainty and cleared the path when I couldn’t see it myself. And my dearest friend, Tayyaba, walked beside me through thick and thin. Life brought them into my world at different times, but exactly when I needed them most.

And strangely, I must also thank every corporate company that rejected me, fired me, or laid me off. Each one unknowingly helped clear the path toward my real purpose.

Today, I have fully surrendered to this mission. And I have never been happier.

I am not a fashion designer. I’ve never formally studied clothing. But clothing has always been my language. My way of expression. Choosing colors, evolving my personal style, these were the few spaces where I always had control.

If my story resonates with you, this space is for you.

I am inspired by every single one of you. We all carry our own battles and histories, and every story deserves a tribute, not just the billionaires’, but those of people who wake up every day to earn bread, to feed homes, to hold families together.

Our first story, Postpartum Depression, gave mothers a space to be seen and heard. Our current story, Breaking and Becoming, is a tribute to a lost heritage—a country whose impact lives at a cellular level within everyone who feels deeply.

And we will continue to honor lived experiences that have been unseen, unheard, and forgotten.

This is When You Wear You.
WHO WE ARE:
“Story-driven street wear ,exploring global craftsmanship, honoring lived experiences and reviving identity.”

OUR PURPOSE:
When You Wear You exists to reframe fashion as a deeply personal experience. Every piece is designed to honor individuality, and the quiet strength of becoming who you are that the rush of the world makes us forget.
Our motto is simple: Create unique pieces that feel like home to the wearer. They just don’t sit on the body, they resonate with the soul.

BUILT AROUND YOU:
Everything begins with the wearer. From design decisions, to materials and how we show up online, everything is guided by our community. We listen carefully and craft with care. Your experiences, reflections and feedback shape what we create next, allowing the brand to grow as a reflection of you.

Can’t wait to see you own your story,
Hamra Zaidi