That's Mugsie Pike, a senior at Northwestern University majoring in Gender Studies and Theatre. The title not on her resume however, is Underwear Revolutionary. Mugsie is determined to change the American lingerie industry, starting with Northwestern, where she recently applied for (and was denied) an undergraduate research grant to make better binders for trans men. The comments for the grant denial reflect the idea that sewing is not an academic pursuit.
Mugsie, like most women, has always had a complex relationship with her body. In fact, you might remember her from her performance piece with Holly Hughes back in June, where she talked about naming her boobs after two lovers on Queer as Folk. "I named them Justin and Brian because I wanted them to be together forever!"
The anger and frustration Mugsie felt when her body did not conform to standard bra sizing fueled her insecurity: "Swimsuit shopping was always ugly and ended with me in tears. But I never thought, what's wrong with the swimsuit. I thought, what's wrong with me?" Mugsie eventually channeled the frustration and negativity she felt into making her own clothing and in using her passion and creativity to help others.
"My goal is to combine these interests and fight the ridiculous barrage of body-negativity through my sewing. I love you, and I love your body and whatever you want to do with it. I think people of all types and sizes should have lingerie that supports them, and that fits their bodies and personal styles."After schooling Northwestern, (a Gender Protection Initiative Mugsie is involved with recently fought for and won the inclusion of gender identity in the school's non-discrimination clause) Mugsie has her sights set on the booty behemoth, Victoria's Secret, whose restrictively ranged bras are geared toward the ideal 36 C. All bras smaller than that size are padded and all bras larger than that are minimized in order to conform to this "perfect" size.
It's not surprising that Victoria's Secret's measurement system varies wildly. They want to boost your ego, by boosting your cup size. The last time I was measured, the sales rep told me I was a 34 D, which is patently ridiculous, yet it did give me a subtle self-esteem lift, enough for me to buy a damn bra anyway. That didn't fit, of course.
Mugsie's Rainbo Brite corset. The first one she ever made.
What lovely bras they are wearing.
While Mugsie hasn't ventured into the realm of making her own bras yet, (There's a whole school in Ontario devoted to learning bra making) she does create amazing custom corsets, dresses, panties and top hats, designed for your unique body. Check out her website, With a Bite, for more photos and to place an order. I call dibs on the Rainbo Brite corset though.
In an age where hating one's body is par for the course of modern womanhood, it is truly inspiring to have people like Mugsie Pike fighting the good fight and working to create change in an industry that is monopolized by big business and fueled by women's insecurities. After all, there is nothing sexier than loving one's body the way it is.
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