Ask Hannah!

I was just wondering how you figured out your femme style? You always look so good in the clothes you pick out for your shoots. Was it a lot of trial and error or did it just come natural?

Also does your boy style have any influence on Hannah’s style?

We discover our style by trying a lot of different clothes.  Which is super fun (and expensive).  When I moved from simply underdressing to actual real clothes, I was drawn more to formal wear and little black dresses.  To me, there was nothing more beautiful than a gorgeous gown and nothing more classic than a little black dress.  The thought of getting dressed up, and I mean REALLY dressed up was so exciting for me.  A beautiful dress, amazing heels, perfect accessories, flawless makeup… the only thing missing was a place to go.  

The more I dressed and the more I left the house the more I became drawn to other styles.  I would never say I dressed casually, but going to the mall in an evening gown really doesn’t work.  I started to wear less formal dresses but dresses that were still cute and feminine.  A feminine dress might seem redundant but dresses that were cute and stylish.  I think you know what I mean.

Once I lost weight and became more comfortable going out, my wardrobe started to reflect my confidence.  Since I also stopped caring about “passing” and accepted that as a six foot tall t-girl I was never going to blend in, I decided to wear whatever I wanted.  These days I love bright dresses, I love eye-catching patterns, I love floral print dresses, I love clothes that show off the parts of me that I love, such as my legs.  

So yes, it was a bit of trial and error (we learn by doing) and a bit of coming naturally.  I started to look at what girls were wearing a little differently and I thought about WHY something was cute.  Sometimes it was the dress itself sometimes it was what she wore WITH dress.  A casual t-shirt and a jean skirt paired with stilettos is really sexy sometimes.  A tight black blouse with a hounds tooth skirt with knee high black boots is an amazing look.  
For me, it takes more than the clothes.  I have to feel comfortable in them, I have to feel confident in them.  Without comfort and confidence the outfit, no matter how cute, just doesn’t work.  For years I was drawn to dresses that had thin, spaghetti straps but I never felt comfortable showing that much skin, especially my shoulders. 

But earlier this year I stopped caring and I bought a few dresses in this style.  Dresses that I never thought I would a year ago suddenly became empowering to me.  The dresses didn’t change, but what did?  I did.  

As a boy I would never say (and no one would say this either) that I have any sense of style.  Most of the time it’s a t-shirt and a pair of jeans.  I work from home (even when we’re not in a global pandemic) so I rarely have to dress nicer than that.  But men’s fashion isn’t that exciting to me.  It never really changes.  There’s really never anything that men wear that I am drawn to.  Men’s fashion is boring and overly practical.  Hannah’s style is in many ways the opposite of what boy me wears.  When I do go into the office, it’s khakis and a dress shirt which is about as boring as you can get.  If Hannah went to the office it would be, well, something like this.  

After a week of boring clothes, it is liberating and exciting to wear something bright, something pink, something fun, something sexy.  I don’t think too much about it, but you bring up a good point.  Hannah’s style might be a reaction or response to days and days and days of boring boy clothes.  When I did go into an office everyday it was always the same shirts and the same three pairs of dress pants.  The options as to what Hannah could wear to work, or anywhere, is endless.

Perhaps Hannah dresses the way she does is because wearing a dress and heels doesn’t happen every day.  If I lived full-time or transitioned would I still wear super cute dresses and heels each day?  Honestly?  Probably not.  I imagine I would have more casual dresses and skirts and more leggings in my wardrobe than I currently do.  As much as I love love love looking super cute it’s a lot of work.  🙂

Love, Hannah

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