I have a more feminine identity (AMAB) and will be interviewing for a sales associate position at an fashion retailer with a 100 out of 100 score on the HRC CEI tomorrow afternoon (I would prefer not to say which one, but their corporate HQ is in a progressive part of the country, so someone could potentially guess which one it is). I know I made this post on short notice but I wanted to try and get your opinion as I only just thought of making this post.
Since I am in Texas I am a little concerned about leaning too feminine in my appearance, so I decided to settle on a more androgynous appearance (though using all women's clothing except for the shoes; blame large feet for that, a common issue we face). I have a more masculine name (though one of my female HS teachers had virtually the same name as me), and though it doesn't reflect my true gender identity, I marked male on the job application at the recommendation of the corporate HR (I had initially marked "not specified" at first, but after my phone interview when they requested more information this was not an option, and while I'm concerned this may cause confusion, the "gender" may need to reflect what is "on paper" for background check purposes). I'm thinking about wearing some makeup as well, but it would be subtle (and definitely nothing over the top).
I'll be wearing a black blazer(
similar to this one and mine is the same brand),
collared poplin shirt (with a more feminine "tie front" detail), a pair of white pants with gold accents (zippers/buttons), and a pair of black loafers with a silver accent. Should I receive a job offer I will explain my true gender identity using a cover letter I plan to present as a supplement to my inaccurate-due-to-government-mandate identification, and may present a bit more feminine after that (though still leaning androgynous as to not upset my family). There was an option to put a preferred name on my application, but I really like my given name even though it is most commonly associated with men.
