Style Story: José Pérez IV
We are very excited to share our first Style Story! This is an interview series with people who embody our mission, including some of our previous clients.
Our first guest is José Pérez IV. He’s a current S4G client, Simulation Educator at the VA, Co-Founder of Big Storm Performance Collaborative, and a stylish dude. José is also the best friend of Taylor, your favorite S4G Stylist.
We’re particularly pumped about this interview because it kicks off our Swap Shop fundraiser benefiting Big Storm and multiple local donation organizations!
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Thank you so much for being our first interviewee. This is pretty exciting! Okay, so give us a quick bio about yourself. Who are you? Where do you live? What do you do? What do you love to do?
I am a fight choreographer and original theater maker here in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I live in the neighborhood of Highland Park. I've been involved in both martial arts and theatre for most of my life now.
I did my undergrad BFA in drama at New York University and I came here to PITT (University of Pittsburgh) for my MFA in performance pedagogy. So, teaching theater, creating new theater, and directing are all very important things.
The work I tend to do tends to be very physical, either dance or stage combat martial arts.
Great! Do you want to talk about your day job these days?
Oh! I work for the federal government at the veterans hospital here in Pittsburgh. It is a really awesome job. They take care of us really well - I've had a lot of different day jobs, survival jobs, in my life and it's really nice to have one where I know I’m making a positive difference. And it's a unique position.
I'm a Simulation Educator, which means I’m part of coordinating training for hospital staff. My specific subsection is designing simulations that involve standardized patients, some people call them medical actors.
The simulations I'm most interested in deal with Behavioral Health, like restraining aggressive or violent patients in a way that's safe for both the patient and the staff. So, taking care of emergency situations where nobody’s harmed.
Excellent! Anything else you want to say about yourself?
I’m from Michigan originally! I'm very passionate about Michigan, and I also really love Pittsburgh. I came to Pittsburgh knowing nothing about Pittsburgh. I came here for my grad program and I thought it was going to be two years, in-and-out, on my way with my life.
But Pittsburgh is this secret diamond of a city that I don't want any of the New York or LA people to know about because it's so great.
Let’s start diving into the style stuff! What is the current role of fashion in your life? And how did you see it before?
I see myself in a transition point with fashion. For a long time fashion was a very foreign, far-away concept for me. I felt a little...what's the word I'm looking for? I just felt useless... and hopeless. I felt a little hopeless when it came to fashion, and it didn't bother me too much because I had other things going on. I just never thought of myself as a fashionable person.
There had been moments where I made attempts, but I never felt a confidence about it.
I've tried to put more thought into it in recent years.I think what helped was working in a wildly different workplace than I was used to, for the federal government hospital in the education department.
Suddenly, the cultural expectations of where I went day-to-day looked very different from my part-time theater gigs. How you dress there doesn’t matter because you're getting in a costume soon, you know? So, that made me start thinking more about how I wanted to look day-to-day, how I wanted to present myself to the world.
I really noticed a difference when I started wearing blazers and jackets to work. It happens, it still happens, where people think I'm a doctor, or just think I'm someone who has power and knows stuff. And to some degree I do, I'm in no way a supervisor or a chief of staff, but I did notice a marked change when I sharpened up my look and my wardrobe a little bit more.
Yeah, people just regarded me in a different way, and I'd say in a way that’s closer to who I am. That happened with the wardrobe change.
Being close friends with Taylor helped me with my personal wardrobe, too. It made me more comfortable with even trying things, and asking her opinion. I think that was a critical part.
When I lived in New York, I had stylish friends, but their way of giving feedback was telling you that you look grotesque, “you look like a trash fire. How could you wear that?” This made me not even want to attempt.
I think I adapted in a way where the stylish people wouldn't even consider me. There was no way I'd get ridiculed because I wasn't even trying.
So, having fashionable people in your life who want to give instructive feedback, where the whole point is to empower you rather than tear you down, was really critical.
I also exposed myself to programs like Queer Eye. It was really big in making me more interested and passionate about what my own fashion could be. I love the way Tan worked with those people.
