Beauty & Fashion

Behind the Seams: Extra-Long Jam-Packed Edition

Kate Sloan

September 28, 2021

My mom’s birthday was just days after my book’s release day, and I had to travel to New York to do the launch event, so I wanted to take her out for a special one-on-one meal before I left to make it up to her.

We went to Mezes, a fabulous restaurant in Toronto’s Greektown area. My family and I lived in Greektown for about 25 years, so Greek food was a big part of my childhood and always feels nostalgic to me. Chicken souvlaki skewers with tzatziki, a Greek salad heaped high with feta, and some roasted potatoes = possibly the ideal meal. (I’m clutching my leftovers in a to-go box in one of these photos – can’t let any of it go to waste!)

My mom has a fun, girly sense of style so I usually like to dress cute when I hang out with her. She looked cute as hell too!

What I’m wearing:

• Pink cashmere sweater – J. Crew
• Black T-shirt underneath (unseen)
• Black bandage skirt – Suzy Shier
• Black leggings – H&M
• Pink metallic cowboy boots – Jeffrey Campbell
• Raspberry-pink crossbody bag – Coach
• Black KN95 mask (these have become my absolute faves for my everyday pandemic needs; a good nose wire is crucial for someone with a formidable schnoz like mine)

October 3, 2021

mb picked this outfit for me for a date night involving incredible omakase sushi followed by a stand-up comedy show at the Beauty Bar. A friend-of-a-friend was performing and we wanted to support them.

It’s a really wild venue – like a dive bar decorated by rockabilly drag queens. But the bartenders were friendly, the atmosphere was good, and the show was delightful.

mb and I were wearing matching outfits, and we sat in the front row as we often do, so pretty much every comedian on the bill made a joke or two about our matchy-matchy vibes. The hazards of sitting in the front row, am I right?! (I’m kidding – it was all in good fun.)

What I’m wearing:

• Orange skater dress – American Apparel, vintage via eBay
• Black cashmere cardigan – the Gap
• Black leggings – H&M
• Black leather harness boots – Frye
• Key to mb’s chastity cage on a chain
• Raspberry-pink crossbody bag – Coach

October 12, 2021

This was what I wore on my book‘s release day! I spent most of the day frantically posting things about it on social media, answering questions about it, etc. and also recorded an episode of the Bed Post podcast with the inimitable Erin Pim.

The actual book launch party wasn’t until the following day, so I had RSVPed “yes” to a party being thrown by the sex toy brand Womanizer at the Jimmy, a beautiful rooftop bar. The company was celebrating its seventh birthday by inviting a bunch of sex media VIPs to mingle over cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. I get invited to this type of event semi-regularly but often have to decline because of geography (i.e. not always being in NYC or LA) or health (i.e. being chronically ill and sleepy as fuck), so it was fun to actually get to go to one!

At the party, mb and I sipped martinis and chatted with several New York media people. I had a copy of my book in my bag and mb kept finding excuses to show it to people and brag about me 🥰

The brand very generously sent us home with (among other things) an Arcwave Ion, which mb had been dying to try. If you’re curious and want a preview of what my eventual review will say, listen to the latest Dildorks Patreon bonus episode!

What I’m wearing:

• Green velvet dress – H&M
• Black cashmere cardigan – the Gap
• Black leggings – H&M
• Key to mb’s chastity cage on a chain
• Coach Station crossbody bag – vintage on eBay many moons ago

October 13, 2021

In pondering what I might want to wear to my book launch party, I scoured online stores for dresses in the colors of the book cover, black and gold… but eventually I remembered that I already had a dress in those colors! This beaut was a gift from my cousin and his girlfriend a couple Christmases ago and it was perfect for the occasion: classy, sparkly, and pretty.

The launch itself was soooo much fun! I will eventually write a whole post about it once I get the photos back from our photographer that evening, Ashe. I read some passages aloud from the book, did some kinky demos with mb and Bex, and sold + signed copies afterward. There were tons of fascinating, lovely people there, all of whom I was so honored had come to my little event. Thanks so much to mb, Bex, Ashe, and the KGB Bar for helping me put the whole thing together!

