Walk Like a Man

&drogyny tee

I've been thinking a lot about the gender politics of fashion lately, and how it relates to my own sartorial choices.  A while ago on Facebook that I used to be a tomboy, and someone I knew in high school wrote, "YOU were a tomboy?!"  Granted, this was the same person who saw me in a tee shirt and remarked, "Your shoulders are MASSIVE!"  (It took me years of yoga to stop slumping my broad shoulders forward in an awkward attempt to look smaller.)

I guess "tomboy" is the wrong word for it.  I did wear the occasional ruffly dress, and I don't have an intrinsic hatred of pink or pastels.  However, I kept pet iguanas, and my true fashion staples were my reptile tee shirts and my oversized Stussy hoodie.  My sixth grade teacher made me bring a hairbrush to school because my level of personal grooming wasn't what she thought it should be.  I cried when a friend wanted to play "beauty parlor."  I love having pixie-short hair, but I also like it when it's shaggy and a bit longer.  When I was little I played with My Little Ponies AND toy cars.  I dressed up as Superman AND as a unicorn.

Most importantly, I've always liked my nickname:  Mel.  It's gender-neutral and fits me well.

  

I've always felt as if I'm equal parts male and female.  When the genetic coin flipped my body decided to develop in one direction, while my mind kept both sexes in consideration.  I make a cute boy, and I make a cute girl.  Why should I have to choose?

Cate Blanchett in I'm Not There

I don't.

Janelle Monae

I don't have to choose ever again.

Andrej Pejic

Growing up, I didn't know there was a name for what I am, and that many other people feel the same way I do.

Lady Gaga as Jo Calderone

I am genderqueer.

Iggy Pop

I've never had an identity I could fully identify with before.  I always felt like I didn't belong anywhere.  While I've had "flings" with both sexes, my committed relationships have only been with men.

It's nice to be reassured that my identity doesn't have to be defined by who I chose to love.  So often I fall into the trap of defining myself based upon other people, instead of listening to my higher self.

Me in a faux-hawk phase.

While I've dabbled in androgynous dressing on and off for a long while now, I've never fully committed to full-on drag.  That's going to change.

Glam femme realness.

I've purchased my first chest binder, and I'm really excited about it. 

Underworks Chest Binder, $34.99 (available in white or black)

I also stuffed a pair of socks into my underwear for the first time since I dressed up as Garth for Halloween in 2002.  Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures.   I got hit on a lot that night.  

I'll make sure to post some pictures as soon as I get my drag on.  This is a huge step for me, and I feel happier than I have in a long time.  Here are some of the items I've purchased to supplement my trans identity.  First I wanted a comfy pair of men's jeans with a little bit of stretch:

Cheap Monday Jeans, $87.73 on ASOS

And some vests (tank tops) that swing both ways:

ASOS Vest with Leopard Print Pocket, $28.65

ASOS has some great pieces in their male section that are hot no matter how I choose to identify that day.  I love these tanks so much I ordered two.

ASOS Vest with Embroidery, $32.23

I've also been obsessed with finding a vintage-style striped tee.  This one by Madewell is perfect:

Madewell Keepsake Stripe Tee, $45

I've been spending quite a bit of time on websites like Gender Fork and Dyke Duds for inspiration, and am amazed at the amount of people out there who are exactly like me.  I have no idea how I've gone this long without discovering this community, but I'm never going back.  I know I'm going to be met with a lot of misunderstanding and flat-out hate, but for the first time in my life I'm ready to be ME, whatever that means. 

See you soon!

Recommended viewing: 

 Boys Don't Cry 
RuPaul's Drag Race
"Tightrope" by Janelle Monae

Pi in the Sky

I know I'm a bit late, but yesterday was Pi Day/Albert Einstein's birthday!  In honor of this occasion, I baked!

It's a Pi pie!  It was strawberry rhubarb crumb pie--I use past tense because it's gone 24 hours later--from Vegan Pie in the Sky, and the recipe is also available on PPK.  If you have never visited PPK before, go now!!!  Isa and Terry are vegan kitchen gods!  This was my very first pie, and it turned out Greek-letter perfect.  ::snort::

Speaking of pie, I decided to round up some Pi Day fashion for ya.  Here goes:

Sterling Silver Pi Necklace by laladesignstudio

Ah, so clean and elegant, yet so nerdy at the same time.

