From The Editor: Clothing, Hairstyles, Tattoos, So Much More

Fashion and style can be fun and exciting ways to express yourself, but they can also be so much more. The stories in this issue of Lavender show the power of clothing, accessories and more to not only show what you like but also define or redefine who you are.

When we first found a story for this issue discussing fashion’s gender-affirming value, I was delighted. When we found four more, I was overjoyed.

As the Twin Cities and Minnesota continue to grow as a focal point for LGBTQ+ migration, I am incredibly excited to be able to showcase the people and places in our community dedicated to making LGBTQ+ people, and specifically trans and nonbinary people, comfortable, both in their own spaces by creating welcoming and environments and in the broader community by helping to make them feel comfortable and express themselves in full.

I also want to make clear that this issue is far from an exhaustive list of LGBTQ+ fashion and style resources in our community. Twin Cities Pride’s Rainbow Wardrobe, for example, goes without a feature in this issue, but is another incredible resource for those seeking gender-affirming clothing.

Furthermore, these resources aren’t limited to the Twin Cities or Minnesota. Dapper Boi, featured on the cover of this issue, is available nationwide online. And, again, this issue barely scratches the surface of the full extent of available resources.

While fashion and style may seem surface-level, the stories in this issue offer further proof that they are anything but. I hope this issue showcases not only the power of things as simple as clothing or accessories, but also the serious positive impact such simple things can make on the well-being of people, especially trans and nonbinary people, in a time when personal fulfillment and acceptance are increasingly difficult to come by.