Switcheroo — The Bold Italic

By Jessica Saia

It’s not often that a man complains that he feels flat-chested, that his legs are cold, or that his feet hurt. These were the kind of comments I heard, though, when I asked couples on the street to switch outfits — a project emulating Hana Pesut’s Switcheroo series.

Initially I was apprehensive that people would not actually change into their partner’s clothes for a stranger, but was quickly reminded that San Franciscans are sincerely open-minded, and will rarely turn down an excuse to dress up. Though I didn’t ask them to walk a mile in their partner’s shoes, these pairs were willing to try on each other’s outfits for at least a few minutes.

I experienced some clumsy moments: the man who wore pantyhose for the first time, the woman who thought her pants accentuated her boyfriend’s ass better than hers, and the couple who continued the day in each other’s outfits. I often overheard plenty of laughter from the changing room as they helped dress each other. When the couples came out and saw the other in their clothes, their reactions ranged from slightly nauseated to oddly intrigued, but they all met the experiment with authentic amusement.

After trying on their partners’ threads, everyone seemed relieved to step back into his or her own, and walked off reminded that they liked each other just the way they were.