Showing up as yourself, every day
Across individuals and identities, fashion becomes a tool for queer expression, resistance and being seen
Story by Anijah Polo
Photos by Peter Demonte
Published April 7, 2026
Each morning, Ezra Kikue Cook treats getting ready as a creative project. For Ezra, a sophomore at Western Washington University, fashion has become both an armor and a means of expression as a queer person.
“I've thought a lot about the sort of person I want to be and how I want my look to reflect how I feel on the inside,” they said. “This is a huge influence on the consistent effort I put into my personal style. Dressing up as I do is radical self-care and a bold statement to everyone I interact with.”
As a transgender person, Ezra is part of the broader tradition of queer people using fashion as an outlet for self-expression. While fashion has long served as a tool for personal identity across communities, it has offered queer individuals a way to assert themselves and push back against oppression, especially during times or in spaces where acceptance was limited.
“I am a firm believer in the power of embodiment and the magic that is self-actualization,” Ezra said. “When I dress in ways that excite me and bring me a sense of wholeness, I carry myself stronger. I am armored and confident. When I carry myself stronger, I live a fuller life, and I make a bigger impact.”
This form of expression spans across generations of queer people, particularly queer people of color, whose influence can be seen in street style and even in the most prestigious fashion houses. But its significance runs deeper than aesthetics. For many queer people, fashion is a statement made without words, and a way of being seen without asking for permission.
Troy Roberson
(Left) Roberson holds their glasses and wears color-coordinated gauges and accessories. Roberson said they love using accessories to bring a look to life.
(Center) Roberson lifts their shirt to reveal sparkly waist beads. “My aesthetic reflects my identity,” Troy said. “Who I am and who I want to become are things I try to express through my style.”
(Right) Roberson wears a red rhinestone oversized Ed Hardy shirt. Roberson said they adore how red looks on them and the way it makes them feel.
Jack Fox
(Left) Fox kneels, holding her hair up. Fox said she loves vintage-style clothing and makeup.
(Center) Fox brushes her hair while kneeling next to her purse. “I love how dressing up for the day can feel kind of magical, like a spell or something,” Fox said. “I try to wear the feelings I want to invoke on a certain day. Clothes affect my mood a lot.”
(Right) Fox stands and poses with the purse her boyfriend gifted to her. She said her personal style is flirtatious, moody and contrasting.
Sol Wilborn
(Left) Sol Wilborn looks directly at the camera with their hand on their hip. Wilborn accessorizes with swirly septum jewelry and brown glasses.
(Ceter) Wilborn holds a light brown fur shawl over their shoulders. On Wilborn’s eyes, they wear bright green and purple eyeshadow to match their shirt and jewelry. “My personal style shines like my soul, like my gender, like my footsteps on this planet. So grateful to be here to be me and be sexy,” Wilborn said.
(Right) Wilborn lies down and rests their hand under their chin. Their fingers are adorned with silver rings, and ears with large, flat hoops with a faux animal skull.