Also, doesn’t mb look stunning?! Navy velvet is so perf on them.

What I’m wearing:

• Black & gold dress – gift
• Black tights – Hue
• Black leather harness boots – Frye
• Sparkly red heart necklace – Tarina Tarantino (at one point during the evening this was removed from my neck so mb could use it as a pendulum for our hypnosis demo – it’s a multi-use item!)

October 16, 2021

October is “Locktober” in the chastity community – many chastity kinksters get locked up for the entire month (with breaks as needed for hygiene and maintenance etc.), often also blogging/posting about their experiences. This year was mb and I’s second time doing it. It wasn’t always easy, particularly since dominance requires more energy from me than I generally have these days, and I was dealing with work stress (i.e. my book launch) on top of some health issues, so I wasn’t able to be as responsible and focused a dominant as I would have liked. But it was still a fun opportunity to try new things, gain confidence in domination, and assign cute tasks to my partner that make us both happy.

Some of those tasks were related to financial domination, i.e. consensually “forcing” them to buy me things. One night, when they had given me the green light for findom, I gave them a slow, teasing handjob to almost the point of orgasm and then informed them that they’d have to buy me this bag if they wanted to be allowed to come. (I’d had my eye on it for quite a while…) Naturally, they succumbed, so now, the bag is mine! *maniacal domme laughter*

I wore this out to Rocco’s Steakhouse for dinner. Their service is always impeccable and their food is A+. Would recommend.

What I’m wearing:

• Red dress – Winners years ago
• Black leather jacket – Danier Leather
• Black leather harness boots – Frye
• Pink chevron-stitched Coach Rogue bag – vintage via eBay, a gift from my love (the all-black version is also gorg)

October 17, 2021

My partner and I have had many, many, many conversations about gender – which makes sense, given that they’re nonbinary, we’re both bisexual, and I write about sex/kink/love/gender issues for a living. We were recently discussing our gender expressions and whether we feel like they fully reflect our gender identities, and I said that I’m comfy presenting as a mega-femme like 95% of the time but there is another 5% of the time when I crave dressing like a dirtbag teenage boy, basically. mb told me that they would still find me attractive AF if I leaned more into that side of my style, and while I knew that, it was still good to hear.

This was my first time wearing a new pair of jeans I’d just bought at Madewell. It was an experiment in boyishness for an outing to a casual local omakase place. I think the experiment was very successful!

What I’m wearing:

• Dark blue T-shirt – Forever 21
• Tapered vintage-wash high-rise jeans – Madewell
• Black leather harness boots – Frye
• Coach Station crossbody bag – vintage on eBay
• Key to mb’s chastity cage on a chain
• “101 Kinky Things” snapback hat – custom-made on Printful.com

October 24, 2021

Every so often, when I’m in New York, I like to check out the Museum of Sex to see what they’re up to. They were recently running a Betty Dodson exhibit, and Betty is a legend in the realm of sex-positive feminism, so I knew I had to check it out.

mb and I went together and spent a few hours perusing the entire exhibit as well as the others on offer. We saw so many things: vulva paintings, robots fucking, up-close masturbation videos, cunnilingus sketches, a Whack-a-Mole-esque game involving jerking off dildos in a fake bathroom stall, and lots more. Should you ever find yourself in New York, I would recommend putting the Museum of Sex on your itinerary, if just because the sex shop in their lobby is as well-curated as the museum itself!