I also did Tan’s Masterclass on fashion - it was so good. It was so good for someone like me. He was such a good instructor, especially while talking about the capsule wardrobe. He made it more accessible to me. Before, it felt like a huge mystery. Fashion feels a little bit more demystified after learning from Tan and working with Taylor.
You touched on this already, but up until now, what struggles around clothes or your personal style have you had? Either specific things or general worries.
I think what really held me back was a general feeling of “I don't know what I'm doing” and “there are rules I'm not aware of and I am going to break them,” or “I'm going to do the wrong thing within fashion rules and be ridiculed.” Or “I don't even know how I look.”
Confidence was a big thing I lacked. It kept me in a place where I stuck to clothes I felt were okay, not necessarily stellar, but nobody seemed to laugh when I wore them. So, I stayed there. The easy feel of things was another thing I stuck to.
I gained more skills and confidence from Taylor, Queer Eye, and Tan. Tan’s Masterclass was really great because he addressed a lot of those things directly, and gave very simple “rules” again. He said, “there really aren't rules, but if I had to tell you about a couple of rules, here they are...”
Before Tan and Taylor, where did that feeling of “there are rules, and I don't know what they are” come from?
I think from moments in my life, even if they were few, that became scars. When an attractive, fashionable person laughed at me or made a scene. I think back to moments in high school where a popular girl would get everybody's attention in the class to say “look what he's wearing, never do that!” It gave me a sense that there are people who know these rules that I do not know, and I'm going to be eviscerated when I break them. Those sorts of things stick with you.
Yes! They absolutely do!
We’ve heard many great points about how far you've come, but I'm curious if there are still things you're working on, points where you're needing additional help or more confidence. What areas do you want to work on more (if any)?
Yeah, I mean, all of it. My habit has a lot to do with how clothes feel on me, which I think is good. But sometimes it can keep me in a groove of wearing the same two or three things over and over and over and over and over. It doesn't make me look through my closet as much to see what will look good.
I'll buy things I’m excited about at the time, but then I get shy. I get in my head about what people think about my style -- as if people are keeping score. I know they’re not, but we all think this way.
I’m worried people will suddenly talk hush-hush, like “oh my God, can you believe he's trying that coat? That's not him.” I think it’s a confidence thing, plus other people's approval. Which is a larger problem, but it’s there.
Why were you interested in sharing your Style Story with us? If the answer is “because Taylor asked”…that’s okay!
Well, that! AND because I think what you are doing is great and important. I think you're going to help so many different people at different points in their fashion lives, but specifically people who are very much like me.
I know a lot of people like me who yearn for more fashion in their life, to feel cooler and sexier in a way that works for them. But, they need the help to get there. They won't get there unless they have the help. That's how I feel.
Taylor encouraged me along the way when I started wearing the jackets and blazers to work. It wasn't a huge thing, but it was a huge thing for me. I did it and survived, and now it's a normal thing. It makes me feel good, smart, and confident at work. It changed things for me in an observable way.
I think you are doing that for people and helping them make a really positive step forward in their lives. The clothes they wear makes them feel a certain way about themselves professionally, and in their personal lives. I don't think it can be understated.
I’m a really big fan of things that make positive changes in your day-to-day because that's all we have. If you’re in the habit of making everyday a little bit brighter, that adds up.
So, with that, would you be cool talking about your mental health?
Oh yeah, sure!
It sounds like these changes in how you perceive your own fashion, and the choices you make, directly impact your well-being and sense of self. Would you say that’s true? How does this affect your mental health struggles?
It's always a little boost if you feel good about yourself. Even if you're having a really low day, it’s nice to look in the mirror and you say, “at least I'm looking hot!”
The largest impact is how what I'm wearing has affected my mental state, mostly at work. It sometimes feels like armor. I’m happy with how I look, especially where people dress in a pretty conservative way.
I dress comparably in terms of the basic pieces, but the cut, colors, and how I style the clothes is quite different. It is a lot more expressive and liberal, and I really like that. It makes me feel like I'm fitting into the culture in an appropriate way, but I'm simultaneously waving my own flag of individuality.
Knowing that I am my authentic self at work helps me feel a lot more pride and hope in my own contributions.
