LGBTQ: Trans woman hopes underwear line will aid safety

For Dani, tucking is not just about the aesthetic, it is also about safety

A trans woman who had to resort to drastic measures to conceal her genitals hopes her own line of underwear and swimwear can help keep the trans community safe.

In the past Dani St James used painful methods such as gaffer tape to "tuck" for the discreet and desired shape.

Now her products are used by queens on the TV show RuPaul's Drag Race UK.

The Mermaids charity says clothing that is designed to understand and meet the needs of trans bodies is vital.

Dani, 30, now lives in Margate, Kent, and grew up in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan.

She said her life changed when she realised she was trans at the age of 17, but that unsafe tucking methods had made her feel like "this world is not meant for me, this wasn't designed for me".

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Tucking is a method used by some trans women to conceal their genitals..

Dani, who is also chief executive of trans charity Not A Phase, explained that tucking was a safety mechanism for trans women, and hopes the business will address two issues: injury from crude tucking methods, and safety from hate crime.

At 6ft 1in (184cm), Dani says she is under no illusions that when she passes people they are thinking one of two things.

"It's either 'oh my gosh, she is so tall', which is thankfully what I get for the most part, but also not very many women are six [foot] one, so that's when they start looking at other things," said Dani.

"They look for a visible Adam's apple, or they look straight at your crotch - I have seen so many people stare at my crotch over the years, that's a really unique experience for trans people.

"It's uncomfortable and it's horrible, but it happens, so tucking is a safety precaution - 20 years on, I wouldn't go untucked anywhere."

Dani, pictured right in Ibiza aged 18, recalls drinking tiny amounts of water while dancing for hours in high temperatures as she did not want to have to go to the toilet and untuck

A year into her transition, aged 18, Dani travelled to Ibiza to become a dancer.

"I was booked for this boat party, and I was provided a uniform of a little crop top and tiny swimming bottoms that I had to dance in," she recalled.

Dani went into a hardware shop and bought a roll of electrical tape and tucked with that.

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"I was in so much pain, I had to dance for hours, and when you're taped you can't go to the toilet, so I was taking tiny sips of water so I didn't need the toilet, and this was in the middle of the day in an Ibiza summer.

"It wasn't nice, I got home and I was crying trying to get this tape off my body."

In her early 20s, Dani said there were no safe options that would help her in terms of underwear.

"The options out there were not designed to be comfortable, so it's constant pain, you hit one bit of skin wrong, and you are just in constant pain for however many hours, until you can find some privacy."

Dani said she tucked using stronger tape for a number of years while modelling for a number of underwear brands not designed for trans people.

"Electrical, gaffer and boat repair tape is not meant to be on our skin, it's painful to take off - it's like really intense waxing or shaving," she explained.

"If you've been wearing it for a few hours, it's really, really painful.

"It digs into your flesh, I have had it myself where I have got carpet-type burns from tucking - it's just archaic."

Dani came up with the idea for the underwear after years of using dangerous methods to tuck

Dani said this is where the idea for making the lingerie and swimwear came from.

She explained there are other tucking underwear brands, but hers does completely different styles and are the first tucking swimwear brand.

Dani said the reaction to the brand as a whole was incredible.

"When I started it, I did a little 48-hour pre-sale, just to see if it would sell and I had prepared to sell about 50 pairs - we sold hundreds in two days.

"It was a clear indicator that people wanted what we were doing and I just had to make it happen."

Some of the reviews Dani has had for the underwear and swimwear include 'No more being restricted to bikinis with skirts, can just feel comfortable swimming without drawing eyes', 'the most comfortable underwear that I have worn since I started feeling gender dysphoria' and 'the confidence they gave me to start being myself, so much love went into them, and being able to wear outfits that I thought I wouldn't be able to wear before is such a confidence booster'.

Dani said it had been interesting to see the variation of people wearing the products.

"I design with trans women in mind, but the fact that people of all walks of life love them means so much to me.

"It's also quite fab that the queens on Drag Race are wearing them, I love that."

Dani wanted a product that would be designed for her needs

Dani said it was a huge privilege having made something that could change the lives of trans women.

"My whole life is centred around trying to do things for the trans community, it's amazing that it came from an idea that I was sick of what was available to us.

"It's definitely been a journey but it's a complete dream come true for me," she said.

Mermaids engagement officer Darren Mew said: "Many trans people have different requirements from swimwear and underwear than their cis-gendered counterparts, and having a line that understands this whilst promoting body confidence is a huge step forward for the trans community.

"We know from talking to trans young people that having access to clothing that is made for and by trans people is really important in making them feel seen and confident to take part in everyday activities."

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