What I’m wearing:

• Purple “The Morning After” T-shirt – Threadless (I am normally somewhat squicked by both vomit and clowns but for some reason this shirt fills me with glee)
• High-rise jeans – Madewell
• Black leather jacket – Danier Leather
• Black leather harness boots – Frye
• Coach Station crossbody bag – vintage on eBay
• Key to mb’s chastity cage on a chain
• Apple Watch on a rainbow striped band

October 29, 2021

I was feeling truly uninspired when trying to come up with a Halloween costume (I mean, I’m in my late 20s during a pandemic, so maybe that’s par for the course). But I had recently re-watched The Notorious Bettie Page, a perennially inspiring biopic of the late great pinup model, and had felt (as I always do when I watch that movie) a pang of desire to cut my hair into her signature style. I just don’t have the energy to iron my bangs pin-straight on a daily basis, though, so I figured it made more sense to dress as her for Halloween.

Bettie doesn’t really have a signature outfit, per se – her most famous photos show her in everything from lingerie to bikinis to fetishwear to leopard-print bodysuits. So I decided to keep it classic and wear the type of sexy black dress she would’ve worn, paired with some period-appropriate heels and, of course, this terrific wig. I don’t know if anyone really knew who I was at the house party we went to, but whatever, I felt and looked cute as hell!

What I’m wearing:

• Bettie Page wig – a brand called Difei on Amazon (it came with a wig cap and a pair of false lashes!)
• Black wiggle dress – Grace Karin (the same brand that made my wedding dress, incidentally)
• Black mary-jane pumps – J. Adams (surprisingly comfortable)

Behind the Seams: Kinky Things & Karaoke

Kate Sloan

August 7th, 2021

I wore this to the post office to ship a few copies of my book to various heroes of mine who’d agreed to blurb it (some of whom’s blurbs are on the book’s website now!). The whole reason I got dressed up ‘n’ dolled up was that I wanted to shoot some photos with the books before I sent them off. Being surrounded by copies of a book you wrote is a rush unlike any other!

As a side note, if those of you who buy my book would like to post some saucy selfies with it on Instagram using the hashtag #101KinkyThings, that would delight me beyond measure.

 

What I’m wearing:

• Pink ribbed crop top – Forever 21
• Pink bralette – the Gap
• Black bandage skirt – Suzy Shier
• Black leather flats – J. Crew
• Tote bag – Her Highness
• Blue leather collar – L’Amour-Propre
• Black KN95 mask
• Tom Ford lipstick in “Cherry Lush”

August 11th, 2021

Rocking those rockabilly vibes. I wore this to record an episode of Question Box and then to go out for a solo meal at my local pub. Bandanas are ideal for days when I simply cannot be bothered to style my hair.

At the pub, I sat reading a book on my Kindle, as I almost always do when I go on a solo date anywhere. On this particular day I was re-reading Under the Dome, my favorite Stephen King novel and maybe my favorite novel, period. It’s so apocalyptic and chaotic a story that revisiting it took my mind off the chaos of our actual real-life world.

This was also the anniversary of one of my worst breakups, a day that makes me feel oddly sad every year even though it happened ages ago. Always good to combat feelings of dread, anxiety, and depression with a cute outfit!

 

What I’m wearing:

• Black and white gingham romper – MeUndies
• Red bandana – possibly the Black Market years ago
• Black leather flats – J. Crew
• Pink leather Coach Cashin Carry tote
• Rouge d’Armani matte lipstick in “Lucky Red”

August 16th, 2021

Been feeling like a tomboy sometimes lately, or at least feeling more in touch with the gender-agnostic aspects of my queer femme style. Snapback hats make me feel like I’m embodying the androgyny of all the hot queers I had crushes on in high school!

I put on this semi-athletic outfit to record a podcast episode and then to walk down to the harbor and back (about a 30-minute walk each way), something I often do when I need to clear my head or just stretch my legs. When I got there, I sat on a bench by the water and read a book for a while, occasionally taking a break to people-watch or to text with friends. What a blissful afternoon!

