Growing Up as “Tom”
Growing up, my oldest brother called me “Tom.”
It was his way of referencing the word tomboy — a nickname inspired by how I dressed. I was always in long basketball shorts, a tight Under Armour shirt, or board shorts with a rash guard at the beach.
As the youngest with two older brothers, my style inspiration came straight from them. I inherited their hand-me-downs and, without realizing it, discovered my first taste of tomboy style. The pinks, purples, and skirts marketed to girls never felt like me. No matter how many catalogs or ads tried to convince me otherwise, I felt most myself in clothes that let me move freely and feel like me.
Luckily, my parents — who were pretty progressive for the time — had no problem dressing me like their third son.
When Confidence Turns Into Conformity
As I grew older, things changed.
I started to care about what people thought — especially when “Tom” went from a nickname to something that made me self-conscious. I remember wanting to prove I wasn’t “too tomboyish,” so I started to dress like the girls around me.
I tried to fit in. I wore what society said was “feminine.”
For years, I bounced between the two worlds: living in athletic gear as a competitive athlete, then squeezing into tight dresses and heels for Sweet Sixteens. At 6’2” (in heels), towering over the boys in my class, I often felt out of place — but in 2016, there weren’t many style options for girls who didn’t fit the mold.
The truth was, I wasn’t uncomfortable because of how I looked — I was uncomfortable because I wasn’t being me.
The Turning Point: Rediscovering Myself
Fast forward to 2020.
The world stopped, and suddenly I had time to slow down. Back home with my parents during the pandemic, I started reflecting deeply — on who I was, what I wanted, and what parts of myself I’d hidden for years.
It was during this time that I began to question my sexuality.
The journey wasn’t easy — there were many sleepless nights, endless thoughts, and emotional unlearning of everything I’d been taught about identity and self-expression. But by allowing myself to explore, I finally found peace, love, and confidence.
I fell in love with my now fiancée Isabelle and started to see the world — and myself — through fresh eyes.
Redefining My Style and Reclaiming the Word “Tomboy”
As I began stepping into my queerness, I faced a new question: How do I dress now?
I didn’t want to appear overly masculine, but I didn’t feel feminine either. For a while, I was lost between styles, unsure of how to express myself. Then, it clicked — the answer had been with me since childhood.
My style had always been tomboy.
Not forced, not performed — innate.
It was how I’d dressed long before the world told me it was “wrong.”
But when I looked for clothes that reflected that style — clean, gender-neutral, elevated yet comfortable — I couldn’t find a single brand that got it right. I was piecing outfits together from men’s sections, thrift stores, and random finds that never quite fit. Nothing existed that was androgynous but designed through the female lens.
Creating Too Tomboy
That realization was the beginning of Too Tomboy — a gender-neutral, sustainable clothing brand redefining what tomboy style means today.
Too Tomboy bridges the gap between masculine and feminine aesthetics, creating modern streetwear that’s plastic-free, ethically made in the USA, and built to last. Our focus on sustainability isn’t just about the materials — it’s about rethinking what fashion stands for.
So much of the industry contributes to pollution and overproduction. Too Tomboy was created to be part of the solution: slow fashion, ethical manufacturing, and clothing that celebrates identity rather than conformity.
Final Thought
Being too tomboy isn’t a flaw.
It’s freedom.
It’s individuality.
It’s the courage to exist in-between — and to do it with confidence, purpose, and style.
