Clothes Minded

Many of us learn which colours and styles work and don’t work for us by making misguided sartorial choices in our teens and learning from our mistakes. The other way is by getting it bang on and having everybody notice us. Both can be horrific in their own ways.

But can you imagine how hard it must have been to have spent one’s entire childhood being dressed in clothes that felt all wrong, and then coming out as trans, and trying to dress a body that isn’t shaped like the clothes you want to wear.

I work with trans people to help them find their authentic style. Once you know how it’s a doddle to dress appropriately (and interestingly) for work and social events but if you don’t know your clothing personality however had your work on an outfit it can still feel like you don’t fit in. That something holding you back but you don’t know what. Like this girl in my photo. Professional photo and make up, perfectly put together outfit but there's something about it that makes her look and us feel uncomfortable.

For an item of clothing to work we need to consider four things: our colouring, our body architecture, our scale and our archetypal self. These are all things which transcend gender.

These will always in alignment with each other. For instance my archetype is somewhere in Ancient Egypt, so it makes sense that my best colours are black and electric blue, my body has sharp and straight lines and I need large scale. This would be true whatever my gender. Vivienne Westwood and Versace make dramatic clothes for people like me.

If someone’s archetype is American rodeo hand/wrangler, they will suit the washed out blue of denim, not have any sharp lines on their body and work best in textured fabrics. They find their dream garments in Ralph Lauren and Carhartt.

When I am working with the trans community I see the need to ‘pass’ can disconnect them from these considerations. Our clothes need to match our scale. A big personality needs large scale items. No-one, whether cis or trans, will suit tiny pearl drop earrings if they are six foot tall. Think of the Australian actor Elizabeth Debicki - who needs earrings that are at least an inch wide to match her 6’3” stature.

If someone has delicate features and a narrow body then putting them in heavy work-boots, a bold patterned shirt, a wide belt with a huge buckle, will make them disappear. They would be completely overwhelmed. Instead I guide people like this to the cleaner lines and smaller scale of Prada and Jasper Conran and their high street equivalents.

When we know our best colours, shapes, and styles then everything else falls into place. We can stop wasting our money and energy trying to make things work that are so out of alignment with who we are they are never ever going to look good.

IF you'd like to know more please email me emma@retreat.fr or call 07508 920583 for a chat.