Summer Glow Story: Softness Is Strength
- Aug 26
- 3 min read
By Alyssa Ostroff, Founder of Self-Care Shirts
This summer feels like a full-circle moment.
A decade ago, I was at the very beginning of my healing journey — slowly excavating my voice from years of trauma, family estrangement, and C-PTSD. I didn’t know what self-care really meant back then. I just knew I needed to survive. Today, I’m not only surviving — I’m creating.
I’m Alyssa Ostroff, founder and designer of Self-Care Shirts, a purpose-driven apparel brand that blends mental health advocacy with bold, accessible design. Our mission is to help people feel seen in their emotional truth — and to wear that truth with pride, softness, and strength.
What I'm Creating This Summer
This summer, I’m expanding our Shopify store with new shirt designs, vibrant mental wellness prints, and a blog that centers neurodivergent creativity, radical self-compassion, and emotional resilience. The products range from whimsical to fierce — like our “Never Stop Growing” tee or “You Are Enough” poster — each one a reminder that your feelings deserve a voice.
What makes this launch extra special is the deeper intention behind it: after 13 years in therapy, this brand is my love letter to everyone navigating burnout, anxiety, people-pleasing, or boundary setting. These aren’t just shirts — they’re small, wearable revolutions. And this season, I’ve never felt more aligned with my purpose.
Channeling West Coast Confidence from Florida
Though I’m based in Florida, my brand carries California energy through and through: the freedom to reinvent, the ease of soft rebellion, and the kind of sun-kissed clarity that only comes from letting go of perfectionism. My visual aesthetic blends pastel palettes with bold typography and minimal, graphic illustrations. There’s a playfulness to it — but also a grounded message: that being gentle with yourself is a radical act.
Even in my daily life, I try to embody that balance. I take breaks. I talk openly about mental health. I spend time with my beagle, Bailey. I give myself permission to be, not just produce. I’ve traded hustle culture for something far more meaningful: intention.
How I'm Showing Up Bolder This Summer
Visibility used to terrify me. For a long time, I kept my story to myself out of fear — fear of judgment, rejection, or being too much. But this summer, something shifted. I realized that being seen is part of healing.
Now I’m leaning into that visibility in new ways — posting behind-the-scenes updates, speaking more publicly about my estrangement journey, and seeking opportunities like She Wins Magazine to amplify my message. I’m no longer shrinking to make others comfortable. I’m showing up fully — scars, softness, creativity, and all.
And honestly? It feels amazing.
My Message to Women in 2025
Beauty isn’t about flawless skin or curated success. Beauty is softness. And softness is strength.
You don’t have to hustle yourself into worthiness. You don’t have to explain your boundaries. You don’t have to fix your past to claim your future. The more we embrace our whole selves — the mess and the magic — the more powerfully we lead, create, and connect.
Whether you’re launching a business, leaving a toxic relationship, navigating grief, or just learning to rest without guilt… you are glowing. You are doing the work. You are enough.
This summer, I’m letting go of the pressure to be polished, and I’m embracing the power of being real. That’s my glow-up.
Connect With Alyssa
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