In my personal life, I don't yet see a significant impact on my mental health struggles. Maybe because they're quite significant. I have major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety. Maybe it's something that will develop with time once my fashion becomes more of a habit and takes up more space in my life. I don't know.
Yeah, it might become something that's helpful. When my depression is really, really, really bad, the things I wear don't seem to change it that much. It could be nice to know I look good in something, but I think my depression is bad enough that things I wear won’t solve it. I don't think anyone expects it would solve it.
Totally, no one expects that. It’s just one extra tool in your tool kit to feel a little bit better on bad days.
I will say, I think I've gained good knowledge about the impact clothing can have on your state of mind. I do really make it a point, even when I'm at my lowest with depression, to get up and change into my normal day-to-day clothes.
I never let myself stay in pajamas all day because I know that'll make it worse for me. I know something happens to me when I get into my normal jeans and a button-down.
It gives a signal to my body and my brain. Even if I’m feeling terrible, I am still a person who is going to do work. I mean, that must be a direct connection, but that's become a habit of mine.
That’s an example of the habits of style we’re talking about! Awesome!
Yeah, I guess in my head I didn’t think, “oh my God, I feel like I have to check myself into Western Psych today. Let me put on that spanky blazer!” and it goes away.
Right, that doesn’t happen. That's cool, though, because a lot of people don't make that connection. Putting on your pants and your button-down is a coping skill. It puts your brain in a more functional place when you're having your hardest time. Thank you for sharing all that!
Do you have any tips you'd like to share about developing your personal style? Or pursuing a more ethical sustainable style? Or having habits of style that support your mental health?
I’d suggest to as many people as possible to work with people like you. I haven't worked with you, Sarah, but I’ve worked with Taylor now in a pretty formal way.
Going through the entire closet and doing a purge, then looking at different items and suggesting how to wear them is really, really, really, helpful.
Thanks!
Yeah, it’s amazingly helpful. It makes me excited about going further with styling consultations, getting more detailed, and working in an individualized way.
I think that's the advice I would give - to find people like you, who I can trust. You aren’t toxic. To someone like me, that’s rare in the fashion world. Someone who can guide you in an individualized way, that’s the sort of help I need to feel confident.
Yeah, and I would suggest, again, to watch Queer Eye, specifically to watch what Tan does. He does wonderful things. His Masterclass, again, really helped me. I imagine you might be giving education in that sort of way, too.
Awesome! That is a great resource.
Finally, what is your favorite piece of pre-loved, thrifted, hand-me-down, or handmade clothing?
These pants! [José lifts legs towards the camera]
I like them a lot. I got them from Goodwill. It was one of those “diamond in the rough” finds for me, which is why I love going to Goodwill.
Every now and again, you’ll find that thing that fits really well. It's a great color. I like big, really nice colors. I might not wear them a lot, but I aspire to have some distinct colors and I love these Halloweenie-burnt-orange kind of pants.
I don’t have pants like this; I tend to go towards blues and muted grays for my pants, and I really wanted something different. I was so happy when I found these!
These are wonderful pants, and you’re styling them in a very smart way! When you're trying new colors it’s smart to do one bold color with a nice neutral.
Well, is there anything else you would like to say? Any closing words you’d like to share before we wrap up?
Something that gave me a lot of hope was the thought that fashion is not hopeless for anybody. That made me feel really bright and happy.
I used to feel this way, I know so many people feel this way, that “fashion isn't even on the table for me”. Like, “it’s never going to be part of my life.” And I love thinking that, with a little bit of guidance, everybody could have fashion as part of their life.
I used to have the wrong idea in my head that fashion meant it was loud, odd, and in your face as a choice. Where fashion can be very… it depends on the person. I think that was a big thing, it really depends on the person.
I love seeing pictures on Pinterest of guys in jeans and a simple t-shirt, and they look awesome! Because it fits, and like, that's it. And they rock it. I’m excited for you guys to do that for people.
Aw, we’re excited, too! Fantastic!
I hope that was helpful.
Wonderful, yes! Thank you for sharing so much with us!
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Edited for length and clarity. If you would like to read the full, unedited interview, please reach out and we will happily send it to you!
styleforgoodpgh@gmail.com