 

What I’m wearing:

• Teal and purple “Think Positive” snapback hat – MaruHats on Etsy
• Red button-up tank top – the Gap
• Black leggings – American Eagle
• Turquoise/pink/purple Nike sneakers – a gift from my love
• Pink leather Coach Cashin Carry tote
• Apple Watch with rainbow band – inherited from my spouse
• Floral-print mask – an Etsy seller

September 16th, 2021

Speaking of snapback hats… I ordered this absolutely perfect custom-stitched one, featuring the title of my book, from Printful.com. Originally I went on there hoping to order a mug with the title on it instead, or perhaps a face mask, but then I saw that they offered this type of hat and was instantly sold. It was probably the most expensive hat I’ve ever bought ($43.50 including tax and shipping), but it was so worth it – I feel cute as heck in it and wearing it makes me into a walking billboard for my own book!

I wore this to (once again) go for a solo meal at my local pub. (They are always so happy to see me there. I love being a regular!) I was reading Gala Darling’s book Hologram Heart, which is a thoughtful and dreamy analysis of the various ways in which our past patterns and traumas shape our behavior in relationships, and how we can break out of those old cycles in order to form healthier and more harmonious connections with people we actually like. Gala is, as ever, brilliant and inspiring!

 

What I’m wearing:

• “101 Kinky Things” snapback hat – Printful.com
• Blue T-shirt – American Apparel
• Black skirt – ASOS
• Black leather Frye harness boots
• Blue leather Keith Haring Coach Rogue bag – gift from my love
• Black KN95 mask
• Revlon balmstain in “Sweetheart”

September 17th, 2021

My mom invited me over to sip cocktails and hang out, and specifically told me to wear my new hat because she wanted to see it in-person, so I did. This was an ideal outfit for lounging around in her garden, martini in hand, while we caught up on each other’s lives.

Later that night, we watched a movie she wanted to show me, called Stalked by My Doctor: Patient’s Revenge. It was really goofy and broad, the way that Lifetime movies so often are, but it was entertaining in its own way, and (spoiler alert) had a surprisingly feminist subplot involving women conspiring together in order to bring down a problematic man.

 

What I’m wearing:

• “101 Kinky Things” snapback hat – Printful.com
• Purple floral-print dress – H&M
• Turquoise bralette – Aerie
• Black leather Frye harness boots
• Revlon balmstain in “Smitten”

September 18th, 2021

One more outfit with this hat… for now, anyway…!

I wore this to go out to karaoke with my friends Dan and Sarah. Karaoke was one of the last activities the three of us did together before the world shut down in March 2020, so it was surprisingly emotional to return to it now that we’re all vaxxed. We were really excited to see our favorite karaoke hostess Elyse again – she brought the house down by beginning the evening with a mesmerizing rendition of “Wild Horses.”

I sang “Bouncing Off the Ceiling” by the A-Teens, a dependable bop. The bar had put safety measures in place such as sanitizing everything between singers and requiring that we each used our own “mic condoms” (i.e. microphone covers) when we went up to sing. We were specifically told, “No dancing in the aisles! Only dance in your seats!” but, well, people were pretty excited to be at karaoke again, so that rule wasn’t followed too stringently…

 

What I’m wearing:

• “101 Kinky Things” snapback hat – Printful.com
• Green tank top with rainbow triangle – bought from Tegan and Sara’s merch table at Pride several years ago; if I’m not mistaken, this design is by Emy Storey, Sara Quin’s ex-wife and long-time collaborator
• Black skirt – ASOS (I really wish I had bought more of these, I wear this one so much)
• Black leather Frye harness boots
• Coach Rambler bag in “hibiscus”
• Black leather jacket – Danier Leather

Behind the Seams: Summer Adventures

Kate Sloan

June 30, 2021

My beloved and I had plans for a long-distance date, i.e. I go to a bar/restaurant in Toronto and they go to one in New York, and we talk on the phone throughout. I was in a good mood that day, and felt like getting a li’l dressed up, with false lashes and all.

