Plus sized androgynous style.

Friends, I have a problem with the way androgyny is depicted in the media. I've found that depictions of androgyny (much like depictions of genderqueers) are all strangely homogenous. They almost always feature slender white 20-somethings who were female assigned at birth and are masculine of center in presentation. That is not me. That is also not many of the other folks I know who rock an androgynous style.

First off, we're not all genderqueer and we're not all female assigned! I'm a man and my binary gender fits with my corresponding legal sex designation of "male." I don't want to be a woman or a third gender or agender or anything else. I'm down with the struggle, but on a personal level I'm more interested in expanding the "male" gender box to better include guys like me than I am in doing away with gender entirely. I have friends who are essentially my opposite, such as my high school girlfriend who is now happily living as a butch lesbian. [Side note: the reason we did not work out as a couple should be painfully obvious, but she makes an awesome pickup hockey and video game playing buddy.] I also know a smattering of male-assigned genderqueers.

Mykki Blanco, who is a kickass rapper, queer/trans, and openly HIV+ (which takes some serious guts).

Secondly, we're not all white! Off the top of my head I know at least two Chinese genderqueers, a delightfully flaming Chicano, a handful of black studs, a couple black drag queens, two or three black genderqueers, one Puerto Rican drag queen and another fem Puerto Rican male dancer, a few First Nations folks who ID as two-spirit, an Indian cross-dresser, and some gender-fucking mixed raced folks. I'm sure there are plenty more people I know but didn't immediately think of, and a whole lot more people I don't know since I only know a tiny percentage of people.

Thirdly, we're not all masculine presenting. There are plenty of feminine presenting male assigned folks and men - like me. I may be a man, but I love me some nail polish. And scarves. And necklaces. Etc. If androgyny is a gender-fucked or gender-mixed presentation, then a feminine man or male-assigned genderqueer certainly qualifies.

Drawing of a person with a beard putting on lipstick. 

Lastly, we're not all slender. I'm fat. There are lots of other fat androgynous people out there. I know plenty of them. Chubby dandies and big butches and fat drag queens - oh my!

Anyway, all of this is to say: ANYONE can be androgynous. You don't have to be white, skinny, young, or female-assigned, genderqueer identified, or masculine presenting. The whole point of androgyny is to express yourself and those people do not have the market on self-expression!

Cartoon of two people, one fat and one thin, wearing gender bending clothing.
The text says "Clothes have no gender!"

Sooo…

Anyway. I really liked this article. It's nine "plus sized cuties" sharing tips for androgynous style. I like it mostly for the pictures of nonstandard androgynous folks. Some of their tips that I already implement and think are worth reiterating include: shop in every section of the store, alter things to fit you, check out thrift stores, look online for inspiration, and try everything on because things that look "blah" on the rack can look good on you or vice versa.

I'm also excited because the 7th person featured in the article - William "Beave" Brooks - has a very similar gender presentation to me! His style looks like the dressier version of my style. Aka what I'd wear if I could afford blazers or could be bothered to get off my derriere to sew myself some: Look! See?

William "Beave" Brooks looking cool.