QUEER TAILORING
Hors Sujet offers free bespoke suits to vulnerable trans and GNC individuals. It does so by using profits generated from bespoke tailoring sales to pay for the costs of materials and labour needed to make these garments.
The garments are constructed as part of a paid internship (click here to learn more), by queer fashion and costume students who are facing hardship.
The beneficiaries of this service are individuals who are encountering financial and/or housing insecurity relating to their gender identity, and who would otherwise find it difficult to access vital gender-affirming clothing.
WHY DOES OUR WORK MATTER?
In order to explain why our queer tailoring is important, let’s have a look at what clothing means for trans and GNC people:
The way we dress is an important method of expressing who we truly are. Being able to take clothing on and off allows us to make daily decisions about how we express our identities and how we present and find comfort in our bodies. When we see other people out in the world, one of the first things we notice about them is how they’re dressed. Clothes can tell us a lot about someone, including their gender.
In a gendered society, specific clothes, silhouettes and fabrics often hold gendered attributes - for instance a traditional suit might be seen to signal masculinity, while a dress might be seen to signal femininity. For some trans and GNC people, embracing or distancing themselves from these gendered attributes is an important part of expressing their gender identity through clothing. Wearing clothing that makes trans and GNC people feel comfortable in their bodies and identities can be hugely affirming, and help to tackle gendered discomfort and distress, also known as gender dysphoria.
However, finding clothes that feel right is not always easy for trans and GNC people. On the one hand, gendered sections in clothing shops are not always accessible, and a trans or GNC person might be nervous about how they would be treated if they went into that area of the shop that is right for their gender. On the other, once they got in there, they might find that none of the clothing is right for their body, particularly if they are at an earlier stage in their transition. In addition, formal clothing, including suits, can be very expensive. Given that trans and GNC people are more likely to experience financial hardship than others, they may be simply unable to afford clothing that feels right for their identity and their bodies, and which makes them feel good.
Our queer tailoring service encourages individuals to express their gender by providing them with clothing designed and cut to reflect their identities.
WHAT ARE THE STATS?
For trans and gender nonconforming individuals, affirmative changes can be life-saving and yet they are often forcibly suppressed with serious consequences :
In the last year alone, two thirds (65 per cent) of trans people have been discriminated against or harassed because of being perceived as trans. Over a third (35 per cent) avoid expressing their gender through physical appearance for fear of being assaulted, threatened or harassed.
(FRA LGBT Survey 2012)
Two in five trans people (40 per cent) adjust the way they dress because they fear discrimination or harassment. This number increases significantly to half of non-binary people (52 per cent).
(Stonewall Trans Report 2018)
Almost half (48 per cent) of trans people in Britain have attempted suicide at least once; 84 per cent have thought about it. More than half (55 per cent) have been diagnosed with depression at some point.
(Trans Mental Health Survey 2012)
As far as affirmative changes one can make, clothes can be a relatively simple yet crucial one. They have the flexibility of being put on and taken off easily and as desired, and only in situations and places one feels comfortable. Our queer tailoring can therefore enable individuals to feel gender euphoric whilst also allowing them to express their identities safely.
WHY IS THIS SERVICE FREE?
It is far more common for a trans or GNC individual to find themselves in financial or housing difficulty compared to the general population:
A quarter of trans people (25 per cent) have experienced homelessness at some point in their lives.
(Stonewall Trans Report 2018)
Three in ten trans people (29 per cent) who accessed social services in the last year experienced discrimination.
(Stonewall Trans Report 2018)
One in four trans people report having been discriminated against at work.
(FRA LGBT Survey 2012)
One in eight trans employees (12 per cent) have been physically attacked by colleagues or customers in the last year.
(Stonewall Trans Report 2018)
Trans and GNC people are among the most marginalized people in the UK. Family rejection of LGBTQI+ youth, challenges in accessing homeless shelters and services, harassment and discrimination by housing providers, and widespread discrimination in employment (which can make housing unaffordable) all contribute towards this phenomenon. Our queer tailoring service specifically targets individuals who are encountering financial or housing difficulty, and who would otherwise find it difficult to access vital gender-affirming clothing.
THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO READ THIS PAGE. IF YOU WANT TO SUPPORT OUR WORK, WHY NOT CONSIDER HORS SUJET FOR A BESPOKE TAILORING COMISSION AND HELP MAKE LIFE BETTER FOR AN LGBTQI+ PERSON?