I went to my local British-style pub to sit on their patio. They’ve had a pineapple mezcal margarita on their menu lately and it is a divine drink to sip in summer while on an outdoor phone call with one’s far-away love. ❤️

A pro tip if you are intrigued by the idea of this type of long-distance date: I have found it helpful to wait until after I’ve ordered my food/drink to start the phone call, mostly so that I can explain to the server what I’m doing and let them know it’s 100% okay to interrupt me while I’m on the phone because it’s not, like, a business call or anything. Oftentimes they even think it’s cute once I fill them in!

What I’m wearing:
• Yellow dress – H&M
• Yellow/pink striped silk scarf – probably thrifted at Value Village
• Toy Story-print mask – an Etsy shop
• Pink leather crossbody tote bag – Coach
• Black leather ballet flats – J. Crew (surprisingly, they are holding up much better than my previous pair, the Carson style by Frye, of which I have destroyed TWO pairs just by going on lots of walks every summer)
• Blue leather heart-ring collar – L’Amour-Propre
• Apple Watch with rainbow striped band – a hand-me-down from my spouse
• Sugarpill “Saint” false lashes (the same style I wore on my wedding day!)

July 10, 2021

I was recently asked to be an interviewee on a TV documentary that will be airing on the CBC called The Great Canadian Sex Survey. This was the day I went to their rented studio space, the Darling Mansion, to be interviewed on camera. They wanted to talk to me specifically about asexuality and the ace spectrum, but we also touched on a number of other topics during our ~2-hour interview, from masturbation to sexual shame to finding eroticism outside of sex.

I showed up with frizzy hair and a naked face, because I knew they had a hair and makeup artist on set. She introduced herself when I arrived – her name is Vanessa Baudner and she’s a delight – and we chatted away while she styled my hair and gave me, at my request, winged eyeliner and a bold lip. (The lip is not pictured because she hadn’t put it on yet when I took this selfie.) It had been years since anyone but me had done my makeup – what a relaxing treat!

I thought this red dress captured the “professional, but fun” vibe I hoped to convey in the documentary, but they had also asked me to bring some alternate wardrobe options in solid colors. As it turned out, we were filming in a room with red and gold wallpaper, so they thought a different color would pop better; I switched this one out for a blue dress I’d brought, which looked great with my red lip. I’d been worried about seeming socially awkward upon being thrust onto a film set with a crew of about 7-8 people, but it was actually a super fun day!

What I’m wearing:
• Red dress – bought from Winners many years ago to wear to a wedding rehearsal dinner; the brand is Monteau
• Black leggings – H&M (the sound tech guy was confused by these at first but the waistband ended up being a great place to attach the machinery needed to run my clip-on microphone)
• Black leather Frye harness boots
• Blue leather heart-ring collar – L’Amour-Propre
• Canvas tote bag packed with extra outfits and makeup – Her Highness
• Black KN95 mask

July 13, 2021

This was my new cane‘s maiden voyage. Having never used a cane before (except for possibly as a prop in some high school drama scenes?!), I wanted to practice the coordinated motions involved in walking with one. Before researching it, I didn’t know, for example, that you’re generally supposed to use the cane on the side opposite your weak/sore/injured side. Thanks, random mobility-aid educators on YouTube!

I walked around my neighborhood for about 20 minutes, practicing syncing up each step with the cane and moving some of my weight over onto it to alleviate the pain in my left knee. I wore headphones because I was (perhaps slightly irrationally) worried people would loudly comment on my cane, ask me questions about it, etc., but I don’t think anyone did. By the end of my walk, using the cane felt much more natural than it had when I started. Yay!

What I’m wearing:
• Navy “making it happen” T-shirt – Forever 21
• Black bandage skirt – Suzy Shier many years ago
• Black leather Frye harness boots
• Pink leather crossbody tote bag – Coach
• Blue leather heart-ring collar – L’Amour-Propre
• Black KN95 mask
• Chrome-plated blue wooden cane – Fashionable Canes
• Bright blue Cowin E7 headphones – a gift from a fan of mine who is a headphones fetishist

July 22, 2021

Unfortunately I didn’t think to take a full-body photo of this outfit, but this is what I wore to attend a movie theatre screening of Bo Burnham’s Inside with my friend Dan. It was my first time being in a cinema since before the pandemic – pretty weird!

