The fashion industry is fast becoming more inclusive towards the non-binary and non-gender conforming communities around us; and 2016 documentary Suited shows just that. At a special screening of the HBO film at Phoenix Arena in Hyderabad, Everett Arthur delves into the emotionally raw and tender moments as his own search for clothing is being filmed.
Having graduated as a law student from Emory University in Atlanta, Everett understands the two very different sides to the coin that is his life. Being dressed accordingly for courtroom environments is key for any practising lawyer, so the 25 year-old found himself in a dilemma when he couldn’t find a suit that fit him after his transition. So he reached out to Suited director Jason Benjamin and everything came into place from there— a connection he calls “serendipitous.”
Suited follows six individuals — Everett Arthur, Grace Dunham, Dr Jillian T Weiss, Daniel Friedman and Derek Matesson — who visit Bindle and Keep, a bespoke tailoring company headed up by Rae Tutera in New York who creates clothing for the LGBTQ community. The documentary is a narrative journey towards the acceptance and consciousness around the basic needs the everyday cisgender person doesn’t really worry about. After all, the typical clothing stencils do not necessarily fit trans bodies, be it at the shoulders, hips or waist. And if fashion exists to customise, why not meld the two? The film has been largely well-received since its premiere at Sundance 2016, where it was nominated for a Grand Jury Prize.
Being on set
The most important thing audiences see is how Suited sees every person coming to a whole new understanding about their body and the way in which they want to present themselves; it’s a liberating journey and Everett is on par. “Being a part of Suited helped me understand that gender is really a spectrum; I think when I first started transitioning, I was stuck to this whole idea of the binary. I feel more freely now to express my gender identity, so if I want to wear a choker one day, I can feel comfortable and free to experiment with that.”
Everett admits there was a particularly raw moment where he tried on the final suit and teared up, marking an integral milestone in his life.
“I think it’s really helpful to find your ‘people,’” Everett starts, “By that, I mean those who love you no matter what. Through the documentary, I connected with Rae, one of the tailors at Bindle and Keep; I think it’s impactful to have people who see you regardless of whether or not you can afford the clothes that represent you. In the documentary, I also talk about my mom not being very comfortable about me being trans, but now she’s really on board and is really supportive. I think one thing that really helped her come to terms is me giving her patience. People are going to get things wrong, but as long as they’re trying I can understand that. One can always see when there’s a maliciousness or a genuine attempt to get a hang of someone else’s gender identity— it’s very different.”
The young lawyer adds that the Suited team remain good friends to this day, having gone on profoundly similar journeys.
Creating an understanding
Everett’s final paper as a law student was around third gender markers in the United States, placing a parallel to the system in India where Tamil Nadu and Kerala have pioneered in trans rights. “It’s a double-edged sword; the similarity is that now a lot of states in the US like Oregon have third gender markers as an option and more states like California are looking to adopt that system. So I examined how beneficial that would be; for many people it’s important to be visible rather than being placed in silos and being ‘othered’ as a result. But there’s the notion of being visible, you are in fact applying a label to yourself.”
The importance of having accurate documentation really struck with Everett, who adds, “When you go to school, it’s not a problem to get your degree, which used to be a problem in India but now that’s obviously changed. The access to basic resources such as schooling should not be so burdensome, and I’m glad that’s changing everywhere.”
