Hi Renounced, GOOD the bullying has stopped at college!!!!
Just......how much of the "new look" is you/about who you are??? Absolutely fine/great if it reflects your individuality!!! You shouldn't need to try to dress/look a particular way just to try to "fit in", being who you are and finding people to respect you for that is much more important!!! Just as long as the change is for you.
And I'd say that the bullies most likely moved on because you put on a brave face.......didn't give them much of a reaction (not because they thought of you as weird/disgusting!!!).
And you know putting on a brave face.........that shows you had so much strength...........there would be PLENTY of people in your situation who completely understandably couldn't do that, however much they wanted to/tried. So good on you, perhaps that's a strength you could use in working through the effects of some of the bullying?? Because however much of a brave face you put on it still leaves effects, doesn't it??
And having less people in your life after cutting some people out........well even just having/finding one, two.......close friends is so much better than twenty, thirty people in your life who don't really care that much about you. Less people can sometimes be much better.
But if you haven't even got those close friend/s yet..........well there's still time, now you're working a bit on your self-esteem/confidence. Once people start seeing/knowing you a little more...........then there can be some who are going to be able to start really valuing you.

Alison