Dapper Teddy Bear
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- Dapper Teddy Bear
Leather crafts, watches, outfit documentation, style inspiration, brand recommendations, gender expression. Personal stylist.
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Boston, MA
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Growing Up
Dear Diary/Internet,
I first made a secondary Instagram account last October, my senior year at Wellesley College, thanks to the suggestion of my friend Sam. Since starting college, my interest in classic and dapper menswear that fit my plus-sized female body had grown, and I was finally dressing with confidence.
With the help of my friends, I started making #ootd and #wiwt posts pretty regularly. My favorite outfit was my first navy blazer, jeans, brogue boots, a tie, and pocket square. While this sounds like standard fare for many professional men, I hadn’t been allowed to wear these clothes growing up. Finding clothes that fit my aesthetic, my body, and my budget was a challenge, so I decided to also highlight brands that worked for me or physical stores that were receptive to me shopping in the “men’s” section. Sometimes I faced threats and dirty looks from strangers, especially trying to use public restrooms. The q***r style Instagram community was dominated by white, thin, conventionally attractive people with aloof expressions. Dressing dapper as a plus-sized, Asian American, genderq***r person with a huge smile felt subversive. Plus, I got a lot of compliments.
Fast forward a few months: I got bored. As a student who relied on financial aid and work-study, I couldn’t afford to buy fancy clothes all the time or get every piece tailored. People stopped complimenting me because they got used to my style. When summer hit and the Boston humidity made jeans unbearable, let alone layers, I didn’t feel as confident in my appearance. When I got a job as a community organizer with youth in Dorchester, I knew that I had to learn how to separate dressing well and dressing up. I still love dressing up and looking “fancy” and traditionally dapper, but I get inspiration from a wide variety of aesthetics. There isn’t one way to dress well, look good, q***r fashion, and express gender.
