I’ve always had a rough relationship with fashion as a trans person, but after being on T that has finally changed for me!
This idea came to me hard and fast and I pushed everything else aside to get it out of my head as fast as I could. Everyone has their own vision of fashion and what others “think” they should wear, but that vision changed a lot for me after I came out, and then again when I started hormones which really helped me lean into a nicer style than graphic tees all the time.
Thanks for coming with me on this fashion journey!.
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↓ Comic Transcript
Page 1
“Enemies to Lovers with Fashion” a comic by Jey Pawlik is done in cool textured colours with mint greens, teals, pinks, purple and grey. Jey is a nonbinary person with a chubby built and ages through the course of the comic.
A young Jey and their Fashion counterpart stand in a room covered in pink frilly femme clothes, there’s a big fancy green door behind them. Young Jey yells “I don’t want to wear any of these clothes, Fashion!”
In contrast to young Jey’s graphic tee and comfy sweatpants and their hair pulled back in a simple ponytail, Fashion (who looks just like Jey) is all dolled up in a pink frilly dress with a bow in their curled hair. Fashion replies “You’ll look more presentable though.”
Young Jey says “They’re—they’re just what other people think I should wear.
Fashion asks “What DO you want to wear?”
Jey yells back “I don’t know, but none of these” before running through the big fancy green door saying “I’m fed up with all this. I’m getting out here.”
Fashion follows behind them while saying “Wait, that’s not the exit!”
Young Jey and Fashion find themselves in a brightly lit closet with pink clothes on either side of them. Jey asks “Whoa, what is this place?”
As they walk, Fashion explains “This is the Eternal Wardrobe. Every piece of clothing that’s ever existed is hung up within. The only wait out is to find an outfit that feels like you.”
Jey looks nervous and replies “Oh.” bluntly.
Page 2
Jey and Fashion have grown a bit while walking through the wardrobe, both around 17 now. Fashion and the background have changed to a purple hue. Fashion is wearing a fancy little dress with their hair straight and down to their shoulders. Fashion makes a pose and says “How about your prom dress? You looked really great in it!”
Jey, with messier shoulder length hair, wearing a green hoodie and a plain black shirt. Jey interrupts Fashion with “I hated it. I tried SO hard to please people—but I was miserable.”
The scene changes hues again to blues. Fashion and Jey now have much shorter hair with bangs and small glasses. Fashion is wearing dark skinny jeans, an argyle sweater vest and a bowtie. They say “Hm, okay! Remember when you came out and started wearing vest and bowties?”
Jey, wearing a green graphic tee, is hugging themself gently while replying “I was just… experimenting. Those ended up being a little too loud and quirky for me at the time. I tend to be really shy when it comes to my clothes. So I just went back to my usual plain outfits like –”
They gesture to their graphic tee and jeans with a “THIS” pointing at them.
Jey continues “It’s just easier, comfier and as a trans person…”
There’s a pause.
“…safer.”
Fashion, in the background, asks “Do those make you feel good though?”
Jey looks away and is a little forlorn. They respond “Not really. They don’t make me feel, well, anything.”
Page 3
The scene changes to grey, where Jey and Fashion have aged up again and have even shorter hair with bigger glasses. Jey is wearing a plain black t-shirt with dark jean, and Fashion is wearing a light-coloured polo with black slacks.
Fashion jumps ahead of Jey within the wardrobe and says “Let’s find you something then! Clothing that makes you feel something. ANYTHING!”
Jey retorts with a concerned expression “I dunno… it’s kinda scary to break out of what I’m used to.”
Fashion points at Jey with a big grin and says “You thought the same thing about T, remember?”
Jey responds “Oh! That’s true.”
Jey, now with a little bit of facial hair, says “I could just… find clothes that look nice and that I like?”
Fashion says “YES!” excitedly.
Fashion puts their hand on Jey’s shoulder and points at Jey’s torso while saying “And now that you’re on T, you’re starting to feel better about your body, right?”
