There was an article in the June 2024 issue of VOGUE that I'd like to point out to you. It concerned the euphoria trans woman Nicky Josephine feels when she dons fashionable clothes and engages i "extroverted dressing."

"I live in New York City, and in Brooklyn and Manhattan, trans girls are going on dates, hanging out in cliques, and dining at all the buzzy restaurants. When I have conversations with other dolls, some have expressed wanting to blend in or appear “stealth”—aka passing for cisgender. While I support a woman’s right to live her life the way she sees fit, I choose to live mine loudly and vivaciously."

"Not to be confused with maximalist dressing, extroverted dressing isn’t about piling it on; it’s more about mirroring your personality and expressiveness in eye-catching clothing."

Nicky Josephine

I get it. While I don't have the opportunity to dress to the nines like New Yorker Nicky (not many galas to glam up for in Washtenaw County), I totally understand where she is coming from. Nothing I do on a daily basis is more self-affirming, more satisfying, than putting on makeup, my wig, and a cute top or skinny jeans or a skirt. Without question, the more feminine I dress, the more euphoric I feel.

While Nicky obviously has the opportunities most of us don't have to dress up, she doesn't hesitate to pull out the high-fashion label styles in her everyday life as well.

"Think bra tops by the likes o fKhaite and Barshai, which I like to style with high-waisted jeans or mini skirts. Naked and sheer ensembles fall in the extroverted category as well; I’m partial to transparent Versace pieces and slip dresses by Marc Jabobs. (The medical costs of transitioning are exorbitant, and you might as well show your body off.) Also, you’ll rarely catch me outside without the aforementioned Manolo Blahnik heel."

Most of us don't have this Carrie Bradshaw-like lifestyle, but in my own way, I have been pushing the envelope more and more. Mesh tops under a black crop top, off-the-shoulder sweaters. Items that accentuate my transition and leave no doubt to onlookers that I'm a woman.

I agree most of all with Nicky's parting lines.

"Trans people have spent most of our lives being told how to behave, speak, and dress. Dressing for you is what’s most important. Whether stepping out in a pair of denim cutoffs you’ve had since high school or a designer dress, if it makes you feel your best, it’s perfect. Gender euphoria manifests in different ways for each of us, but as we step into the light of day, we must do it with a level of confidence that says, 'I deserve to not only be here but to take up space.'”

Tell it, sister! If you got it, flaunt it!

--- Anni