Weโre so excited to bring you part 2 of this interview series: What does androgyny in Plus Size Fashion mean to you? Our interviewees give candid advice, and reflect on how clothing influences their gender and gender presentation at the intersection of gender-non-conformity and fat fashion.
This part two will wrap up this series on androgyny in plus size fashion, and thank you again to our interviewees for their time, energy, and contributions to this article!ย
To read Part 1 of this interview series, click here: Part 1
(Link to interviewees socials, shared with permission, are at the end of the article).
Androgyny and Plus Size Fashion
Liz (they/them): How has being plus size, and trans or nonbinary, impacted how you express your gender in clothing?
Megan (any pronouns): โUGH!ย I canโt find what I want! I have always looked to thin fashion for inspiration because they are the first ones to have access to clothing.ย I want to be able to buy the clothes thin androgynous people wear, but in plus size and I canโt.ย For a long time, I felt like I had to perform my femininity in order to be respected in the industry and community.ย
It is part of the reason it took me so long to figure out my gender, I didnโt come out until I was 32. I had to work through the trauma I experienced as a performative woman in the industry before I was able to discover how I wanted to express my gender through clothing.ย
Most days, I go for vintage-inspired casual, with athleisure pieced-in.ย I love being comfortable.ย I love sneakers.ย I love jeans.ย I love blazers and sweaters. However, when youโre fat and looking for something specific, things can get frustrating.
I searched high and low for a plus size satin or rayon camp shirt for myself to wear with slacks, and I found a few options on ASOS menโs and two options at Macyโs Big & Tall.ย I found less than 10 options for someone with a 54โณ chest looking for a shirt that buttons up. Itโs ridiculous.โ
โFor a long time, I felt like I had to perform my femininity in order to be respected in the industry and community.โ
โ Megan
Ollie (they/them): โMy gender and my body size are inexplicably intertwined. I sometimes struggle with feeling less androgynous than I would likeโbeing fat emphasizes aspects of my body that cause dysphoria for me, and that affects how I dress, e.g. I typically prefer to wear clothes that mask the size of my chest, clothes that are modest, etcetera. However, there are times that I also really like being fat!
I like how being fat makes clothes look on me, and being big is important to the way I experience being nonbinary and butch. Being fat has a direct impact on how I express my gender through clothes: it limits what I can wear, and makes shopping more difficult, but when I find the clothes that do fit, and that represent me on the outside as much as on the inside, the gender euphoria I feel from that is unmatched.โ
โEmbracing being fat and being nonbinary happened around the same time for me. Coming out felt like accepting myself.โ
โ Lori
Lori (they/them): โWhen I came out as nonbinary it was freeing to feel like I didnโt need to accentuate my curves, or for example, I used to try and conceal how broad my shoulders are. It was a relief to not feel like I had to be cute and feminine.
I started to experiment more in high-waisted pants, which was not something I ever did growing up because I never saw other fat people in them, or if I did, it was a joke. That was huge for me after I came out. I started gravitating more towards button-ups, rolled up my sleeves, and experimenting with layering in outfits.
I stopped wearing blouses, and took a break from jewelry for a while too. Now I only really wear earrings. Iโve really tried to focus on what made me feel good versus what I was expected to wear. I was really trying to conceal my body before coming out. Embracing being fat and being nonbinary happened around the same time for me. Coming out felt like accepting myself, and I was able to embrace being fat, versus trying to conform and hide that.โ
Androgyny in Plus Size Fashion is Not Accessible
Liz: What does androgyny in fat fashion look like to you?
Megan: โIn reality, androgyny in fat fashion looks like neutrals, boxy silhouettes, no or little use of trims, very little use of patterns, and extremely difficult to come by.ย Thin people have more options, better fits, and everything catered to them, but especially with androgynous clothing.ย Itโs not accessible at all.ย
If fat people want to dress androgynously, we have to piece together looks from menโs and womenโs sections and hope that we will be able to tailor something to fit us.ย We deserve more than boxy unisex tees and joggers. We deserve all of the amazing genderless clothing options that thin people get. We deserve patterns, trims, and attention to fit.โ
Androgyny Can Really Be Anything
โThin people have more options, better fits, and everything catered to them, but especially with androgynous clothing.โ
โ Megan
Ollie: โFor me, as a fat person who at one time identified with womanhood to various degrees, the only examples Iโve seen of fat people dressed well (that is, not in bland, drapey things meant to hide my shame [of being plus size]) have been mostly feminine women. And that is so wonderful! I love seeing a world of possibilities open up for fat feminine people.