If you need a little more mathematical precision, this cuff lists the first 480 digits of pi:

Pi Cuff bracelet, KarlaWheelerDesign

What's that?  You want an item that proudly celebrates both aspects of Pi displayed on comfortable, ethically-produced, philanthropic footwear?  Done.

Pi Day Toms Shoes by themattbutler

There aren't any vegan Toms in his shop, but he'd probably make them if asked.  I might have to contact him to find out and get back to you.  I say you in case anyone decides to start reading this blog.  Right now it's a hypothetical you.  Helloooooo out there...

Anyway, if you're the wear-a-sign-on-my-chest type, this one's for you.

Women's Pi Shirt, Amazon

The image on the shirt is made using the first 100 digits of Pi.

 

Then there's the ThinkGeek version:

Pi By Numbers Babydoll, ThinkGeek

4493 digits of Pi.  Whoa.  

To close, here's an adorable brass pendant by nickhajewelry.  

Copper and Brass Pi Necklace

Maybe it's just all this Pi--er, pie--I've eaten, but it looks like those Pi symbols are dancing.  How would Pi dance if it could dance?  What would it dance to?

Incidentally, this seller also has a pendant featuring Einstein's famous equation...say it with me...

E Equals MC Squared Pendant by nikhajewelry

In honor of Einstein's birthday, why not read something he wrote?  Sidelights on Relativity is available FOR FREE in the Kindle store!  Or you can just watch I.Q. again and say you read it.  I won't tell.

WAHOO!

Rest in peace, Richard.

One of our pet rabbits passed away on Saturday.  His name was Richard, and he had an amazing personality.  He used to chase my cats around the living room!  It's strange not having him here.

Saturday morning I went to check on him and he was barely moving or breathing.  I put him next to Darcy (our female rabbit) for comfort while we made an emergency appointment with the vet.

Before we could take him in, he started having spasms and passed away.  He went completely limp, and I held his body and petted his fur for the last time.  I started to cry.  I had to leave for yoga teacher training shortly after that, but Richard was on my mind the whole day.

My fella buried him in the garden and made a lovely headstone to remember him by.

Rabbits are wonderful creatures, so it makes sense that they're a common motif in fashion and decorating.  Here are a few lovely lagomorphs to honor Richard's memory.  With Easter coming up soon(ish), rabbit raiments are in season.  

Vaute Couture Tank

Vaute Couture make a variety of high-fashion vegan coats each year, as well as tanks and tees that support the vegan message in a soft and loving way.

ModCloth Bunny Long-Sleeve Top

I love the simplicity of white sketch lines on a pure black shirt.  

Fancy Rabbit Khaki Field Bag

I always love a bit of whimsy.  A rabbit in a top hat and monocle?  He's a fancy fancy rabbit!  Guaranteed to make me smile.  I found this bag on Etsy.  This design is also printed on a few items, including this striped t-shirt dress:

Fancy Rabbit T-shirt Dress

Adorable!

The seller is Deadworry, and the shop has lots of cute screen-printed items, including ones featuring jellyfish!  I'm definitely going to do a fashion feature on jellyfish very soon, because I love them dearly.

Golden Rabbit Ring by Yaci

I love the details in the fur and the stone eyes of this gorgeous rabbit ring.  It was another Etsy find.  It's also available in silver:

Silver Rabbit Ring by Yaci

If you want to buy someone a rabbit for Easter, stick to one of the fashion choices above, because real rabbits are a huge commitment.  Or you can spring (haha) for a robotic rabbit:

Karotz

Voice-activated! Lots of ear positions!  You can link it with another one far away and they'll act as twinsies!  Over 400 apps!  Doesn't poo everywhere (or anywhere)!  Whee!

Speaking of "whee," I'll end end with something wee and squee:

Hop on Down Shaker Set

Aww.  Bunnies are awesome.

Recommended viewing:

Disapproving Rabbits

Unicorns!

After my last post I decided to head over to Etsy and see if I could find any interesting cosplay items (maybe a bit more involved than tee-shirts) and stumbled across these gorgeous unicorn wigs.

The Last Unicorn

In my dream world, everyone looks like this.

Sweetie Belle

I would love one in every color...

