I’m extremely early in my transition, but I can already feel the conflicting split:
Pink and frills and girlishness, feel freeing, and safe, and comfy, and I love them.
And at the same time, I can see little flashes of “my style”, things that I like more than pink and frills, but that are at the same time, scarier, and less coherent, and I don’t actually know what you really do with them.
Both parts are really important, I think. Maybe the stereotype is more about healing, a safe stop when you don’t know where to take yourself, with your newfound freedom.
Maybe your style comes later, as you grow into it. Maybe someone’s style just really goes deeper into the stereotype, that’s cool too!
It’s so hard to put into words the idea of “You no longer have to struggle with limiting yourself, just do whatever” (a negative act, an absence of an action), when “Finding yourself/your style” is usually framed as a thing you Do (a positive act, an active attempt)
I’m about 3 months into E. I can tell that once my body presents more femme, I’ll probably start dressing a little less “girly,” but for now pink and frilly helps me not get clocked.
I’m extremely early in my transition, but I can already feel the conflicting split:
Pink and frills and girlishness, feel freeing, and safe, and comfy, and I love them.
And at the same time, I can see little flashes of “my style”, things that I like more than pink and frills, but that are at the same time, scarier, and less coherent, and I don’t actually know what you really do with them.
Both parts are really important, I think. Maybe the stereotype is more about healing, a safe stop when you don’t know where to take yourself, with your newfound freedom.
Maybe your style comes later, as you grow into it. Maybe someone’s style just really goes deeper into the stereotype, that’s cool too!
It’s so hard to put into words the idea of “You no longer have to struggle with limiting yourself, just do whatever” (a negative act, an absence of an action), when “Finding yourself/your style” is usually framed as a thing you Do (a positive act, an active attempt)
I’m about 3 months into E. I can tell that once my body presents more femme, I’ll probably start dressing a little less “girly,” but for now pink and frilly helps me not get clocked.