Four Fall Fashions

The leaves are changing and the temperature is dropping. It can only mean one thing, fall is here! It is my favorite season of the year for activities and fashion. There are so many cute style options for this time of year and I am here to point out my favorites. 

4. The Friday Night Party Goer 
When I think of an outfit to wear hitting the bars or a friend's house party, I think preppy. Not your typical frat bro preppy, but a clean slick look. My personal favorite is wearing a pair of dark washed jeans and a nice button down shirt. I often find that men's dress shirts fit my chest weird and make the shirt bunch up in an unflattering way. There is a queer clothing site called Androgyny that makes the perfect casual dress shirts. They are described as a revolutionary brand designing clothing for androgynous women and trans* identified individuals, who have fit and style preferences that are rarely met by mainstream brands.

Brilliant Lavender Oxford Button-down 

The key to their signature shirt is that it has (1) a “boob” button to minimize gaping, (2) no darts, (3) a full cut to accommodate, but not accentuate, curves.

Limited Edition: Anchors Away

3. The Night-In With Friends
On those nights you just want to curl up and binge watch an entire series on Netflix, you want to be comfortable. Comfortability doesn't have to mean throwing all fashion knowledge out the window. I love shopping at PacSun for more casual fashions. My new favorite trend is a type of sweat pant called a jogger. Joggers typically have a large elastic band around the ankle and sag a bit in the waist area.  What is a pair of comfy sweats without a crew neck?! The crew-neck or as I like to call it, the noodie (no hood hoodie) has made a comeback, and I couldn't be more thrilled. I love the older vintage looking sports team ones, but any will do. Make sure you add your favorite beanie to complete this night-in look!

Been Trill Joggers: $59.95

Riot Society: $44.95

2. The Saturday Morning Coffee Run 
In the past couple of decades, there has been a style movement called "grunge" that has faded in and out. I am not referring to wearing an old trash bag or the nastiest worn jeans you own. I am talking about the style that came out of the change in rock music movement. The grunge style often consists of many unconnected layers of typically cheap clothing such as thrifted items. It's kind of like throwing on your old favorite pair of jeans and tee shirt, but then adding a vest, flannel and old boots. Grunge lets you be unique, without forcing you to buy an entire new outfit. I typically wear an old pair of black jeans with an vintage shirt. I, then tie a flannel around my waist and throw on a bulky pair of boots. This article gives you step by step instructions on how to dress grunge.

Both of these photos are from Outfit Trends

1. The Fall Into Flannel
When I think fall, I think flannel. Flannel can be worn to class, work, parties, tailgates, pumpkin patches, haunted houses, lunch with friends, and everywhere else. They can be worn buttoned up, around the waist, unbuttoned, and under a sweater. Wow! There are just so many choices when it comes to flannels. I would mention a specific retailer that sells them, but honestly you can purchase them just about anywhere. One will never be enough, so stock up on as many as you can!

Photo by Albania

What is your favorite fall style? Comment below and share this post! 

Coming Out

In honor of National Coming Out Day, I would like to share with you my coming out story.

Growing up, I was different from most girls. I spent my days rolling around in the dirt with my brothers. I would much rather have had little boys' pants, and asked for skateboards and toy guns for my birthdays. I had friends who were girls, but never really could connect with them in similar interests. I found myself being the target of slumber party makeovers. As I grew older, I felt as if I needed to conform to those girls to fit in.

I grew up in a very small town in Minnesota. The population was 175 and there were 3 churches surrounding my house. My family actively attended a small Reformed Church with fewer than 100 members. Religion was the foundation of our family and the community I grew up in. Unfortunately, this religion wasn't the open-minded kind. I found myself being preached at about the sins of this world, including homosexuality. I can remember my mother saying that she would be heart-broken and sickened if any of us kids were gay.

Fast-forward to puberty. I started questioning my relationship with a really close best friend of mine. I felt like I liked her as more than a friend and I knew it was wrong. I tried praying every night that it would go away and I could just be happy. All I wanted was to be happy and to make my family happy. I was at war with myself, I wanted to be normal. I remember laying in bed crying and asking God to take away the feelings.

Then, I realized I wasn't going to change. This was who I was and the key to happiness was to embrace this version of myself. I came out to one of my closest friends when I was 13. It felt like an absolute relief. I knew that I had to keep this a secret from my family though. I came out to maybe another 4 or 5 people in the next couple years after that. There was a out lesbian girl in my grade in high school and she was always harassed and bullied. Out of fear, I stayed in the closet until after graduation.