Variety of Unicorn and Pony wigs by Gimmcat

In my last post, I wrote about being Superman for Halloween as a kid.  Incidentally, I was also a unicorn one year.  Fancy that!


I think I'll buy one of these wigs just to wear around the house while I'm cleaning.  Cleaning is way more fun when you're a unicorn!

Geek Girl Con

I just learned the Bitch Magazine website that there is something called GeekGirlCon, which according to the website is "dedicated to recognizing the contribution of women in all aspects of geek culture."  A feminist Comic Con?  Badass!  The convention is happening in Seattle, August 11-12.  

I love that the idea of crossplay (crossdressing+cosplay) is gaining popularity.  I went as Superman for Halloween when I was really little.  My mom used to tell stories about how I insisted I had to be Superman, not Wonder Woman or Supergirl.  I need to track down some of the photos, because I've never seen any other pictures of me as a child where I look that happy. 


So imagine my face when I saw this:

Superman Ringer Tee, ThinkGeek

I LOVE THINKGEEK.  Seriously.  They have an entire line of "lazy crossplay" tees that I want.

Batman Costume Tee

Flash Costume Tee

Green Lantern Ringer Tee

And for those who prefer their lazy cosplay to feature female superheroes:

She-ra Costume Tee

Wonder Woman Costume Tee

And as the daughter of two Trekkies, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention this:

Star Trek Original Series Tee Shirt Dress

Yes.  I love it all.  I also adore their models.

Hooray for Geek Girls!

Bones

I love Kate Nash.

I love that she looks like a real person, and that her accent is strongly audible in her songs (even though it aggravates my accent envy).  One moment she can be hilariously funny, and the next moment poignant and sad.  My favorite song of hers is definitely "The Skeleton Song."

I adore how it begins catchy and upbeat, spirals into macabre madness, and ends with bittersweet self-acceptance.  It's a journey that resonates with the meandering swirls of my own imagination.


It's been said that this song is about Kate's struggle with anorexia, and I can definitely relate to the body-battle imagery.  I've spent the majority of my life despising my body and trying to change it, often in blatantly destructive and unhealthy ways.  


Strangely enough, learning about anatomy (especially my skeleton) has helped me to make peace with my body in a way I've never been able to before.  And practicing yoga.  Yoga helps lots.   Anyway, my skeleton is my friend now, and I do what I can to take care of it.  


On that note, here's a sartorial celebration of the glory of human anatomy!

Wildfox Couture Caveman Baggy Beach Jumper

I love these cartoon bones!  Adorable, but slightly morbid.  Totally my style!  It's also available in red.  

Lost Apostle Skull and Femur Necklace

I am an Etsy addict.  I admit it.  I just received a necklace from this vendor (Lost Apostle) in the mail today, similar to the picture below, but in bronze.  It is so gorgeous, I had to put it on immediately!

Lost Apostle Sugar Skull Necklace

This vendor has lots of beautiful anatomy-inspired designs, including skulls (human and animal), anatomical heart pendants, and other assorted goodness.  

Lost Apostle Anatomical Heart Necklace

If bones and skulls are too bare for your tastes, you could spring for something meatier in the form of these unique leggings:

Black Milk Muscles Leggings

These have already gotten quite a bit of attention on the internet, and have generated a lot of different responses.  I think they're beautiful in their celebration of the human body.  And they're the next logical step up from x-ray leggings.  

These leggings are no longer in production.  However, they do have a swimsuit!

Black Milk Ribs Swimsuit

The people over at Black Milk must have a lot of fun designing these things.  Any company that decides to make an R2-D2 swimsuit must be good people.

Of course, my favorite use of skeleton overlay will always be Donnie Darko:

"Why are you wearing that stupid man suit?"

Classic.


Of course, you may be looking for a more subtle nod to human anatomy than any of the above.  If so, these ribcage flats are just the thing:

Manimal Vegan Ribcage Flats

At $200, these are a little on the pricey side, but they're lovingly handmade by a team of 3.  Also, I have no qualms about investing in interesting items from small designers, especially when the product is something I'll wear all the time.  I just ordered a pair of these on OpenSky.  They were on sale on Alicia Silverstone's page for $160.  Since I'd been debating on buying some for months now, I jumped at the chance to get them at a discount.  I'll let you know what they're like when they arrive.