“I am, yeah.” Jey replies.
Fashion continues “Your body is changing and fat is redistributing. It’s the PERFECT time to find clothes that match that feeling!”
Jey smiles and says “You’re right!”
Page 4
Jey grabs Fashion’s hands in theirs and says with a sweet smile “I want to find clothes that match how I feel about my body now! I want to feel good in the clothes I choose. I want to find my fashion! Will you help me out, Fashion?”
Fashion smiles and says “Of course, let’s go try on some clothes!”
Fashion gestures to a venn diagram and says “Okay! What if we combined: comfy, safe, nice, and makes you feel good?”
Jey “hmmms” about it for a moment.
The venn diagram to the right shows four circles overlapping, each circle with text in it: comfy, safe, nice, and feels good. The middle of the venn diagram asks “What would that look like?”
Jey thinks about the clothes they think that might match all of those at the same time. Comfy cardigans, linen pants, off-white button ups, big cozy patterned socks.
Jey comes to a realization suddenly “OMG, I think I want to dress like a gay Hobbit.”
Page 5
Over a dark background the two chat and try on clothes together. Fashion says “Okay, we can work with that! Take some pieces from the hangers. Here, I’ll hold them for you.”
Jey says “Maybe this, and this? This is… actually kinda fun! Oh, is that the exit? Did we do it?” with a crack of light shining through the darkness.
The two make it out and show off their new outfits. Fashion is wearing a brown fedora with a brown suede jacket, button-up, black slacks and brown Chelsea boots. Jey is sporting a brown flatcap with a handmade crocheted cardigan with little skulls on it, a yellow textured shirt under, with forest green wide legged linen pants and casual brown walking shoes.
Jey says “We made it out!”
Fashion excitedly replies “Wow, you did it and I love your statement piece!”
Jey says “Thanks! I was thinking… maybe I can do a little louder now that I’m feeling more confident.”
Fashion puts their hand on Jey’s shoulder and asks “How do you feel in your new duds?”
Jey smiles widely and says “I feel good and I feel like ME!”
“Enemies to Lovers with Fashion” a comic by Jey Pawlik was transcribed by Jey Pawlik on May 22nd, 2026
“Enemies to Lovers with Fashion” a comic by Jey Pawlik is done in cool textured colours with mint greens, teals, pinks, purple and grey. Jey is a nonbinary person with a chubby built and ages through the course of the comic.
A young Jey and their Fashion counterpart stand in a room covered in pink frilly femme clothes, there’s a big fancy green door behind them. Young Jey yells “I don’t want to wear any of these clothes, Fashion!”
In contrast to young Jey’s graphic tee and comfy sweatpants and their hair pulled back in a simple ponytail, Fashion (who looks just like Jey) is all dolled up in a pink frilly dress with a bow in their curled hair. Fashion replies “You’ll look more presentable though.”
Young Jey says “They’re—they’re just what other people think I should wear.
Fashion asks “What DO you want to wear?”
Jey yells back “I don’t know, but none of these” before running through the big fancy green door saying “I’m fed up with all this. I’m getting out here.”
Fashion follows behind them while saying “Wait, that’s not the exit!”
Young Jey and Fashion find themselves in a brightly lit closet with pink clothes on either side of them. Jey asks “Whoa, what is this place?”
As they walk, Fashion explains “This is the Eternal Wardrobe. Every piece of clothing that’s ever existed is hung up within. The only wait out is to find an outfit that feels like you.”
Jey looks nervous and replies “Oh.” bluntly.
Page 2
Jey and Fashion have grown a bit while walking through the wardrobe, both around 17 now. Fashion and the background have changed to a purple hue. Fashion is wearing a fancy little dress with their hair straight and down to their shoulders. Fashion makes a pose and says “How about your prom dress? You looked really great in it!”
Jey, with messier shoulder length hair, wearing a green hoodie and a plain black shirt. Jey interrupts Fashion with “I hated it. I tried SO hard to please people—but I was miserable.”