After weighing numerous outfit options relevant to the film – including wishing I owned white overalls and trying to decide whether cosplaying as the “Welcome to the Internet” guy would be feasible – I ultimately settled on an ensemble inspired by one Bo wears in his song “White Woman’s Instagram.” True, it’s not quite as striking as seeing a 6’5″ male comedian wearing nothing but a plaid flannel shirt shrugged off one shoulder, but it’s something!

The audience at the screening was much more subdued than I had expected. No singalongs or hands waving in the air. It was still a fun time though!

What I’m wearing:
• Green/blue plaid flannel shirt – the Gap last fall; I think this was the first time I’d ever actually worn it?!
• Black modal slip dress – Calvin Klein Sleepwear (I love that this nightgown is outdoors-appropriate and layers seamlessly under anything)
• Blue lacy bralette – Aerie
• Black leather Frye harness boots
• Blue leather heart-ring collar – L’Amour-Propre

Behind the Seams: Queer & Kinky

Kate Sloan

June 15, 2021

I received a last-minute tip via Twitter that there was a second-dose vaccine clinic set up way the hell over in the west end of Toronto, so I basically threw some clothes on and hopped in an Uber. I’d dressed up for my first dose so decided to dress up a little for this one too. It was a celebratory occasion, after all!

The line ended up taking over an hour, but it was fine because I had anticipated this possibility and brought my Kindle with me. I stood in line reading Don’t Call It a Cult, one of the best pieces of reporting I’ve ever read about a cult – in this case, NXIVM, the weird-ass Albany-based “self-improvement” cult that involved strange sexual rites and a whole lotta lies. Interesting stuff. I almost kinda wanted the line to last longer so I could read more of it!

The nurse who gave me my vaccine commented that the “I got my COVID-19 vaccines!” sticker being distributed actually matched my dress perfectly. Awesome.

 

What I’m wearing:

• Green velvet dress – H&M
• Black leather Frye harness boots
• Coach Rambler crossbody bag
• Silk heart-print mask – a sweet gift from my friend/roommate Sarah
• Apple Watch with rainbow pride wristband – hand-me-down from my spouse

June 18, 2021

I’ve been trying to go on more walks lately, which is hard because of my depression, anxiety, chronic pain, etc. – but I definitely find it easier when I can wear a cute outfit!

This was my attempt at a slightly “athletic” ensemble, or at least one that wouldn’t cause me to feel overheated or overburdened while I trekked down to the lake and back.

During my walk, I listened to the cancel culture episode of You’re Wrong About, a cleverly nuanced podcast episode that I wish everyone on the internet would listen to. Mike and Sarah basically expressed all my exact opinions on the subject.

 

What I’m wearing:

• Black spaghetti-strap crop top – American Apparel (isn’t it cute??)
• Black leggings – American Eagle
• Turquoise/orange/pink/purple Nike running shoes – a gift from my love
• Coach Rambler crossbody bag
• Toy Story-print mask – an Etsy shop
• Apple Watch with rainbow pride wristband

June 20, 2021

I wore this to go stay at my parents’ house overnight. My mom had not seen Bo Burnham’s Inside yet and wanted to because I would not shut up about it, so I came over and watched it with her on her big-screen TV. Even after multiple viewings, it holds up, IMO. (And the songs will not get out of my fucking head.)

I tend to throw on a pencil skirt on days when I’m feeling shitty about my body but still want to show it off. They make me feel like my curves are fetching and foxy, which they are, tbh.

