Art of Transliness

Fashion Friday!

This week’s Fashion Friday is brought to you by Ro!

Levis 510 (super skinny) Jeans ~$80

Lumberjack socks (Walmart) ~$12

Timbaland boots ~$200

Nike SB plaid shirt ~$45

Jean Jacket (Forever 21) ~$40

Maroon Jacket ~$80

I live in Winnipeg, Canada – and it can get pretty cold here, which sucks for everything except for fashion. Layering is a great way for trans guys to appear more masculine, by disguising your chest. It also allows you take layers off and on when needed, which is nice since wearing a chest binder can alter your temperature a lot throughout the day.

Fashion Friday

Hey all, it’s Adrian, one of your moderators of AOT and it’s my turn to do this week’s Fashion Friday! This week you can purchase this entire outfit at Kohls for under $80 (minus the shoes).

This is an outfit that I wore to work on Monday. It’s quite simple but could work both in a semi-formal work setting or a coffee date or class. I buy most of my clothes on the cheap and shop off the clearance rack whenever I can.

From the top down I am wearing:

A Marc Anthony sweater from Kohls. His clothing line seems to be tailored to a trimmer smaller body-type which works out perfectly for those of us trying to find clothes that fit a smaller frame while avoiding the little boys section. The bottom of the sweater is cuffed, which makes the body of the sweater billow-out, concealing my hips and making my frame look larger. This sweater is from his 2011 line, and I have recently found it in this cream color off the sale rack for $20. I also own it in black.

You can check out his entire collection here.

A close up of the front breast pockets. This is a solid-knitted cotton sweater, but the pockets make it interesting, and the shawl-neck makes it formal in the right context.

Underneath the sweater I am wearing a cheap blue and white vertical-striped button down. These can be found anywhere and do not need to be name brand. I exclusively wear this button down under sweaters, as it doesn’t fit me perfectly well, but no one knows any better when it’s worn under something else. I believe this particular shirt was made by urban pipeline, also a Kohl’s brand.

The pants are a Dockers D1 Slim-Fit, specifically the “Alpha Khaki Slim” navy pant that I bought at JCPennys. You can find these pants at many stores including Kohls, JCPenny, Macys, DockersOnline, Nordstrom, or online on Amazon. This is the most expensive piece of the whole get-up but I personally believe there’s no price to pay for a pair of pants that fit perfectly. I’ll wear these for years.

A closer-up of the blue and white striped button-down, the and waist of the pants. The belt I am wearing is a multi-brown toned leather braided belt with gold buckle. I wear this belt with everything, you can find one for probably $20 at any department store. These braided leather belts are pretty timeless and go with pretty much anything.

The shoes I am wearing are the Clarks Originals - Jink Oxfords, Chesnut Suede color. These are extremely simple and lightweight shoes. I worn you though, they are suede and they are not by any means water or snow-proof. Walk through a puddle or in the rain and you’re socks will get wet I assure you. That being said,  these are still my favorite shoes, they’ve got a super low manmade crepe sole and can be worn even in the warmer weather without socks. And since they are Clarks, you can be sure they will last for a long time.

If you have any questions about any of the pieces in this outfit, send us a message! If you would like to participate in our weekly Fashion Friday post, message us!

10 Common Myths About Medically Transitioning

*This post is most applicable to people in the United States, but can be useful to others who reside elsewhere*

1) Only an endocrinologist can write you a prescription for testosterone.

Why this is wrong: Your family doctor as well as your OB-GYN can also write you prescriptions for testosterone. Remember testosterone is a controlled substance, so in most states nurses cannot give authorization for testosterone, but basically any doctor can.

2) Insurance companies will not cover the costs of your medical transition.

Why this is wrong: While many Insurance companies do not cover the costs of medical transition, SOME do. This is something to ask your insurance company about. Zak’s testosterone is partially covered by insurance, for instance, while his top surgery was not covered at all. Adrian’s testosterone and surgeries (top and hysto) were both covered by insurance and they will also cover bottom surgery. Call your insurance company and ask if they specifically exclude transgender healthcare under your policy.

3) You cannot write off and claim deductions on your medical costs for tax purposes. 

Why this is wrong: Ever since the ruling in favor of O’Donnabhain v. Commissioner on Feb 2, 2010. Transgender individuals could begin claiming transition related medical deductions on their taxes. These transition related medical treatments include mental health therapy, hormones, and surgeries (they may not allow breast augmentations for MTF individuals due to their statement that estrogen allows breast tissue growth so an augmentation would be cosmetic). [From Ryan Sallans]

4) You have to be diagnosed with “GID” to get a prescription for testosterone. 

Why this is wrong: You do not need a formal diagnosis with “informed consent” which is now clinically acceptable across the United States as well as internationally as the Standards of Care have been updated to its most recent version, version 7.

5) You cannot have top surgery without having been on testosterone prior to your surgery date.

Why this is wrong: Many guys that we have known personally have gotten top surgery before being on T or have had top surgery without ever being on T at all. There are surgeons out there who will perform top surgery on guys who have not started or do not plan to start testosterone. It is no longer a requirement as the standards state that physicians should comply with the standards as individualized as possible and according to the patient.

6) Your body fat will not redistribute until you lower it to less than 4%.

Why this is wrong: Only in extreme cases will this prompt the stubborn fat to redistribute. Most guys experience the redistribution within the first 6months-1year on testosterone, and attribute the redistribution to testosterone. This is why many top surgeons performing the keyhole/peri procedure like to have their patients be on testosterone for at least 6mos before the surgery to have the fat redistributed and have the best results. Even so, some guys never lose fat in historically feminine places.

7) Top surgery and other gender-conforming surgeries are cosmetic.

Why this is wrong: It’s pretty plain and simple, both the American Medical Association along with the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) and many others view transgender healthcare as medically necessary and non-cosmetic.

8) You no longer need gynecological exams once you start testosterone.

Why this is wrong: You need to get these check-ups as long as you have the parts they are checking up on! With these organs/parts you are still prone to all general medical issues concerning them, plus others as a result of long-term testosterone use. Get these exams done every year starting when you’re 20 or when you begin having sex!

9) You can put excess testosterone cream/gel topically on places that you want to masculinize i.e. your face for facial hair growth or your dick for downstairs growth.

Why this is wrong: The gel may be applied topically, but it works systemically so applying it somewhere for extra changes isn’t going to work. Testosterone does not act on local tissues, it is an endocrine hormone that is transported throughout the body via the bloodstream, it is an entire-body drug. 

10) You must go to a gender therapist in order to get surgery or hormones.

Why this is wrong: Gender therapists are actually just regular therapists who call themselves gender therapists either because they have experience with trans* patients or usually work with trans* patients, it is NOT an official title. Any therapist with a proper license (in the U.S. this means a Licensed Mental Health Practitioner L.M.P.H., a Ph.D., an M.D., and a D.O.) can write your letters for testosterone and surgery. Most, if not all, surgeons require a therapists letter of some sort, but not all places that prescribe hormones do (ask your doctor or clinic what their requirements are to see). Some physicians will accept letters from people with other degrees.