{"id":173668,"date":"2024-11-21T14:00:32","date_gmt":"2024-11-21T13:00:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=173668"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:27:36","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:27:36","slug":"aksh-finds-strength-in-their-clothing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2024\/11\/21\/aksh-finds-strength-in-their-clothing\/","title":{"rendered":"Aksh finds strength in their clothing"},"content":{"rendered":"

When choosing their outfit, Aksh considers every detail. Their carefully curated all-black ensemble, featuring a poncho, serves as a tool for self-discovery and embracing their identity.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDaan Stam<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

As we take photos, friends flock to Akshaj (20) \u2014 or Aksh, as they\u2019re known. They\u2019re thrilled with the attention and help them pose. Feet planted firmly, arms slightly spread, ensuring the outfit stands out. Other students glance up from their work, curious and impressed. \u201cEUC is a safe space\u201d, says Aksh. \u201cNot just as a place but as a community. I feel more confident in the clothes I wear here. I don\u2019t need to question if an outfit is \u2018acceptable\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

A journey of self-expression<\/h2>
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\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDaan Stam<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>

Aksh is dressed head-to-toe in black: \u201cBlack is powerful.\u201d The centrepiece of their look is the poncho,\u00a0fastened at the neck with a silver button and cinched with a \u2018cute little belt\u2019. They bought the poncho at a flea market at EUC. Their forearms are just visible, allowing for expressive hand gestures \u2013 flowing fingers that emphasise their words. The look is completed with their favourite boots and a well-cut A-line silhouette. Every detail is deliberate; Aksh isn\u2019t someone who wears things randomly.<\/p>\n\n\t

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\n\t\t\u2018When you\u2019re on a journey, especially as a queer person, people quickly put you in a box, stereotyping you\u2019\n\t<\/blockquote>\n\n\t<\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n

The combination creates a refined silhouette \u2013 sleek but with substance, without the outfit centring entirely on the body. \u201cThe poncho gives me a kind of fluidity I really appreciate\u201d, they say. \u201cThat fluidity shifts my focus away from my body. That\u2019s a strength.\u201d Clothing helps Aksh pay more attention to the early stages of their self-exploration. By minimising the physical, space is created to explore every aspect of their personality.<\/p>\n

At the same time, clothing can also be a challenge. Do they feel comfortable? Are they accepted? \u201cWhen you\u2019re on a journey, especially as a queer person, people quickly put you in a box, stereotyping you\u201d, Aksh explains. For them, the tension between what others think and what they think of themselves is a constant journey. The former sometimes takes up more space, even though the latter is ultimately more important. Fortunately, they\u2019re surrounded by friends who understand the search. Aksh cherishes these friends and smiles, saying: \u201cThey dress as they are, and that challenges me to do the same.\u201d<\/p>\n\t

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What\u2019s the best compliment you\u2019ve ever received?<\/strong> \u201cA fellow student council member once complimented me. I don\u2019t remember exactly what they said, but I hadn\u2019t expected them to notice that my outfit was a deliberate choice. They saw me. First, the choices I\u2019d made, and then they saw me, the way I\u2019d hoped they would.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t

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Read more<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t