Self portraits submitted by over a dozen contributors, taken as part of an ongoing identity project and adapted to the April 2020 pandemic lockdown. Subjects were asked to submit a photo, or series of photos, of themselves in their favorite “T-shirt or button down and favorite slacks” explaining why – a detail, a memory, a feeling.
Hi Camerin,
I just shared a folder of portrait images with you. The images start out with me in a white button down and deep blue jeans (men's, Wrangler for Target. About halfway through I start wearing my shirt buttoned up backwards – I can't remember what I saw that made me start doing this, I just know I've been wearing my shirts like this for years because the fit is better for bigger boobs. I've always been attracted to masculine dressing, but having boobs makes that difficult. I also love the look of a high-neck collar, and simply flipping your shirt around gives you that, too. About the jeans - I started wearing my dad's jeans when I was about 18. They were easily 4 -5 inches too big for me around the waist but I belted the shit out of them and made do. Before I went back to school at the end of the summer, I bought a couple of pairs that fit me better but still were too big. They became my go-to studio/work pants, so much so that I wore through them and cut them into shorts.
The second look is a huge Brooks Brothers shirt that is a hand me down from my coworker's boyfriend'a dad. The cuffs and collar are still starched, which is amazing. I love looking at this shirt and touching it, but wrangling with the volume of fabric can be really challenging. The title for this look that kept circling in my head was "dyke factory".
Best.
ALEXANDRA
Sent from my iPhone it
This is my favorite t-shirt because it's loose (I feel super uncomfortable in tight clothes), and I cut it up myself. And I love a white tee. I have no idea what brand it is either - probably an old Hanes t-shirt. A friend of mine had this super worn in looking t-shirt that had raw edges and this really interesting tear between the collar and where it connects to the body of the shirt. I told her how much I loved how that t-shirt got worn in and she told me she bought it that way and it was a ~$250 t-shirt which I just thought was the stupidest thing l've ever heard. Anyways, I wear this tee when I'm feeling good about my body because it's crop. And I only wear them with high waisted pants because I'm very self conscious about my lower midriff.
The pants I got in Mexico City when I was there with all my best friends. They just fit like a glove. The fact that they're light blue is very off brand for me as someone who usually wears black, white, and neutrals exclusively, but they felt very right. I feel sophisticated and sexy when I wear them.
CHRISTINA, 27
The trousers are new and proper trousers. The shirt has feminine sleeves and a masculine fit/bodice. I am pulled in many directions all the time. This combination makes me feel satisfied that I've touched on all the notes I needed for the day.
MARY, 31
I always hated uniforms until I didn't have to wear one. Growing up I went to private school and never really thought about I wore. They started us early. At 5, I got my first jumper. A jumper is a sleeveless dress; you wear it over a white blouse. The teacher had to remind us to keep our crotch covered when we sat down on the floor for story-time. When we got older the jumper was traded out for a skirt of the same material. It was a heavy cotton, pleated, with a green, white and yellow plaid print. There were strict instruction mandating not only what you wore but how. White shirt must be pressed; always buttoned modestly. There was an option for long or short sleeves. When the time came for a bra, it had to be white, though either way you could see it right through the fabric. Camisoles were encouraged. Skirt was hemmed right above kneecap, and white socks covering ankles.
Shoes could be anthing so long as they were a dark brown leather slip-on with a heel I" or less and only worn indoors. If vou were cold vou could wear white tights (no runs) and a yellow sweater. On Fridays vou could wear crazy socks and a tie.
Last year my mom bought me this shirt. I always thought nobody looked better in a white button down than her. Its been nearly 10 years and at last I've come back around to a unfrom of my choosing. I like my clothes simple and comfortable; I have to move around a lot. I wear this white button down at least once a week. I'll button a button or two, half tucked or not; never a bra. Always pants.
ELYSIA, 27
I'm wearing the softest t-shirt I own which belonged to Mitchell who passed it on to Didi who passed it on to me. I love how it's fading and aging and how it falls/rests on my body. How it's sensitive to my movements. I wear it often and leave it all over my apartment. The sun sometimes hits the neck and the color on a specific spot on the back is beginning to turn pink. It has 3 holes that are slowly growing that I like to look through when I'm putting it on.
I also have on a pair of denim jeans given to me by Didi. In general I've had a lot of trouble finding jeans that I really love but I feel comfortable in these.
I really value the ability to choose what I wear and to decide when and how to wear what I've chosen. It's interesting that some of things I feel most comfortable in have been given to to me by other people that I love… but I guess it's also a way to feel connected to them.
MARS, 26
I love this 4-ply silk button down because it is an undebatable classic.
The covered buttons, extra ease at the sleeve cap, peplum waist, and unfussy collar make me feel like every time I wear it it is undoubtedly 'nice' to anyone judging. Lately I like to wear pieces and shapes in particular in button-downs and t-shirts that feel simple and non-pretentious, so things like this are about as dressed up as I get lately and don't isolate me as dressing "for fashion" - excluding other people from my aesthetic. I would never wear a simple button down with a simple pant and leave it at that though. I think simple things given character with the styling, like with my Calvins or a rugged jean - some sort of antithesis.
FRANCESCA, 27
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This is my #1 favorite t-shirt of all time. My boyfriend gave it to me - It has car graphics that are now so faded. But coincidentally my grandmother is from Stuttgart which is the cars on the shirt. It's just really dear to me - so I think no matter the fit I would love it.
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It's so worn. The hem is raw so it has a nice curl. And the shirt is so boxy it almost looks kimono-esque in the silhouette. A lot of time I also will bunch the shoulders up when I wear it to expose my upper arm which isn't my favorite part of my body but I think a very feminine place to expose.
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I'm particular about how my necklaces sit over my boxier clothes because I do want to come off effeminate even on my shaggier days. Often I will catch myself standing with my hands on my waist to redefine my body silhouette around people when I'm wearing shirts this loose. I love it with suit pants.
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Similar to my button down above, I have really relied on my three-piece suit as an interview, dinner date, anything staple lately. I love that you can't argue with a three-piece suit. It doesn't exclude anyone and sits outside of any fad or trend.
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This one is perfect because I love how the waist on my vest is adjustable so it can actually be really fitted almost corseting. I love it with a basic t-shirt underneath and I always like to scrunch up the shoulders a little bit on my t-shirts below my suit to make it a bit more casual. Also like to play with only buttoning from the top down a few.
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I'm really not a huge button-down person. To me they get really messy really quickly when they are oversized and it's hard to pull off a slim one without looking like a receptionist at a law office. But I do like this one because it's a beautiful color and material.
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And as much as this is not my staple at all, there are some days when you just want to wear an oversized button-down and work pants and not care. But I always button it up to the too and always scrunch the sleeves up as far and taut as possible. And I never button the lower buttons
