A gender binary exists in fashion, and that’s a challenge for those who don’t conform. Masculine-presenting women are often destined for boys’ departments or bad fits, while people born male who transition or simply like to dress in femme clothes sometimes don’t know what to expect in sizing or from sales clerks.
Laura Jane Grace, who fronts the punk band Against Me!, transitioned from male to female in dress onstage in 2012. At 6 foot 2, with a mostly black wardrobe worthy of a rocker, Grace recalls the days before she was “out” and on the hunt for women’s clothes.
“It was always kind of terrifying, going out and actually shopping for stuff,” said Grace, who lived in small-town Florida before moving to Chicago.
Mary Going, a masculine-presenting lesbian who’s 5 foot 3 and 120 pounds, wanted a formal suit for her 2008 wedding. After fruitless trips to Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s, Men’s Wearhouse, Banana Republic and Macy’s, she had one tailor-made for about $1,800.
“I’ve had cars that cost less than that,” said Going. “I loved that suit. I felt great in that suit in a way that I had never felt great in my clothes before. I felt taller. I felt like I got more respect and I don’t know if that’s because I presented more respectfully or because people really did see me differently.”
Going “wanted to offer that same feeling to other people, but without the $1,800 price tag” or the wait. So she founded Saint Harridan, which makes off-the-rack suits with sleek masculine looks for women and transmen.
Read the whole story on AP — The Big Story
Laura Jane Grace on Wikipedia
Laura Jane Grace on Facebook
Saint Harridan: Masculine clothing for women and trans men
Mary Going on Facebook
Photo of Laura Jane Grace by Kmeron (CC-lisence on Flickr)
Saint Harridan photo from their Kickstarter campaign
