Students thrive in fashion and identity – Berkeley High Jacket

“Especially as someone who has struggled with (gender) dysphoria in the past, I don’t feel it anymore,” said T. Walthall, a junior at Berkeley High School. “Being able to dress in a way that I feel comfortable in has affirmed my gender identity and made me more comfortable with my body and who I am.”

Walthall’s casual outfits, featuring bright clothes and make-up accented with blue hair, are objects that illustrate the relationship between gender identity and style.

The fashion world is not perfect. Well armed with dangerous mass production and otherworldly price tags, it’s almost impossible to ignore the ethical and social problems of fashion’s waves. However, while the red flags reflect the color of crimson toxic waste, many still love its creativity and expression. It’s a way for people to express how they feel about themselves. For many BHS students, gender is critical to identity and expression.

BHS junior Simone Strader describes how her relationship with fashion has been a constant source of self-expression in recent years as she grows up. “I think I’ve changed over the years in how I present myself and how I look… It definitely has to do with finding myself and growing and finding my perspective over the years and growing into myself.”

For many, fashion is a convenient and versatile tool for expressing gender identity. It helps to create a positive sense of well-being and reduce gender dysphoria. However, in addition to being a vessel for self-style, fashion can influence how students are perceived and treated by others. Is it different from the days when students dressed in men’s clothes, when they dressed women? The answer is reflected in the stereotypes about sexism, homosexuality and other forms of bigotry that remain in society. For Pele Scher-Levin, a freshman at BHS, being judged by others based on how they dress is a recurring experience.

“Clothing is a big stereotype, so because I’m gay, if I dress more feminine and if I dress more masculine, I might be labeled as gay,” he said. Sher-Levine added that when they dress on the male side, they feel more accepted or respected by men, both on and off campus.

Similarly to Cher-Levine, others have noticed a difference in how they are treated and perceived when they wear more feminine styles. Many have stated that child abuse and rejection is an undeniable phenomenon in our BHS community, and both are most visible in women’s clothing.

Walthall explains that they focus on masculinity and femininity and try to express their queerness instead.

“No matter what I’m dressed as, I’m definitely treated as a woman,” Walthall said. “Even though I dress very masculine, people still think I’m a woman… It’s a queer identity that I go for… It’s an important part of how I present myself.”

For many students across the gender spectrum, fashion allows them to express who they are. How people interpret their looks is another story, but at the end of the day, Sher-Levine always “wears what fits me best with who I am.”