They/Them Project is an ongoing portrait and interview series documenting the lived experiences of gender nonconforming and Trans+ individuals. Each participant shares their story in their own words. The photography is mine. The voice is theirs.
Teaser
Recorded Conversation
Alok & Xochi
Alok & Brent
About
Name: Alok
Pronouns: they/them/theirs
Conversation
Q: How do we degender fashion?
A: It's not about introducing new "gender-neutral" clothing, it's about recognizing that clothing doesn't have gender to begin with. There are no such thing as "women's clothes" or "men's clothes," there are just clothes. We have the power to give individual articles of clothing meaning, but they don't have some universal meaning out of that. Rather than describing looks as "masculine" or "feminine," resource a more expansive vocabulary and be more precise: color, texture, pattern, fit. Most importantly: don't pressure other people and yourself to dress another way in order to "look more ____," people can define what masculinity, femininity, and anything else look to them! To hear more about gender and fashion along with more info on my own gender journey go to TheyThemProject.org.
Part of the ongoing They/Them Project exploring identity, language, and visibility.
