Text and photo Linde Klop
You see great-looking people and the coolest outfits on the Wageningen campus. In this feature, we put one of them in the spotlight. This time it’s Jay Struts, a Bachelor’s student of Environmental Sciences from America.
‘My sense of style swings like a pendulum between the eclectic and the ethereal. My wardrobe contains a spectrum that ranges from techno-vampire chic to hardcore woodland-fairy, both drawing inspiration from the fantasy worlds of TV shows. However, this innate flair for dressing didn’t manifest effortlessly; I wasn’t born adorned in jewelry and whimsy. Quite the opposite, actually. In high school my style was hampered by a lack of self-confidence. I did not yet dare to dress boldly. This changed due to the combination of Covid and uni.
I became more comfortable with myself and my gender identity, and I started embracing the fluidity and artistry of fashion. Previously, I shied away from traditionally feminine attire, but as I became more male-presenting, I started wielding gender as a creative tool, transcending conventional boundaries. Both because my preferred aesthetic isn’t commonly found in fast fashion stores and because it does not align with my own sustainable beliefs, I rarely buy new clothing. Instead, I curate my own wardrobe by combining thrifting, scavenging, and reworking items to match my evolving taste. I tear my clothes apart and sew them back together Frankenstein-style. When I was very little my mother sewed me costumes. Later she taught me the skill so I could make whatever I wished. Currently, the piece I am most proud of is a blouse that I made that is reminiscent of the cover of a pirate fantasy novel. For me, fashion is a playground, and my sewing machine is the jump rope.’
