If I’m a cis woman but I dress more masc or don’t vibe with “girly” stuff, does that mean anything about my gender identity, or is that just gender expression?
Being a cis woman means you were assigned female at birth and you still feel like a woman. That is about gender identity, not your outfit. Dressing more masc, hating 'girly' sh*t, or vibing with androgynous style is about gender expression. It might be you playing with aesthetics, protecting yourself, feeling safer, or just liking how you look, period.Clothes do not have chromosomes. Hoodies are not a gender. You can be a cis woman in baggy jeans and a buzzcut, a trans man in a floral sundress, or a nonbinary person in a full beat and boots. If your internal sense of self still says 'I am a woman', your gender identity is woman, no matter what your wardrobe is doing.If the label 'woman' itself feels wrong or shaky, that is when it is worth exploring gender more deeply.Want to unpack how your style, mood swings, and cycle changes might all be tangled together? Rant it out with Gush and sort through what is gender, what is hormones, and what is just fashion.
Does dressing masculine change my gender identity if I am a cis woman?
Cis woman + masc style = still a woman
Cis = your gender identity matches the sex you were assigned at birth.So if:- You were assigned female at birth, and- You still know yourself as a woman,…then you are cis, even if your style screams 'soft boy', 'stud', or 'CEO of oversized hoodies'.Gender expression is the costume; gender identity is the actor wearing it. You can switch costumes all day and still be the same person underneath.People love to read your clothes as clues to your sexuality or gender: 'short hair = gay', 'baggy clothes = nonbinary', 'crop top = pick‑me girl'. That is all projection. The only thing your clothes prove for sure is what you felt like putting on that day.
Gender identity vs gender expression in real life
Some combos that exist constantly in the wild:- Cis femme woman: Loves dresses, nails, lashes. Feels like a woman. That is identity and expression lining up in a stereotypical way.- Cis masc woman: Hates 'girly' anything, shops in the men's section, maybe gets misgendered, but internally still identifies as a woman.- Trans man, femme expression: Still a man even if he loves jewelry or painted nails.- Nonbinary, femme or masc: Identity is outside the woman/man binary, but expression can land anywhere on the style spectrum.So for you:- If being called 'she' or 'woman' feels basically fine or even affirming, you are probably just playing with expression.- If being seen as a woman feels deeply off or painful, that might be about gender identity, not just style.
How hormones, cycle, and comfort in your body can shift your style
Here is where biology crashes the fashion party.Hormones across your menstrual cycle absolutely influence how you feel in your body and what you want to wear:- Menstrual phase (bleeding): Estrogen and progesterone are low. You are tired, crampy, maybe bloated. A lot of people reach for loose, dark, comfy clothes. That is not 'masc'; that is 'do not make me suck in for jeans right now'.- Follicular phase (after your period): Estrogen rises. Energy and confidence tend to climb. You might feel more experimental with outfits or more okay showing skin.- Ovulation: Estrogen peaks. Libido and social energy often spike. Many people feel more embodied and might lean into whatever expression feels 'attractive' for them – femme, masc, or androgynous.- Luteal phase (PMS time): Progesterone dominates. Bloating, breast tenderness, irritability, and anxiety can hit. You might retreat into baggier clothes for protection or comfort.Hormonal birth control (pill, ring, patch, some IUDs) dampens these big swings. That can make your mood and style feel more stable – or, for some, more flat. Irregular cycles or PMDD (a severe form of PMS) can amplify body hatred, dysphoria, or discomfort so much that everything feels like a gender crisis.If some days you feel hot in a crop top and other days you want to disappear under a hoodie, that fluctuation can absolutely be hormone‑driven, not proof your gender identity is fake.If your experience is more 'some days I feel like a woman, some days I really do not', you are not broken. Bring that nuance – plus your cycle patterns, birth control, and symptoms – to Gush for a more personal unpacking.
When to explore your gender more deeply
Masc style alone does not equal 'secretly not a woman'. But some feelings are worth pausing for:- Persistent discomfort when people call you 'woman', 'girl', or 'she', even when they mean it kindly.- A sense of relief when you imagine being nonbinary, genderfluid, or a different gender.- Envy of how another gender gets to exist, dress, or be read.- Long‑term, not‑just‑PMS disgust or disconnection from your breasts, curves, or periods.You do not have to slap a label on yourself tomorrow. Exploring can look like:- Trying different pronouns in safe spaces or online.- Playing with names or nicknames.- Adjusting your expression and noticing what feels more 'you', not what gets more compliments.If the idea 'I am a woman' still feels like home, you are a woman – even if home is painted in neutrals and wears chunky sneakers.
What to do when people do not 'get' your vibe
People may:- Assume you are gay because you dress masc.- Assume you are trans because you bind or pack.- Tell you to 'dress more like a girl' for their comfort.You are not responsible for untangling other people's stereotypes.Some boundary lines you can steal:- 'My clothes are about my comfort, not your expectations.'- 'You do not have to understand my style for it to be valid.'- 'I am a woman. How I dress does not change that.' (If that still feels true to you.)Also: you are allowed to code‑switch. You can dress one way with family to feel safer and another way with friends who actually see you. That is not fake; that is survival.If your cycle, mental health, or body image are so intense that you cannot tell what is gender, what is depression, and what is trauma, that is a signal to loop in support – a therapist, a trusted adult, or a clinician who takes you seriously.Your gender is not an outfit. Your outfit is one of the tools you get to use to live your gender on your own terms.
