Dylan Mulvaney

TikTok creator, Dylan Mulvaney, shares daily anecdotes from her journey discovering fashion, makeup, and lifestyle as a transgender woman through her “Days of Girlhood” series.

BY RILEY PEEDEN ILLUSTRATION BY CARLY HART PHOTOS BY PROVIDED

TikTok’s “For You” page is quite unpredictable. Within the span of only five minutes, one can watch sorority girls dancing in unison, a little boy singing about corn, or even Addison Rae’s mother flirting with Yung Gravy. The main component that makes the app so popular is the uncertainty of what will come up next.

One content creator who people can rely on to provide consistent entertainment is Dylan Mulvaney. Mulvaney updates her followers with her series, “Days of Girlhood,” where she shares anecdotes from her life as a transgender woman. She rapidly gained popularity last year for documenting her first 100 days of being a girl. In these videos, one can see Mulvaney embrace her femininity in multiple facets, primarily through her clothes. Her fashion sense demonstrates that women do not have to conform to traditional clothing to be professional and respected. This can be seen as she rocks a mini dress with bows and feathers to a business meeting.

Mulvaney’s style is quite versatile, as she usually wears frilly dresses in pastel hues during the daytime and dark colors with edgy silhouettes for her nighttime activities. On occasion, she even shows off her oversized Princess Diana T-shirt paired with heart-shaped sunglasses. Her duality shows that fashion is fluid and nonrestrictive. Her fashion sense has inspired me to try new styles.

Another part of her girlhood journey has been experimenting with makeup. Mulvaney herself admits that her skills in the makeup department are lacking; however, she is never afraid to wear colorful eyeshadow or a daring shade of lipstick. She has recently partnered with major makeup companies such as Charlotte Tilbury, Urban Decay, and Milk Makeup, showing her followers that one does not have to be a beauty guru to enjoy the art of makeup.

Mulvaney is not only adored for her fashion and makeup skills but also for the positivity she puts out with her content. She ends each of her TikTok videos by saying “Love ya!” and giving a kiss to the camera. Her positivity is infectious. When people watch her videos, they feel like they are on FaceTime with a close friend.

As a transgender woman, she is very transparent about the adversity she faces. Instead of hiding this part of her life, she highlights the struggles with grace. By doing this, she educates her fan base and creates a well-informed community. Her influence has gotten so large that Kate Spade invited her to New York Fashion Week. The designer dressed her, and then she hosted the TikTok live stream for Kate Spade. Mulvaney’s success by being her authentic self online is well deserved, and it’s inspiring to continue watching her girlhood journey.

DIY

Crafting the most intricate of knick-knacks, working out the mind, body, and soul, and making the most delicious treats. BAR(R)E BASICS: DANCING FOR BEGINNERS P.54