I have known Jender Anomie (aka Jen) for four or five years now and have always admired her colorful and creative style. Without fail, she is dressed impeccably and fearlessly, even if it’s just to meet up for a tea and a chat. Her clothes usually get stares and whispers from strangers in the street, but Jen strides on anyway with a smile, which makes me admire her all the more. I asked Jen about her feelings about clothes and getting dressed in the morning, and this is what she said:
“There’s this really good quote I found online about being ‘femme’ that is totally relatable: ‘Every morning, getting dressed is a process of quantifying an apathy to violence, potential, mediated, or openly hostile, for the day.’ For me, coming across the public every day can be quite a dehumanizing experience because people think I’m somehow obscuring myself with costume, which often incites insults or comments. I really feel, however, that the opposite is true. If I were to attempt to blend in, that would be the true obstacle. I would struggle to remember just how unique a person I am. ‘Dressing up’ means all I need to do is just look at myself. It’s right there where I can see it with my eyes and feel in my hands how today I created something beautiful. It really means I have to believe in myself, even if I want to give up because people are gonna say things and I am gonna have to deal with it.
Colorful and frivolous clothes are my main channel of communication to the world, and they say, ‘Warning, I don’t back down!’ It’s the only language I’m confident at speaking.”
2 Comments
So cool. I wish I had the guts to dress up, too.
So inspiring :)