The scene changes hues again to blues. Fashion and Jey now have much shorter hair with bangs and small glasses. Fashion is wearing dark skinny jeans, an argyle sweater vest and a bowtie. They say “Hm, okay! Remember when you came out and started wearing vest and bowties?”
Jey, wearing a green graphic tee, is hugging themself gently while replying “I was just… experimenting. Those ended up being a little too loud and quirky for me at the time. I tend to be really shy when it comes to my clothes. So I just went back to my usual plain outfits like –”
They gesture to their graphic tee and jeans with a “THIS” pointing at them.
Jey continues “It’s just easier, comfier and as a trans person…”
There’s a pause.
“…safer.”
Fashion, in the background, asks “Do those make you feel good though?”
Jey looks away and is a little forlorn. They respond “Not really. They don’t make me feel, well, anything.”
Page 3
The scene changes to grey, where Jey and Fashion have aged up again and have even shorter hair with bigger glasses. Jey is wearing a plain black t-shirt with dark jean, and Fashion is wearing a light-coloured polo with black slacks.
Fashion jumps ahead of Jey within the wardrobe and says “Let’s find you something then! Clothing that makes you feel something. ANYTHING!”
Jey retorts with a concerned expression “I dunno… it’s kinda scary to break out of what I’m used to.”
Fashion points at Jey with a big grin and says “You thought the same thing about T, remember?”
Jey responds “Oh! That’s true.”
Jey, now with a little bit of facial hair, says “I could just… find clothes that look nice and that I like?”
Fashion says “YES!” excitedly.
Fashion puts their hand on Jey’s shoulder and points at Jey’s torso while saying “And now that you’re on T, you’re starting to feel better about your body, right?”
“I am, yeah.” Jey replies.
Fashion continues “Your body is changing and fat is redistributing. It’s the PERFECT time to find clothes that match that feeling!”
Jey smiles and says “You’re right!”
Page 4
Jey grabs Fashion’s hands in theirs and says with a sweet smile “I want to find clothes that match how I feel about my body now! I want to feel good in the clothes I choose. I want to find my fashion! Will you help me out, Fashion?”
Fashion smiles and says “Of course, let’s go try on some clothes!”
Fashion gestures to a venn diagram and says “Okay! What if we combined: comfy, safe, nice, and makes you feel good?”
Jey “hmmms” about it for a moment.
The venn diagram to the right shows four circles overlapping, each circle with text in it: comfy, safe, nice, and feels good. The middle of the venn diagram asks “What would that look like?”
Jey thinks about the clothes they think that might match all of those at the same time. Comfy cardigans, linen pants, off-white button ups, big cozy patterned socks.
Jey comes to a realization suddenly “OMG, I think I want to dress like a gay Hobbit.”
Page 5
Over a dark background the two chat and try on clothes together. Fashion says “Okay, we can work with that! Take some pieces from the hangers. Here, I’ll hold them for you.”
Jey says “Maybe this, and this? This is… actually kinda fun! Oh, is that the exit? Did we do it?” with a crack of light shining through the darkness.
The two make it out and show off their new outfits. Fashion is wearing a brown fedora with a brown suede jacket, button-up, black slacks and brown Chelsea boots. Jey is sporting a brown flatcap with a handmade crocheted cardigan with little skulls on it, a yellow textured shirt under, with forest green wide legged linen pants and casual brown walking shoes.
Jey says “We made it out!”
Fashion excitedly replies “Wow, you did it and I love your statement piece!”
Jey says “Thanks! I was thinking… maybe I can do a little louder now that I’m feeling more confident.”
Fashion puts their hand on Jey’s shoulder and asks “How do you feel in your new duds?”
Jey smiles widely and says “I feel good and I feel like ME!”
“Enemies to Lovers with Fashion” a comic by Jey Pawlik was transcribed by Jey Pawlik on May 22nd, 2026
