Esri

Hi friends. My name is Esri. I'm a 32yo trans man. I'm autistic, I'm a survivor, I'm resilient as hell, and I’m about to do something I find really hard… I’m about to ask for help. Link in bio! From March, the cost of living in my home is increasing by an amount I simply can’t manage alone. My current home has, in all seriousness, saved my life. It's given me access to consistent stability, safety, and sanctuary in ways I have never experienced before. I'm so scared to loose this, I’m currently working well over full-time to stay homed here, but am barely coping as it is. Working more to cover the increase from March just isn’t possible. I need some support to enable me to work in a way that will sustain me living in my home long term. In true Capricorn fashion — I have a plan that will work. I just need some help this time. I’m an experienced inclusion trainer and facilitator with over 10 years’ experience and consistently strong feedback. I recently created and piloted my own training course: 'Identifying Transphobia & Building Allyship'. The impact was genuinely meaningful, with real changes made within the pilot organisation to improve the lives of trans staff and service users. Whilst I am well connected and already delivering this work in the public sector, my plan is to expand into corporate world, where I can charge appropriately for my expertise. That would allow me to work less, earn more, and stay safely housed — while doing work that actually makes a difference. The problem is that setting this up takes time I don’t currently have, because all my energy is going into surviving month to month. So, I’m asking for help to bridge the gap. I’m hoping to raise £3,000 to cover the £500 monthly increase in my bills for the first six months. This would give me the breathing space to set up my website, market my work, connect with new clients, and begin delivering training in the corporate sector. Once established, this work should keep me in my home long-term! You help will support more than just me! Please donate or share if you can - your support means the world to me!

Hi, I'm Esri (he/him) I'm a queer and trans personal stylist, and founder of GAZE.  GAZE is all about emowerment. Through my work, I support people to use clothes as a tool for empowerment. Finding space to lean into self acceptance and self love - and show up as our true authentic selves (without shame!) - can be hard. You might be surprised how beautifully personal style can offer access to this journey.  Driven by empathy, personal styling services at GAZE are tailored to individual needs, wants and dreams. We work together to discover your personal style: a style that makes you feel uniquely and powerfully you.  For more information, check out my website (link in bio) and DM with any and all enquiries. I also style projects that focus on and empower community, where clothes are a helpful part of storytelling and representation. DM for more information 🧡 #queer #trans #transstyle #queerstyle #queerfashion #transfashion #queeroutfit #transmasc #transmascoutfits #transmascstyle #personalstylist #personalstyling #queerpersonalstyle #queerpersonalstyling #queerpersonalstylist #queerstylist #transstylist #transpersonalstylist #transpersonalstyling

This feels exceptionally vulnerable to share - but through having more conversations on this topic recently I have a strong hunch I am far from alone in these experiences and feelings.  Well, I know for a fact I am not alone in my experiences. A horrifying number of people on this planet experience abuse. Most of the time from people in positions of authority and care over them. There are so many systems (cultural and interpersonal) in place to silence us. I strongly believe this is the case because abusers know that if we all spoke up, if we connected and united in our pain, grief, and rage, we would be unstoppable. We'd be of no use to them any more. Our collective power would destroy the systems in place that so perfectly enable abuse and protect abusers. We would change the world. We would take their power. We would win.  For that very reason, I'm opening up. I refuse to be silent any longer. I know this is risky. I know I need to expect backlash. Especially as a trans man in a world where so many people like to think being trans is a product of abuse and mental ill health. But I know this is bullshit. If you don't, stick around to learn.  I've fought like hell, and very successfully, to get to where I am today. I'm surrounded by safety, love, and softness. I'm scared to break my silence (genuinely terrified) but I know I'm strong, loved, safe and supported enough to do it. I'm immensely grateful and privileged to have found the love and safety I exist in today. I refuse to be the only person who benefits from it. I hope this posts and similar ones to follow will serve and support others.  Together we're stronger. Connected we're braver. United we can seriously change the world. 🧀

