House Of Style: Laura Jane Grace Talks Transgender Beauty And Style [Video]
Laura Jane Grace is the founder and lead singer of the Florida punk rock band Against Me! Laura came out earlier this year as transgender, a decision that was many years in the making and a story that MTV News and Rolling Stone covered this past summer. We knew we wanted to talk to Laura further about the experience and we were thrilled when she invited us into her home for this episode of House of Style.
The way we see it, fashion can be trivialized. At times, it can be inconsequential, but it can also be overwhelmingly pressing when you consider it a way to express yourself. Especially if the way you want to present yourself is a secret. Not to get all, "In This Very Special Episode of House of Style...", but we thought it was important to talk about what it's like to accept how you want to look (especially when you're torn on how it'll be received) and what it feels like when you go out and do just that.
It's terribly conflicting as an artist. You're a creative person who's compelled to convey your convictions sonically and visually. You love music. You make a band. And despite the humidity of the Florida heat, you spend hours putting your hair up in liberty spikes and painstakingly wearing in your leather vests and filthy jeans. You're already something of an outcast in a state that can skew conservative and that's fine enough. Except you're unable to project your true self, the self with gender dysphoria, the self that identifies as female.
Laura puts her decision simply: "Embrace the truth that's inside of you." She explains her motivations and what came after. We even get to talk to her wife Heather who is badass and supportive. For the record, their kid, Evelyn, is also highly winsome and entertaining. Basically, Laura's entire family was gracious and she invites us on a closet tour to learn about her fashion evolution. We're unsurprised to learn that a lot of the brands and the general vibe of what she wore when she identified as male, is still what she loves as a woman. As such, there's a lot of black. Also, and I never thought about this, but a lot of what Laura wore in the early stage of figuring out her personal style was stuff that she could purchase furtively or outright steal. She talks about how Target dresses were easy to shop for but how she can now splurge on a SICK pair of black wedge Margiela boots. Or a distressed, black Ksubi shift dress. Or an Amy Winehouse for Fred Perry shrunken polo that's just SO her.
There are a lot of style pointers throughout; Laura is a Clinique skincare regimen devotee, as well as a fan of Stella McCartney fragrances. Sunscreen is a must and in a glorious stroke of luck, Laura and Heather share the same size shoe so they're all set. Basically, there's a lot to love in this segment, we hope you enjoy it as much as we loved putting it together. Laura talks about how inspired she's been by the support and the makeup and beauty tips of transgirls out there on the internet and how she wanted to add her voice. We're so grateful that she let us be her platform.
+ WATCH BONUS FOOTAGE OF LAURA JANE GRACE'S BEAUTY REGIMEN
