I’m a big fan of Qwear and love everything it is doing for the
LGBTQ community- one tie at a time, so when the tomcat pointed out that
they were looking for people who have moved to a new place to describe
how their style has changed I knew it would be my chance! Afterall I
have moved from Germany (age 9) to America and back to Germany (age 13)
and finally to England (age 18). Along the way I experienced differences
in fashion and how fashion and queeriosity stick together.
When I was under the age of 13 I stuck to the extreme high bun, ballerina style along with black trousers and lots of shirts. I basically looked like a miniature lawyer! I quickly grew out of this and turned back to admiring the fashion of days gone by. I didn’t think much of wearing a dress to school during my first week back in Germany, but the first friend I made would later tell me that he had been cornered in the boy’s locker room and told to, “Tell his girlfriend that we don’t dress like that in school in Germany!” Looking back now they were probably threatened by something overly feminine in a world that is made up of fashionable sneakers and skinny jeans. I quickly reverted back to basic t-shirts, but my mum always commented on how I would stick out like a sore thumb in a crowd. In a way she said this wih pride, but I think she really wanted me to learn to fit in.
By the age of 15 my rebellious feminine streak was back, maybe it’s
only fitting that my blog’s theme is feminine feminism, as I broke out
the winged liner and red lipstick every day for a good month or so.
Again, people were not impressed. Especially teachers saw it as a sign
of too much sexual maturity and begged me to tone it down and to please,
please at least try to fit in.
This was right around the time that I realised I was gay so naturally the pixie crop happened, I wore my men’s jeans with heels, but all of a sudden I wanted to discover the more masculine parts to my personality. I blame L-Word’s Shane. Looking back now, I think I felt this need to be noticed as a lesbian without having to say it and at the same time I was terrified of ’being found out.’ Definitely not my most proud fashion moments as it is probably the equivalent of sticking a bona-fide butch into a dress and heels. Let's skip over those more award years of self-development!
I’m 18 next, out and in a relationship with my lovely lady friend. Style wise I’m very preppy. Riding boots, pearls, stripes and monograms. That’s what I was when I moved to England. In a lot of ways 20 year old me is still like that, but being in a country that does accept people’s differences, especially when it leans towards extreme femininity, has allowed me to break out of my shell again. Girls here get to wear their extreme fake tan to school without most people batting an eyelash. Whether I think it looks appealing or not doesn’t matter. I just appreciate that there are choices here. I get to wear my lippy, my heels, my dresses and skirts. People here simply don’t give a flying squirrel. I also don’t feel the need to validate my homosexuality any more. I’m gay. I can be gay with long hair, with short hair, dressed in black, dressed in pink and with or without make-up.
My verdict is that there are two style secrets I got to learn in
England. One, is to layer lots. The weather can turn from one moment to
the next and while it never gets super cold, it never gets really hot
either. This is where cardigans over t-shirts come in. Dress like an
onion! Second of all, individuality is a good thing! People think being
differrent is cool here. Sure, there are always going to be people who
disagree with what you wear, but in the word’s of Dita von Teese, “You
can be the juiciest, ripest peach and you will still find someone who
doesn’t like peaches.”
Has your style changed from moving somewhere? Have you gotten to turn it up? Down? How does your sexuality link to the way you dress? Dapper butch? Fierce femme? Alternatively androgynous?
When I was under the age of 13 I stuck to the extreme high bun, ballerina style along with black trousers and lots of shirts. I basically looked like a miniature lawyer! I quickly grew out of this and turned back to admiring the fashion of days gone by. I didn’t think much of wearing a dress to school during my first week back in Germany, but the first friend I made would later tell me that he had been cornered in the boy’s locker room and told to, “Tell his girlfriend that we don’t dress like that in school in Germany!” Looking back now they were probably threatened by something overly feminine in a world that is made up of fashionable sneakers and skinny jeans. I quickly reverted back to basic t-shirts, but my mum always commented on how I would stick out like a sore thumb in a crowd. In a way she said this wih pride, but I think she really wanted me to learn to fit in.
 |
| Awkward, "I really shouldn't have chopped off all my hair," stage! |
This was right around the time that I realised I was gay so naturally the pixie crop happened, I wore my men’s jeans with heels, but all of a sudden I wanted to discover the more masculine parts to my personality. I blame L-Word’s Shane. Looking back now, I think I felt this need to be noticed as a lesbian without having to say it and at the same time I was terrified of ’being found out.’ Definitely not my most proud fashion moments as it is probably the equivalent of sticking a bona-fide butch into a dress and heels. Let's skip over those more award years of self-development!
I’m 18 next, out and in a relationship with my lovely lady friend. Style wise I’m very preppy. Riding boots, pearls, stripes and monograms. That’s what I was when I moved to England. In a lot of ways 20 year old me is still like that, but being in a country that does accept people’s differences, especially when it leans towards extreme femininity, has allowed me to break out of my shell again. Girls here get to wear their extreme fake tan to school without most people batting an eyelash. Whether I think it looks appealing or not doesn’t matter. I just appreciate that there are choices here. I get to wear my lippy, my heels, my dresses and skirts. People here simply don’t give a flying squirrel. I also don’t feel the need to validate my homosexuality any more. I’m gay. I can be gay with long hair, with short hair, dressed in black, dressed in pink and with or without make-up.
.JPG) |
| Ah, to be allowed to express some girly wonder! |
Has your style changed from moving somewhere? Have you gotten to turn it up? Down? How does your sexuality link to the way you dress? Dapper butch? Fierce femme? Alternatively androgynous?
Tumblr / thesacredfemme.tumblr.com
Twitter / thesacredfemme
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Youtube / NinaReadsOutLoud
Twitter / thesacredfemme
Instagram / thesacredfemme
Youtube / NinaReadsOutLoud
I went through similar stages in high school - dressing like myself, then trying to fit in. Moving to LA was very freeing because like London, people dress however they want. And I'll never be the weirdest-dressed person in Los Angeles. I think my clothes also relate to my sexuality - I've gone through several periods of dressing terribly because I didn't really want anyone to notice me in that way.
ReplyDeleteAnd Shane was hot. Everyone wanted to look like Shane.
I'm glad I'm not the only one then!
DeleteHaha, evenly split on, "Do I wanna be with her or be her?!"