LAKEWOOD, Ohio — Jacob Nash knows the right clothes have the power to not only make you look good but they can help make you feel more like yourself.
Nash is transgender. He came out in the 1990s and a major part of his transition process was clothing.
“Within society, you know, it’s a lot easier for a woman to walk into a men’s section and buy men’s clothing because they’re just seen as tomboys and that’s what I was seen as,” Nash said.
For the past 20 years, he’s been working to ensure other members of the transgender and non-binary community feel just as comfortable in their skin and clothes as he does.
“I can walk into any department store and go to the men’s section, no questions asked. But a lot of people in our community can’t,” Nash said.
He’s the founder of Margie’s Hope, a nonprofit organization that helps support and lift up trans individuals. The organization opened Margie’s Closet in early June.
Nash said it’s more than a clothing thrift store, it’s a safe and inclusive space for transgender, non-binary individuals.
“These aren’t sectioned, these are clothing, you know. Clothing is not gendered people are because we make them but clothing isn’t clothing, it should be accessible to anybody regardless,” he said.
Margie’s Closet makes it less difficult to find in-demand items like shoes, wigs, and binders.
Here, it’s not hard to find fashion advice either.
Monika Veliz is the vice president of Margie’s Hope and the executive manager at the store.
She also happens to be a fashion designer. Her line, Jai Girl inc., specializes in clothing for anyone who identifies as a woman.
“We’ve taken out that guesswork. If it doesn’t fit you, let’s walk around the store and try to find something that does,” Veliz said.
Veliz said she knows firsthand the struggles trans individuals face when shopping.
“I was once that young trans girl . . . Before I actually found my fit, how much money I spent buying clothes, bringing them home, not fitting right, ill-fitting, horrible, you know. Who wants to be the trans woman who goes back to a major department store and raise a ruckus about a return,” she said.
Veliz said Margie’s Closet allows those in this community to find clothing and be cared for.
“It is a resource center. It is a support group. If there is anyone who feels that they need connection to other trans people where they may not be getting it, can walk through that door and 100% receive it. No questions,” she said.
Margie’s Closet will operate with an entirely volunteer staff, and 100% of the store’s proceeds will go toward Margie’s Hope programs to uplift transgender, non-binary and gender-expansive individuals.
