Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Asia Kate Dillon opens up about wearing swimwear as a non-binary person

The actor said 'all clothing is gender neutral'

Chelsea Ritschel
New York
Friday 17 May 2019 22:56 BST
Comments
Asia Kate Dillon explains struggling with bathing suits as a non-binary person (Getty)
Asia Kate Dillon explains struggling with bathing suits as a non-binary person (Getty)

Actor Asia Kate Dillon has opened up about being a non-binary person and struggling with existing swimwear options.

Speaking to InStyle, Dillon revealed that growing up, summer was difficult because many bathing suits cater to specific genders.

“When I was younger, certainly summer was a very hard season, particularly because of bathing suits,” the 34-year-old said. “When I was a child, I never wore a top, just bathing suit bottoms, because I was a young person and that was seen as fine.

“But, as we get older, we have these gender boxes that we’re supposed to fit into when it comes to swimsuits, so I was always really uncomfortable.”

According to Dillon, they never wanted to dress in a bikini or one-piece, as they preferred just wearing bottoms without a top - which wasn’t always “acceptable” in public places such as the local pool.

However, Dillon has since found ways to make their swimwear preference work.

Growing up in Ithaca, New York, the Orange Is the New Black and John Wick 3 actor told the news outlet there were natural springs and watering holes where they were able to wear what they wanted.

And since moving to New York City, the actor has found they can wear the swimwear that makes them comfortable without running into issues on the local beaches.

During the interview, Dillon, whose personal style is about comfort, also touched on the idea of gender neutral clothing, which they explained doesn’t actually exist as clothing does not have a gender.

Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events

“All clothing is gender neutral,” Dillon said, before adding: “It’s all fabric sewn together to fit someone’s body.”

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in