Style Dossier: Teri Tan

dossier

noun dos·sier \ˈdos-ˌyā, ˈdäs-; ˈdo-sē-ˌā, ˈdä-\

:a collection of papers or other sources, containing detailed information about a particular person or subject.

A note from dapperQ’s Editor-in-Chief: Welcome to dapperQ contributor Gabrielle Royal’s latest column: Style Dossier, which will profile stylish queers across the country. Not only is this the debut edition of Style Dossier, but Gabrielle’s first subject, Teri Tan, is also our dapperQ of the month!

Teri Tan

TT4small

Outfit Details:
Bowtie: Topman (a gift from my best friend)
Shirt: G2000 (women’s)
Blazer: H&M (women’s)
Lapel Pin: Pride Corp
Pants: Zara boys (tailored)
Bag: ALDO
Socks: The Children’s Place
Shoes: Thrifted (in Sydney), but it’s from Gracegift

Bio: Born and raised in Singapore, Teri is currently a student at New York University studying Finance and Accounting, with a minor in Gender & Sexuality Studies. Teri is also President of NYU’s Pride Corp. Even though she’s already 21, she really wants to model kids’ clothes.

Gabrielle Royal: Tell us about Pride Corp and how do you see fashion influencing your work?

Teri Tan: Pride Corp is NYU Stern’s LGBTQ student group – we focus on the professional development of our members as well as building community. On campus, there are lots of queer clubs, and lots of business clubs, but Pride Corp is the only one that amalgamates the two. This is a unique intersection, in my opinion, because I often find myself the only business student in a room full of queers, and the only queer in a room full of business students. Our club is not only for business school students, we have many members from the rest of NYU as well. It is commonly thought that the business world treats queers badly – though it is not the friendliest industry, initiatives like Out for Undergrad Business Conference (OUBC) has showed queer business students that there is a supportive community within the industry. There remains a lot of work to be done and as president of Pride Corp, I want to show the queers (and there are many closeted queers in stern!) that 1. It is ok to be queer in the business school – take up space! 2. We are here for you. The larger goal of Pride Corp is to educate people – about allyship being more than just ‘be queer, but do that in your own space’, it’s a demonstration, not an identity. Allyship is about understanding intersectionality, about critically thinking about social issues and actively supporting marginalized communities in the way they need to be supported.

TT6small

GR: You are very involved at New York University and in your community. How do think fashion can be used as a form of activism or way to implement change?

TT: As for fashion, there’s a lot of “suit and tie” in the business industry, but I feel that there is definitely room to express individuality while remaining professional. As someone at the bottom of the ladder, I don’t step too far off. ‘Business casual’ is my favourite dress code – I usually wear a patterned shirt under my jacket suit. Because I am a queer masculine-presenting boi that wears a different kind of business casual aside from the beige chinos and light blue button up, I’m often the only one in the room that looks that way. But I’ve learnt to embrace it and be confident in my style. It’s my way of taking up space in school and showing everyone ‘I am here. I am queer. I am not afraid to do me.’ It’s my way of challenging the stereotype that lesbians dress badly, that business students have no style or personality, that queer business students need to blend in. My unapologetic existence is a part of my activism. And of course, the Pride Corp lapel pin screams the pride I have in my club (all pun intended).

TT11small

Outfit Details:
Blazer: G2000 Women’s
Shirt: OVS kids (from Rome)
Belt: No idea (somewhere from home as well!)
The rest of the outfit is the same as above
GR: Who are your style icons? Where do you get your inspiration?

TT: Kelsey Chavarria, for sure. She’s very androgynous and so is her style. I love it! It’s dapper but not exactly overly formal like GQ – there is a little touch of casual/ personal style. She plays with details in her outfits and I really appreciate it when people take time to focus on the small things. (Spoken like a true small person?) I’d call her style hipster dapper, but I’m not sure how people feel about the word hipster anymore. The internet is a great resource. I used to spend a lot of time on Tumblr and I follow a bunch of submission blogs, so I guess you could say some of my style is inspired by queers around the world! I also Google variations of ‘queer dapper fashion’ or ‘androgynous fashion’ and see what pops up. I think that’s how I first found out about dapperQ awhile back.

TT7small

GR: Tell us something unique about yourself or your style? 

TT: Boy’s clothes and contrast!

Sometimes I feel like a 15 year old boy; people often mistake me for one, anyway. My favourite shirts are patterned button-ups and pants that sometimes make me look even more like a little boy – they have sharks, whales, and cute little monsters on them. I’d say about 70% of my clothes are from the children’s (sale) section; mostly because they are so much cheaper, but also because I am a perfect fit for 10/12 in boys. I get my clothes from everywhere (around the world), but my favourite stores are: The Children’s Place, Zara boys, Gap Kids.

I like to coordinate my outfit with a little contrast – mostly accessories and colors, but sometimes shoes. I usually would have an item stand out against the rest of the outfit. So if I’m in all formal wear, sometimes I put on a snapback or a bow-tie to change it up a little. Or a piece of bright orange with an otherwise all black outfit (which I call my OITNB outfit). I also really like the wooden bow-tie my best friend gave me; I wear it when I feel special. There was a time I was obsessed with chains as well – it seems like neck/top torso accessories are a common trend!

TT13small

Follow Teri:
about.me/tanteri
instagram: @ziddy10
twitter: @teritanteehee
tumblr: turneverythingrandomin.tumblr.com
facebook: facebook.com/teritanteehee

Photography credit:
Carol Ourivio — www.facebook.com/carolmilkshake

More from Gabrielle Royal

Style Dossier: The Angelinos

Welcome back to Style Dossier, Gabrielle Royal’s column that profiles stylish queers...
Read More

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.