A Letter to Wildfang

Dear WF,

Imagine my surprise when I discovered the  NYC store on my way to the subway today! As you can see from my history, I'm a loyal WFer, so I walked out of the store with a bag of great summer essentials.

I also had an interesting conversation with the staff (who were awesome) about the fact that other than the much older lady on the wall behind them, no one in the photos or on the site looks like me.

You have done a great deal for me. I am a lateblooming lesbian. I came out at 40. So to be able to rock ties, vests, dapper button downs and shorts is way more than a fashion win for me. You are helping me celebrate the person I've spent a lot of my life looking for. 

But I don't feel a part of your community when I shop on the site. And I suspect there are lots more folks like me--who either wear your clothes or would love to if they saw other people like them.  We might be over 50 but we are still fabulous.

Last year I was asked to be in  Good Housekeeping's Fab over 50 series.  When I walked into the photo shoot wearing my WF tie, they asked me stay in my own clothes.  While the women next to me were donning stilettos and slipping into couture dresses, I was trading shopping tips with the adorable man doing my make-up about where to buy tailored mens' dress shirts in small sizes. And feeling so incredibly, ecstatically, authentically me.

Congrats on the new store--I look forward to spending time in it, and eventually, to seeing folks who look like me up on those walls!

Best,

Lisa