 

What I’m wearing:

• Black crop top – Forever 21, I think?
• Black pencil skirt – American Apparel
• Black leather Frye harness boots
• Canvas tote bag – Her Highness (it has a cute red heart on it)
• Black KN95 mask
• Lock & key necklace – my partner’s chastity key + an engraved lock from L’Amour-Propre + a chain from Roma
• Apple Watch with rainbow pride wristband
• Goodbye Honolulu baseball cap – gifted to me by my mom because she thought it looked good with my outfit (indeed it did)

June 24, 2021

I think I feel more able to “dress gay” during Pride month, which is silly. I’m a freelancer who works from home! I’ve been out as bi for 14 years! I can dress as queer as I want to, any time I want to, and I should!

I had just rediscovered this hat at my parents’ house and taken it home with me. I bought it from MaruHats 6 years ago (!) and have never really felt all that confident wearing it, despite thinking it’s fly as hell. I like that it has a hole in the back, through which I can thread my ponytail for some cute sporty vibes, but (as some of my Instagram followers pointed out when I mentioned that wearing it was giving me some Weird Gender Feelings), I think wearing my hair down is best with hats like these because that way I feel more femme. Anyway, it’s hard to feel masc in a heart-print romper, so there’s that, at least.

 

What I’m wearing:

• Heart-print romper – MeUndies
• Turquoise and purple “Think Positive” snapback – MaruHats on Etsy
• Coach Rambler crossbody bag
• Black leather Frye harness boots
• Apple Watch with rainbow pride wristband
• Black KN95 mask

June 26, 2021

Literally within a MINUTE of finding out that KinkAcademy had made a T-shirt that says “queer & kinky” in rainbow text, I had purchased one. It feels like I was made to own it. Wearing it out into the world proved a bit nervewracking, as it is not exactly a subtle garment in its messaging, but it was Pride weekend so I felt okay about it.

I wore this ensemble to walk over to the Aesop store on Queen Street West, where they were doing a Pride-week promotion: they had removed all the Aesop products from their shelves and stocked them instead with books by queer authors from the Glad Day Bookshop, and every customer was invited to choose one book to take home for free. What an utterly inspired thing to do for the queer community!

I ended up leaving with a copy of Fierce Femmes and Notorious Liars: A Dangerous Trans Girl’s Confabulous Memoir by Kai Cheng Thom. I adore Kai Cheng’s advice column on Xtra and knew I’d like this book of hers too. I took it with me to a local pub patio for dinner, and it kept me company while I sat and soaked up the summer sun.

 

What I’m wearing:

• “Queer & kinky” T-shirt – KinkAcademy’s Redbubble shop
• Black skirt – ASOS
• Turquoise and purple “Think Positive” snapback – MaruHats on Etsy
• Blue leather collar – L’Amour-Propre
• Hot pink Coach tote
• Black leather Frye harness boots
• Apple Watch with rainbow pride wristband
• Black KN95 mask

Behind the Seams: Vaccine Queen

Kate Sloan

May 16, 2021

A while ago, I read an article about people getting dressed up for their vaccinations. This idea immediately resonated with me: I love dressing up for things and find that it helps imbue events with extra significance for me. The ritual of assembling my femme ensemble helps me feel more put-together, centered, and prepared.

Shortly after reading that article, I wrote a poem about why it would feel emotionally impactful to wear something cute to a vax appointment. I won’t share it here because I’m waiting to hear back about potential publication, but one of the things I wrote in the poem was that I wanted to wear a leopard-print dress to show I was still wild after a year+ of captivity. On the day of my actual first dose, I hovered in front of my closet, trying to decide which dress would be best, and then I remembered that poem as my eyes alit on this leopard-print dress. Of course! It was the natural choice.

I got a lot of compliments on my look as I waited in line outside the clinic. I hadn’t realized, until people started commenting on it, that I’d inadvertently adorned myself with multiple rainbow hearts. The nurse who gave me my shot complimented my pen and pencil tattoo. Overall, a wonderful day.

