A Fashion Statement: fighting restrictive gender norms

Rayyan Zein they/them

Expressing creativity had always been a difficult task for me. Although having a surplus of imagination, I was lost on how to apply my creative thinking in a productive way. It felt as though my mind was an encaged bird, desperate for freedom.

However, through my fashion, I have found one of the greatest ways to express myself.

Although regularly receiving peculiar looks from others, I take great pride in my appearance. The most important thing to me is my jewelry. I dress in excessive amounts of chains, rings, earrings, and bracelets. These accessories often hold meaning, such as a ring passed down to me belonging to my greatgrandmother, as she is the primary inspiration for my fashion.

In addition to my jewelry, I find pleasure in wearing makeup. Although I am not very talented at it, applying something as simple as blush or eyeliner significantly boosts the confidence I have in my appearance.