So many people want ”The Queer Look” but feel lost when it comes to obtaining it. I'm going share what I think “The Queer Look” actually is. I hope it makes this style more accessible. “The Queer Look" has no rule book. There isn’t set of dictated signifiers (like tattoos, piercings, DMs, badges...) “The Queer Look" is simply the act of choosing to let go of fitting in. It’s the literal materialisation if this act. “The Queer Look” is accepting that you don't fit in, and trusting that that doesn't mean you are the problem. “The Queer Look” is accepting that you don't fit in, and loving yourself so fiercely you survive the consequences. So many queer stories include bullying, isolation, family breakdown, unemployment... Often because we are different. The people who talk of surviving these things, who speak also of queer euphoria and joy, often have “The Queer Look.” If it the look that we want, or the freedom? “The Queer Look” arrives when you decide to stop caring about fitting in; When you trust that not fitting in doesn’t make you the problem; That the problem, really, is that the world that cant deal with different. But you, quite simply, are beautifully fine.

You can't underestimate the courage and power required to keep showing up in the world as yourself, when yourself is someone the world systemically tries to break. I continue to find myself face down on the floor more often than feels humanly possible to endure. But I keep getting up. I forever will. And I'm very lucky to have so much support around me for the moments I get stuck. I don't think any of us can ignore the undeniable necessity of using any and all power we have to support each other to keep existing, and keep existing as ourselves. No matter how many times we find ourselves face down in the dirt, we owe it to each other to keep getting up. We have to keep reaching out for help when we're stuck, and we have to keep an eye out for their others doing the same. #queer #trans #personalstylist

How I dress when the situation demands some conservatism. This is as far as I'll go 😅 #trans #queer #personalstylist

“It's so great to have a framework to make creating outfits so much easier, and the session itself was so fun and affirming! I definitely have lost a lot of the "wardrobe dread" that I used to feel trying to come up with stuff to wear :) ” Feedback, Personal Style Assessment

Think my style has been someone influenced by the "better than usual" representations of masculinity we've been offered recently with Heated Rivalry & Bridgerton 🥲 Also so frigging grateful to have a partner now who not only gives me occasions to dress like this, but bloody loves and celebrates it. Done are the days of being tolerated and struggled with 💁🏼‍♂️ #queer #trans #personalstylist

“I really appreciated how accessible you made the session... it really allowed me to go at my own pace... I appreciated setting little break time alarms... Super helpful. I really enjoyed the way we organised my clothes, it really makes sense to me and my day to day and makes dressing up so much more accessible. It was a really fun day!” Feedback, Personal Style Wardrobe Edit #queer #trans #personalstylist

The greatest gift clothes can give us: helping us to feel at home in our bodies. I'm not a stylist because I like fashion. I'm not a stylist because I like making cool looks. I'm a stylist because I believe style can empower people. An outfit we feel good in can help us find the confidence to make new friends and connect with community, attend a health care appointment we need, go for that job interview, leave the house to get groceries, look in the mirror and smile at ourselves.... So much more. It's not really about looking good. It's about feeling good. Feeling good enough to reach for more and step into what you deserve. #trans #queer #personalstylist

I have to say a HUGE thank you to @avalon.tattoo for my new thigh piece here! I'm very used to using clothes to support my relationship with my body, but I wasn't prepared for how much more love this tattoo would bring to my relationship with my body, as well as just looking really frigging cool! 😁 The experience itself was immensely nourishing and healing. They take so much care, and create a really calming and restorative environment. If you're in the market for some art, you should absolutely book with them. #queer #trans #personalstylist

Really needed that social media break. Anyone coping with life right now.... I don't understand. But we have to learn to cope. We must learn to cope so that we can keep existing and resisting and pushing for change. During my social media break, I replaced scrolling with creating. I went back to something I loved. I started making and editing clothes again. This jacket had been in my wardrobe for years, a beautiful classic trench coat. I never wore it cause it wasn't quite me, but I was obsessed with the material and the print on the lining (now the outside of the jacket). Hours of hand sewing later, I have a brand new coat that empowers me to feel more me and more confident as I step into the world. It also graced me with oodles of dopamine as I hyper focused and slowly revealed my own vision. I don't have a machine. This is all hand stitched. Editing pre loved clothes is also a fantastic way to create your dream style on a budget and sustainably. I highly recommend 😇 #queer #trans #personalstylist