Hi, I’m Tess

I help queer and trans folks learn how to express a more expansive version of themselves through personal style!

I believe in the importance of personal style as a means of self expression!

What we wear often gets deemed “surface level” - but it’s so much deeper than that! How we choose to adorn ourselves is one of the first things that other people notice about us. It’s one of the first ways we have of saying “this is who I am!”

Here’s the truth about gender nonconforming fashion though:

As queer and trans folks, we often have a MUCH harder time finding clothes that fit both our bodies and our gender identities. The fashion world was not designed with us in mind. Trying to navigate the binary world of retail and fashion can be triggering and emotionally draining. I know. I get it. 

AND…

  • It is possible to have a joyful relationship with your closet

  • It is possible to build a wardrobe full of clothes that fit your body on your terms, align with your gender, and make you feel amazing

  • It is possible for getting dressed in the morning to feel easeful

This is what I know is possible:

Ready to learn how?

my journey

My own understanding of my gender queerness (I identifty as trans non-binary) actually started with my relationship to clothes.

I remember the first time that I felt uncomfortable because I was wearing a dress in public. This was a new feeling - I had worn plenty of dresses before.

But the truth is, I was teased as a gender nonconforming kid. So I learned how to conform to gender norms and pass as cisgender, doing it so well that I even convinced myself - thus ending up in my mid-twenties with a closet full of dresses and a sudden, unexpected but very clear feeling that something was not right.

I followed the feeling, which led me on a journey of self-discovery, eventually coming out as non-binary, and simultaneously rebuilding my relationship to fashion and rebuilding my wardrobe to fit who I now know myself to be. 

my style philosophy

I’m not here to help you chase trends, or to give you fashion rules to follow. If you found your way to my page, you’re probably already a rule breaker - or at least you know that the rules and guidelines you’ve been given aren’t working for you. You probably also see the ways that fashion trends fuel consumerism, leading to more waste and the ever-present feeling of “not enough-ness” that capitalism is designed to make us feel. F*ck that! I believe in the power of clarifying your own unique personal style and building a wardrobe full of pieces that make you FEEL amazing, and that you are going to want to continue wearing for years to come.

Welcome to anti-trend fashion!

I’m not just a style coach…

I’m also a weirdo artist who spends a lot of my time building large scale art installations, creating monster costumes and performance art pieces with my partner and creative collaborator Dicapria.

I’m also a martial artist with a green belt in Kajukenbo - a mixed martial art form that was created in Hawaii in the 1940s.

I’m also a garment sewist and clothing designer who makes a lot of my own clothes.

I’m also a wannabe interior designer constantly making upgrades to my colorful home.