Clothes come out of the closet too!
Coming out of the closet is one of the common phrases we hear in the queer community. Indeed, closeted status is kind of taken seriously by people all the time. Because it is all about opening up to the whole world or a particular group of people, about one's sexual orientation, gender identity, and sexual attractions. Do you know how this phrase formed? It has been revolving in and around the community for a very long time.
We store or keep or pile up our clothes in any kind of closet space regardless of how sophisticated and meticulously designed the particular closet is. It's a place to sort out clothes what to wear when to wear them, and how to wear them. Depending on the occasion, season, and most importantly gender, clothes are segregated in any person's closet. You can give life to a piece of fabric, only when you wear it and you can bring a soul to a particular piece of clothing only when you carry it gracefully, beautifully, and comfortably.
That's how a person who has been hiding in the closet must carry one's self after coming out of the closet. Unfortunately, this is a very hard step for many people. Taking a shirt out of a closet is easier than making a person come out of the closet, sexually, emotionally, mentally, and psychologically.
For some, it starts with the closets and for some, it ends with closets too! Are you the person who has a stock of shirts and trousers, but who crave having the pile of shimmery and glittery dresses in your closet? It's a dream for many effeminate males and boyish females to have clothes in their closets that satisfy their souls and make their bodies comfortable carrying them. To make it happen, a particular person must come out of the closet before dreaming about building one's dream closet with all the dreamy clothes.
Clothes may not play a vital role in a few people's lives but some people are all about clothes and it's completely fine. Clothes sometimes elevate the personalities of people. Do you believe a person to be a drag queen if he wears just a basic tee and a pair of jeans? No, right! We do expect some fashionable outfits with quirky makeup looks to match a particular alter ego of any person. We must accept the fact that clothes, do define our personality in one or the other way.
Especially, in the queer community, clothes are one of the fashion quotients to represent a person, not stereotypically, of course. There is no mandate rule that all gays must sport androgynous fashion. You can find many gays whom, society also entitles "Straight-looking-gay men", just because they choose to wear clothes exactly as every typical straight man wears. Positively and negatively, clothes do have a great impact on every queer person's life.
Accept it or not; a queer person's clothing choices sometimes let the world know his/her/their closeted status. Just compare the fashion statements of an open effeminate gay and a closeted effeminate bisexual man; you will get a clear picture of how the closets rule the queer community. Nothing deeper or stereotypical or judgmental, just a matter of observation to get a clear picture of clothes, sexual orientations, and how they have to be out of the closets.
It's a queer cycle. If you come out of your sexual orientation closet, then automatically, the fashionable clothing of your choice also can come out of your wardrobe. If you hide your sexual orientation, then it becomes a little difficult for you to make some adventurous and experimental fashion choices, especially in countries like India. Do you know how deeply, a man can be judged if he sports the color pink?
Though the lines are getting blurred and though many fashion bloggers, actors, stylists, models, people who can understand the meaning of fashion, tries every single day to erase the stereotypical mindsets regarding fashion, many people in the queer community are still facing fashion criticism. Of course, you don't have to come out, to wear clothes of your choice.
But if you want to execute that, have a strong mind and never give up on your choices, and never get influenced or feel attacked by people's opinions. And most importantly, if you can't come out of the closet, let your clothes come out of the dream closet by sporting your wishful clothes and try to get super comfortable in the clothes, you like to wear. Though you witness blended opinions of people in and around you, slowly you will get accepted and one day, there won't be any need of explaining to people, who you are.
So, yeah clothes come out of the closet too. So, let them come out and help you to come out and explore your orientation more and more. Understand the interlinked aspect of clothing and orientations here. Rest, it's completely up to you to come out of the closet or not! But, it's always good to sport something we love, be it a dress or a personality!
