Hey, I Like Your Style! Jackie Zhou on trans-masc fashion and finding joy in clothes
IMAGE VIA @COWBOYDEPOPP/ INSTAGRAM
AS TOLD TO FASHION JOURNAL
“Slightly cropped T-shirts, accessorising and upcycling clothing have made menswear much more fun.”
We know personal style is a journey (I’m looking at you, Tumblr years) and our series Hey, I Like Your Style! dives into the fashion psyche of our favourite creatives. We’re talking the good, the bad and the 2007.
While the internet has made our fashion icons feel closer than ever before, even the most effortless of outfits came from a closet with some (well-dressed) skeletons. Clickable product tags, photo archives and lives chronicled in 30-second clips just don’t tell the full story.
For more fashion news, shoots, articles and features, head to our Fashion section.
There’s a brilliance behind the way we choose to express ourselves, and at FJ, we know every outfit has a story. This week, we’re taking a look inside the wardrobe of Melbourne writer and all-around creative, Jackie Zhou.
For Jackie, personal style has become an important way to explore identity, gender and sexuality. Since graduating high school, Jackie eagerly took to Depop. “Not having that much money but being invested in fashion was a torturous dilemma, so I purchased a lot of brightly coloured pieces that I found I couldn’t style,” he says. “Nowadays, I’m trying to sell them to help fund my top surgery.”
Though he initially found menswear monotonous and restrictive, Jackie says he’s since found inspiration from trans men and gender-diverse people in his social circles. “I was initially very inspired by a friend who upcycled clothes into masculine silhouettes while retaining a fun and whimsical energy, which I rarely associated with menswear.”
Learning to sew and upcycle clothing has long been an important skill for the trans community, explains Jackie. “From drag to general, everyday clothing, making clothes that were never initially thought about for bodies like ours is a way of taking power back through fashion.”
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Fashion Journal: Hi Jackie! Tell us about yourself and what you like to wear?
Jackie: I’m primarily a writer and warily an artist, model and a generally creative person based in Boonwurrung Land in Melbourne. I survive off the money I make as a barista while studying my (hopefully) last year of Journalism at Monash. I’m hoping to work in spaces that value community building and creation when I graduate. I’m honestly just going with the flow at the moment!
What has your style evolution looked like?
I think I only ever grew out of my shell and explored who I was after I graduated high school. Although I loved experimenting with colour as a teenager, I felt perpetually tied down by my guilt when I purchased clothes with money from my parents, so when I started gaining my own money, I went nuts.
I bought everything that looked interesting to me before slowly understanding that sustainability wasn’t just about eco-consciousness, it was also about longevity. All clothes are handmade and my current personal belief is that clothes should be an investment.
My exploration of self, gender and sexuality has always been expressed through my style. Fashion has always been more than just clothes, it’s about the social, political and cultural climate someone is in and how they internally process that in tangent with their own identity. In any case, my style was very erratic and unorganised – often categorised by a mishmash of colour, pattern and whatever individual pieces I found cute at the time (shoutout 2016 Dangerfield) – before I slowed my purchases down and invested in pieces I only really loved.
My general style consists of historical inspirations with both Chinese and Western influences, occasionally with a dash of vampire-esque chic. I’ve recently been inspired to try and upcycle my clothes, or to make my own through crocheting and knitting. I was never good at sticking to a hobby but some recent kits from Knitato caught my eye so I’d love to save for one and start knitting again!
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Personal style is a journey. Have you ever felt like you needed to fit into a particular fashion box?
In my evolution of style, I’ve also found that my confidence in myself and who I am comes and goes. Having so many stylish friends now, I’m constantly inspired by my peers who have a similar passion for self-expression. But I’m also pressured to present a certain way because of my trans-ness.
I’ve realised as I’ve gotten older, that just because I’m trans-masc doesn’t mean I have to denounce my femininity entirely. I can have a different, more evolved relationship with it that feels purposeful and chosen, rather than naturally enforced through intrinsic social roles.
I always found it tricky to present more masculine because I have an internalised belief that menswear is boring. From MET Gala black and white tuxedos to a sea of plaid button-ups and jorts, I had seen menswear as being restrictive and monotonous. I always love having fun playing dress-up, so the unvaried nature of the menswear I was exposed to never appealed to me. However, being surrounded by other trans men and gender-diverse people has inspired me to have more fun with it and to start thinking about silhouettes. Slightly cropped T-shirts, accessorising and upcycling clothing have made menswear much more fun.
I was initially very inspired by a friend who upcycled clothes into masculine silhouettes while retaining a fun and whimsical energy, which I rarely associated with menswear. Sewing and learning to make clothes is and always was such an important skill for the trans community – from drag to general everyday clothing, making clothes that were never initially thought about for bodies like ours is a way of taking power back through fashion.
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Take us back to those awkward teenage years. Do you have any fashion regrets?
Absolutely! I went crazy on Depop as a teenager. Not having that much money but being invested in fashion was a torturous dilemma, so I purchased a lot of brightly coloured pieces that I found I couldn’t style. Nowadays, I’m trying to sell them to help fund my top surgery.
But I do regret having a very individualistic mindset when it comes to fashion instead of having a style that I gravitated towards. I just bought whatever looked interesting and rarely ended up wearing anything because it wouldn’t go with anything else in my wardrobe.
What are the most expensive and least expensive items in your wardrobe?
My least expensive items were the ones given to me for free by friends and my mother. My mum threw out a lot of her clothes because she never thought any of her children would be interested in them, so looking back on her older photos always makes me a bit sad. After all, she truly had some beautiful pieces from the ’80s when she was a teen. However, the piece that did make it I treasure with my whole heart.
I’m getting tighter with my budget as I currently live paycheck to paycheck, but occasionally I do invest in pieces I love. The most expensive pieces I own are from Abigail Designs. I just adore the colours, patterns and shapes of the bloomers she makes. I currently have three pairs and I wear them all very regularly! I also have a tie from Not Just a Label made entirely from stainless steel that put a dent in my wallet.
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What fashion piece are you saving for right now?
I’m currently saving to invest in some Hanfu sets, like the ones from Nuwa Hanfu. They always have really beautiful garments that make me feel confident in myself and connected to my roots. This set donates all its proceeds to the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, so I’ve got my eye on it. I’m also saving for the Spider Pants from Karlaidlaw.
Who are your favourite local designers?
A lot of my friends are really awesome and beautiful designers. The joyful eccentricities of Darcey Burch, the elevated sophistication of Rubee Hay and the whimsical playfulness of Alice Wang all constantly inspire me and I’m truly so lucky to be surrounded by such dedicated and talented women.
I also love shopping from Waxy Apples Vintage, they have a great curation of different designers every time I go in. Right now, I’m eyeing Eager Glory for upcycled masc styles.
Keep up with Jackie here.
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