The summer after graduation was liberating for me. I knew that I was going to college in a different state in a matter of months. I decided to come out to my close group of friends one summer night. They reacted much better than I thought and that gave me the confidence to tell some of my other classmates. I was still was too scared to tell any family though. The weeks leading up to college were a battle within myself, I wanted to tell them, but I didn't want to lose their financial and emotional support during this huge transition.

When I got to college, I joined the GSA group on campus and started hearing all these powerful coming out stories. I met people who were in my exact same situation. This led to my coming out to my mom and dad on Thanksgiving evening. They were not surprised or disappointed and were actually thankful that I finally told them. Last year around this time was when I finally had to courage to tell the world a secret that I had been carrying around for nearly 10 years. I received nothing but support from everyone. There were a few church members who expressed concerns, but overall I felt welcomed. I felt like myself.

I want to tell you that you are not alone. There are tons of people who have been in your situation and overcame the obstacles to get to where they are now. I have never been happier in my entire life. I finally feel like I am myself and I have nothing to hide. Since coming out, my style has started to change as I became more comfortable with myself. I am not afraid to be myself. I love who I am and that is never going to change.

Lady Gaga once said "Be yourself, love who you are, because baby, you were born this way!"

Suit Up! Do's and Dont's for Professionalism

“Define success on your own terms, achieve it by your own rules, and build a life you’re proud to live.”               -Anne Sweeney (President of Walt Disney)

If there's one hard thing about having a female body, but dressing more masculine, it's finding the right clothes to look professional. As a business student, I find it hard to dress the way I want to dress and be taken seriously by potential employers. As much as I wish I could just go out and buy baggy men's slacks and a goofy tie, I know that the first impression is a major key to success in the 'real world'. In this post, I will give you some tips to help you feel confident in your style while still impressing your potential future boss.

There are several things to avoid when trying to dress professional:

1. Avoid wearing ill fitting clothing for your body type. Most women typically have the problem of wearing too tight of clothing to interviews and work. This is the complete opposite of what I seen in the lesbian and androgynous community.  If you are like me, you probably love loose pants and loose shirts to hide those feminine curves. Loose is okay, but when loose becomes baggy it begins to look unprofessional and sloppy. I know that when buying men's trousers, you typically have to go up a size or so to compensate for bigger hips and a little more junk in the trunk. I would suggest finding a pair of women's slacks or dress pants that hug you just right without being too tight. Some good places to look are stores like JCPenny or Kohls if you are on a budget. It's okay to wear a men's dress shirt as long as it doesn't look like a tent draping over your body. 
2. Don't get discouraged. Unfortunately, your style may not be everyone's cup of tea. Even with all the social progress in the past couple of years, there is always going to be some people that don't understand why you dress the way you do. Don't let those people get the best of you! Prepare yourself for rejection, but also prepare to explain why you stand out from everyone else. Explain why you dress the way you do or share an experience where it helped you achieve a goal. If you can prove you have the skills necessary to get the job done, you should have no problems getting the job. 

Enough of the discouraging dont's. Let's look at some things you can do to help you look professional.

1. Invest! I know you might not have $800 to drop on a brand new suit overnight, but at some point soon, you should try to save up to get one custom fit to your body. There are several brands that were creating specifically for people like us. My personal favorite is Saint Harridan. This company was founded in 2008 by Mary Going when she couldn't find the perfect suit to get married in. The typical suit will cost your roughly $700-$1000, but that's a small price to pay to land a high earning career at your favorite firm. Now, you can custom order an entire suit online that is designed with androgynous females in mind.  
   
    
2. Clean up. No, I am not referring to a massive cleaning of your living space. I am talking about looking your absolute best. If you have short hair, go get it cut a day or two before your big interview or meeting, it will keep you looking fresh! Even with longer hair, a trim or professional style will go a long way. I just went and got a hair cut today in anticipation of our school's career fair coming up in a few days.  You'll want to remove any distracting piercings for the day to make the best impression. 
3. Accessorize. Sometimes its the little things that count most. Adding a bow tie or a little make-up can make you stand out to your employer. If you have certain features you love most about your body, accentuate them! Make-up isn't just a girly girl thing, it can help conceal blemishes and bring out certain facial features. 
4. Be yourself. This is probably the most important one on the list. Above anything, be you. If you're not comfortable, you won't bring your best skills to the table. It's important to always be yourself and never compromise to anyone else's view of you. 

Best of luck on your next professional adventure! 

Pictures courtesy of http://www.saintharridan.com/