 

What I’m wearing:

• Leopard-print skater dress – American Apparel, via eBay
• Black KN95 mask layered under a Pride heart mask from Threadless
• Red sparkly heart necklace – Tarina Tarantino
• Rainbow heart prescription sunglasses – Zenni
• Pink leather Cashin Carry tote – Coach (a findom gift from my love)
• Black leather harness boots – Frye

May 27, 2021

My psychiatrist told me recently (as he’s told me many times before) that I should try to go on more walks. “I always tell my patients to do that,” he said, “but recently I took some time off and started going on daily walks myself, and wow, it really makes a difference!” Unfortunately for my lazy ass, he’s right.

My dominant asked me what they could do to incentivize me to take more walks, and after pondering it a bit, I replied that I thought they should put “take a walk” on my to-do list on days when my workload seemed lighter, and provide a small assignment to do on the walk, something specific to photograph. I felt that would give me motivation, momentum, a goal.

It’s been working out well so far. I wore this outfit on a nice springtime walk with the intention of photographing a statue, for example.

 

What I’m wearing:

• Pink ribbed tank top – the Gap
• High-waisted skinny jeans – Madewell
• Pink cowboy boots – Jeffrey Campbell
• Pink leather Cashin Carry tote – Coach
• Turquoise Toy Story-print mask – an Etsy shop
• Hair in pigtails because it’s long enough to do that now!

May 31, 2021

This was my last day at my social media dayjob (which I call a dayjob purely out of habit; at the point that I decided to leave, it was only taking up 3-5 hours a week and bringing in ~7% of my income). In the pandemic age, I find it’s extra difficult to celebrate successes. You can’t invite your friends to go for a pint and clink your glasses together over what you’ve achieved, or take a mini-vacation as a reward for a job well done. So I asked my partner what they thought I should do to commemorate entering the land of the fully self-employed, and they suggested I order a bottled cocktail from Civil Liberties, my favorite bar.

I went online and ordered a double serving of the Call Me Maybe, a yummy drink involving grapefruit juice, fennel, fino sherry, and tequila. Then I decided to walk all the way to the bar – about 45 minutes – because it was a beautiful day. I think this was the first time I’d worn a crop top outdoors in nearly a year. Yay, spring!

 

What I’m wearing:

• Royal blue crop top – Forever 21, I think?
• Black A-line jersey skirt – ASOS
• Black bike shorts (worn underneath to help with chub rub) – American Apparel
• Red socks – the Gap
• Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 37 sneakers in teal – a findom gift from my love
• Pink leather Cashin Carry tote – Coach
• Black KN95 mask

June 2, 2021

Feeling in touch with my femmeness has been challenging this past year. I think that as much as my inner angry feminist often wants to snarl “I don’t dress up FOR YOU!!” there is nonetheless an element of my aesthetic that doesn’t feel worth performing if there’s no audience for it. Gender and style are both concepts that have an inward component as well as an outward component, and that outward one is hard to reckon with during a pandemic.

I put on this sweet floral dress to go buy some limes and mint so I could make a fave summer cocktail, the Southside, when having drinks with my friend/roommate Sarah later that night. We may not have been able to go sit on a pub patio or hang out at a cocktail bar, but I was determined to make our indoor lives feel summery and celebratory nonetheless, dammit.

 

What I’m wearing:

• Black/white/pink floral dress – CowCow
• Black leather Frye harness boots
• Pink leather Cashin Carry tote – Coach
• Black KN95 mask

June 3, 2021

Comfiest “outfit” ever. Sometimes I attempt to make my loungewear ensembles look aesthetically pleasing and intentional (as opposed to the times when I just throw on an oversized T-shirt from some rock concert of yore, pair it with underwear and fuzzy slippers, and call it a day).

I had recently reorganized my T-shirt drawer and resultingly rediscovered a bunch of shirts I forgot I owned, like this black cropped tank top, which is an essential item for when I want to feel summery but also goth.

 

What I’m wearing:

• Black ribbed cropped tank top – Forever 21? H&M? Not sure
• Black modal lounge pants – the Gap
• Tie-dye Bombas ankle socks – a gift from mb’s mom