My lingering teenager is giving the finger to the long list of people who told me that I'd never make it anywhere unless I stopped being so weird. (Note: actual teenager me wouldn't have dared. I didn't pick up such rudeness until grad school.)
I do of course make accommodations as needed to the requirements, but a lot of places aren't nearly as strict as people made them out to be. A little creativity can keep a good aesthetic and still be appropriate for most places.