Clothing Fit Issues for Trans People

Abstract

As many as nine million people identify as a transperson in the United States, yet mass clothing designing and manufacturing do not meet the needs of this consumer group. This research examines the role of fit in ready-to-wear (RTW) clothing using qualitative research methods. 90 transpeople from the United States, Canada, and Ireland participated in interviews and data from interviews were analyzed using line-by-line analysis, resulting in three themes. Theme 1 explored current fit problems with RTW clothing, Theme 2 explored the desire to use clothing to hide parts of the body that did not align with one’s gender identity, and Theme 3 explored the desire to use clothing to highlight parts of the body that did align with one’s gender identity. Findings from this research confirm the assumption that current RTW clothing does not meet the needs of the transperson population and offers areas where designers and manufactures can reassess their methods relative to this consumer group.

Transgender and gender diverse consumers on navigating the stigmatized process of gender affirmation in the Central Plains USA

“…These have been shown to positively impact consumer attitude toward products in the attire product category (Argo and Dahl, 2018). Plus, an update to the current clothing sizing and fit system would greatly benefit TGD consumers (Reilly et al , 2019). It is also suggested that privacy while browsing, gender-inclusive changing rooms, gender-inclusive bathrooms (Platt and Milam, 2018) and gender-inclusive clothing sections (Nelson and Hwang, 2021) would create a more inviting atmosphere.…”

Aesthetic Identity Development Among Trans Adolescents and Young Adults

“…Using NVivo versions 11 and 12, all references to clothing were sorted into a single clothing node, including the broad context around the reference. We first identified major groupings including clothing fit issues (Reilly et al, 2019) and critical first exposures to gender (Catalpa & McGuire, 2020). Open coding procedures (Straus & Corbin, 1990) and thematic content analyses, as well as phenomenological approaches (e.g., delineating units of meaning and clustering units of meaning) noted by Creswell (2007), were used for the two prior papers.…”

“…Dress can be used to facilitate appearing cisgender and reduce probability of others mistaking gender identity (Catalpa & McGuire, 2020). Research has noted that trans people not only use dress to disguise or draw attention away from incongruent body parts, but to highlight other body parts that align with their gender identity and desired gender presentation (Corwin, 2009; McGuire et al, 2016; Reilly et al, 2019). Rubin (2003) noted that at times TNB people desiring to look cisgender may exaggerate their gender performance.…”

“…Prior work has begun to establish the use of dress 1 by transgender and non-binary (TNB) people as a way to develop identity and maintain identity (Catalpa & McGuire, 2020). Research has also examined the concerns TNB people encounter with the fit of clothing when it is designed for mass production with gender-based proportions that may not match an individual’s natural features, such as waist-hip ratio, arm length, and neck size (Reilly et al, 2019). This prior research suggests an underlying philosophy of dress, or belief system about why and how dress could be used to support one’s authentic expression of self.…”

Relationships Between Dress and Gender Identity: LGBTQIA +

“…Finding clothing that enables expression of gender is a challenge for transgender individuals. Reilly et al (2019) in their research with transgender individuals from Ireland, Canada, and the United States found that participants used clothing to express their gender. Similar to Reddy-Best and Pedersen (2015a), these researchers also identified clothing fit as an issue as fit was key to revealing or concealing body parts that were consistent or inconsistent with their gender.…”