Pilates Thoughtful Tuesday: A Country of Characters

Celebrating individuality at a UK train station with bold colours, tattoos, and self-expression

Yesterday on the train journey home after a weekend of teaching, I found myself, as I often do, at another train station platform watching people. And what a show it was.

There she was. A girl, maybe 20 something, in a bright yellow jacket, complete with vibrant pink ties, pink shoes, a pink backpack, green hair, and bright red glasses. It wasn’t just fashion, it was a statement. And I loved it.

A few paces down, a tall young man in his twenties stood waiting. His face was completely covered in tattoos, each one unique. Again, a powerful form of self-expression. These weren’t just clothes or ink, they were identity, art, personality, all on display.

It reminded me again why I find the UK one of the most interesting countries for different personalities. We are a country of individuals. And in so many ways, we celebrate that.

You can walk down any street in the UK and see a full spectrum of self-expression. Whether it’s:

• Fashion – from vintage classics to experimental futurism, often in the same carriage• Hair – not just the colours and we do love a bright pink or blue, but the cuts, the shaved patterns, the mullets making a comeback

• Make-up – genderless, theatrical, subtle, bold. We’ve made eyeliner political and glitter everyday

• Tattoos and piercings – not just hidden art, but face tattoos, stretched ears, and even dermal implants. For some it’s rebellion. For others it’s culture. For many it’s just them

• Accessories and identity – safety pins as earrings, patches and pins declaring your values, slogans on hoodies or totes that say this is what I stand for

• Voice and language – accents, dialects, slang, and even made up words are part of the UK personality parade. You can tell where someone’s from in just a sentence and they’re proud of it

What I love most is that here it’s normal. Nobody flinches. You can be outrageous, understated, stylish, eccentric, or just plain odd and someone will say, “Love your coat.”

Sure, there are places in the world where this level of expression might raise eyebrows. But here in the UK, we raise our eyebrows only to lift our glasses and say, “Good for you.”

In a world that can often be obsessed with blending in, I think we’re lucky to live in a place that celebrates standing out.

So this week, as we the Pilates Teachers return to the rhythm of classes and clients, take a moment to appreciate the individuality around you and maybe even your own. Whether it's a splash of colour or the way you cue a breath, let a little more of you show up.

Because in the UK, being yourself isn’t brave, it’s beautifully brilliantly normal.