But for me, femininity is not androgyny, and in fact makes me feel dysphoric, so I have always felt personally relegated to a life of boring clothes. The only stylish, avant garde, androgynous fashion I was ever exposed to felt off-limits, because I only saw it on thin bodies, and for a long time I wasnโt sure what fat androgyny could even look like.
But Iโve sort of come to understand that androgyny can really be anything, and in particular, I think that fashion subcultures (like goth, punk, western, etc.) can really lend themselves to fat androgyny because of the emphasis placed on the aesthetic of the look over the gender the clothes are meant to represent.โ
โI think that fashion subcultures (like goth, punk, western, etc) can really lend themselves to fat androgyny because of the emphasis placed on the aesthetic of the look over the gender the clothes are meant to represent.โ
โ Ollie
Lori: โImagining fat fashion and androgyny is hard because it doesnโt really exist. Thin fashion examples come to mind but fat fashion is harder. Clothing doesnโt have a gender, it really shouldnโt. And androgyny isnโt so much a style of clothing, itโs much more closely intertwined with a personโs gender. Being fat definitely complicates things, finding clothes that fit and fit well and that are androgynous is especially challenging.
As someone who has a large chest, finding androgynous clothing is almost impossible. Another factor is that fatness is a spectrum, society as a whole is focused on a silhouette, and what is deemed attractive by subscribing to mainstream beauty norms. There are different types of fat, which makes shopping for androgynous clothing even harder.โ
โWear what makes you feel like a million dollars.โ
Liz: If you could give another plus size or fat, transgender or non-binary person advice on clothes, what would it be?ย
Megan: โFind what makes you happy. If that is difficult, find what makes you not hate your body.ย As fat nonbinary and transgender people, we go through a lot of gender and body dysphoria, so to find a silhouette or certain shape that makes you feel good or neutral about yourself is sometimes really difficult.ย Donโt be afraid to try new things and become very familiar with store return policies.ย If you find something that gives you all the feels, buy it in every color. Wear what makes you feel like a million dollars.โ
Ollie: โKnow your measurements! Sizing is weird, especially for large bodies, and buying something in a size โ22โ doesnโt tell me much about how it would fit me. However, knowing my hip, waist and inseam for example makes shopping for pants a thousand times easier than just guessing, and I can use those measurements anywhere. Donโt be afraid to get wild!
In 2019 I really got into vintage western wear and I seriously cannot describe the simultaneous confidence boost and gender euphoria I get from cowboy boots, a bolo tie and a pearl snap shirt. Thatโs just an example, but it can be anything. If thereโs something that speaks to you or makes you excited, seek it out and give it a shot. Even if itโs just a couple pieces, even if itโs not all the time, find what makes you feel good and incorporate it into your wardrobe.โ
Lori: โYouโre not going to feel comfortable all the time, and thatโs okay. Especially when youโre exploring your style โ youโre gonna try things that donโt work. But donโt let that stop you from continuing to explore it. Donโt be afraid to take up space. As an almost 24 year old, it can be really hard to go shopping, especially in-person.
Fat folks understand the discomfort of shopping and then add being nonbinary or trans [on top of that], and it makes the whole experience more uncomfortable, my advice would be: just go at your own pace. And if itโs too much and youโre feeling overwhelmed or dysphoric, just take a break. If something isnโt bringing you joy, then youโre not looking for the right pieces or in the right place, and it can take time to figure that out.โ
Androgyny Is For Anyone And Any Body
Androgyny inherently defaults to masculinity because we live in a patriarchal society. Masculinity is viewed as more acceptable, more tolerable, and is, therefore, more accessible. The forthcoming challenge to the plus size industry is this: to create clothing meant to be worn by any gender, with accessible and diverse sizing, styles and patterns designed to highlight rather than distract from our bodies.
I echo the sentiments of our interviewees by saying that clothing is meant to celebrate our bodies, our genders, beyond the bounds of masculinity or femininity, beyond the confines of thinness and whiteness. Create clothes for any gender, in all sizes, intentionally and deliberately.
A huge thank you to these folks who volunteered their time and energy to contribute to this article in hopes of helping other nonbinary and transgender fat folks. Follow them on social media!
Megan: www.megankimberling.com |ย Instagram and Twitter @megankimberling, www.facebook.com/megankimberling
Ollie: Twitter @nouveaubutch!
Lori: Instagram @loriscreativeoutlet, Tiktok @loriscreativeoutletย
This article and source material have been edited for clarity and for length by Liz Brinks
