Thistle and Spire lingerie is a celebration for any person who wears their pieces unapologetically and Jake Dupree (they/them) can attest to that. Our favorite non-binary burlesque performer makes us proud while rocking some of our pieces on stage in venues around the world—from the Vegas strip to the City of Lights to the land Down Under—and sometimes just at home for fun or out and about under less-assuming layers.
Jake wearing Kane Jockstrap & Cropped Tank
As we roll out our new line, Panties for Packages, we couldn’t think of a more appropriate model and ambassador for our inclusive brand and newest additions to the family. Jake and T&S are longtime friends, allies, and mutual fans, and this partnership makes for a playful and sexy dynamic duo.
Whatever the topic—whether it’s art, travel, inspiration, or the importance of embracing one’s own authentic identity—Jake’s effusive energy, love, enthusiasm, and joie de vivre are contagious. They shared some personal stories and thoughts with us about lingerie and how it’s adorned for fun, self-expression, even social and political statements (if often unintentionally).
Jake wearing Kane Jockstrap, Garter & V-Wire Bra
Could you give our readers a little background about your journey from small-town kid to world-renowned performer landing back flips in lingerie and heels?
I grew up in Newport, Arkansas—a town of about 7000 people—and was introduced to glamour and a sense of elevated beauty when I was young, mainly inspired by my grandmother. I would try on her silk nightgowns and walk down this one hallway in her house and have a vivid memory of feeling like, “This is me!” It was nice to feel supported in that space and explore that—it allowed me to be the princess that I wanted to be. After a certain age, when I started school, I compartmentalized some things I previously thought were okay that could now be made fun of. It was a weird dichotomy that influenced the way I am now in terms of expressing both my masculine and feminine sides in equal ways.
Jake wearing Kane Jockstrap, Garter & V-Wire Bra
As an adult, I worked as a fitness instructor, did musical theater stuff, and competed in gymnastics. These things were an amalgam that somehow all came together. About seven years ago, I auditioned for Dita von Teese’s show here in LA and she chose me to do her giant martini glass act. That changed everything, and it was like a permission slip to be all of these things I dreamed of being. I’ll admit, I like the shock value a little bit too.
Jake wearing Kane Jockstrap & Cropped Tank
Would you say that your grandmother and Dita von Teese have been role models for you on this path?
Yes. And my mom, who is an extremely strong-willed, opinionated woman. She and I are very similar. All of her friends are matriarchal gorgeousness and all sorts of amazing, and that’s who I was always around as a kid. That was such an informative thing for me growing up. As a woman, you run everything, and you take shit from no one, and the men are just there for fun. They love their husbands, but they go and do everything they want without asking permission. Seeing women on screen or on stage has always been the most informative thing for me.
Jake wearing Medusa Bralette & V-Cut Brief
When did you discover your love of lingerie?
It started when I was a kid. I remember this big drawer in my grandmother’s room that had so much cool stuff—not like thongs or garters, but there was a beautiful green nightie. I also remember seeing Marilyn Monroe and Jessica Rabbit for the first time, and they owned their sexuality in a way that was fun with a wink and a nudge. I was always very drawn to that and wanted to explore this sexier, more adult side. Even as a child, it came from a completely innocent place. I felt like it wasn’t gross or weird, but just this person deciding what they like. As an adult, I would wear lingerie underneath my clothes sometimes while going out, because it felt good to me and I also liked that it was underneath there as a secret. Lingerie provides this ultimate sense of power and sexuality that is gorgeous and cool and fun and interesting. It’s more about self-expression than sex.
Jake wearing Kane Jockstrap, Garter & V-Wire Bra
When did you start wearing Thistle and Spire pieces?
Thistle and Spire was the first lingerie brand that ever sent me anything and acknowledged that what I was doing was something they were interested in. I remember seeing the flame bra and panties online. And I love the bodysuit—I wear the hell out of that all the time! I remember reaching out to them and I was like, “I would love to work with y'all,” not thinking they would even answer or care. And then they did, and they sent me stuff. I think that was in 2017, when I was in New York for a burlesque festival, and I came and shot with them in their studio. I've had lots of experience now with different lingerie brands and seeing how they handle non-binary people. Thistle and Spire handles that with so much care and I'm thankful for that, because that's all I want.
How does it feel to see lingerie specifically designed for your body in mind?
It has been such a dream to have that happen, because with every lingerie piece that I own I have to either wear another thong underneath it or reinforce the package part so that things don't spill out, because nobody can afford that. That's a malfunction. It has happened before.
Jake wearing Kane Jockstrap & Cropped Tank
Are there any descriptive words that come to mind when you wear specifically Thistle and Spire lingerie?
There's a word I can say, but you might have to bleep it out. It just feels good. I feel super-human, above-human, and sub-human. All of it. It just feels correct, and it feels nice whenever I've got it on, like nobody can tell me shit. It’s like if you’ve got a problem, that's on you, not on me. It’s like my superhero suit in a way.
Can you share a moment when wearing lingerie made you feel truly seen and affirmed?
Yes, I know exactly when it happened. The year before I was doing all this stuff, I went out for Halloween. A friend and I made a lingerie set inspired by this designer I loved, and it was rhinestone and beaded fringe and light pink. My costume idea is like what I do now, and I was being looked at the way I had always wanted to be looked at. It felt good to have that validation, because I didn’t know if people would make fun of me or acknowledge me at all. It felt great and it creates magic.
Jake wearing Kane Jockstrap & Cropped Tank
What does representation of men, trans, and non-binary folks in lingerie mean to you?
It means everything to me. Had I seen somebody like me in something like these articles of clothing, I would feel so seen and inspired to do something even more. That’s what I hope to see in the future. When I’m 80, I want to see younger people doing what I’m doing now, but even bigger, cooler, and more interesting than what I’m doing, because I wished that I had that when I was younger. I had these powerful women to look at, which was incredible, and the burlesque art world is tailored to women. Anything that I can do to help uplift, elevate, or pay respect to these cultures based off of women, I’m going to do it.
Jake wearing Kane Jockstrap, Garter & V-Wire Bra
In your opinion, how can T&S readers support the queer community right now, particularly given the current political climate and rhetoric around LGBTQIIA+ issues?
I think the right thing to do at this time is just stand up for people and believe them and accept them for who they are. For people that aren't a part of that community, or know people in that community, it's important just to support them and speak out. You don’t need to fight anyone either. You can just have a conversation, even if it's not heated. We can fight fire with something else besides fire. I'm a person just trying to get through this life, and I'm going to try to make the most of it and be the happiest that I can be while I'm here. Life can be hard for everyone, no matter who they are or how they’re different. How does it affect anybody if I identify as a non-binary person?
Where I grew up, there are a lot of people who have never met somebody like me. When I go to the gym there, there are a lot of very straight bro dudes who probably didn’t vote for the same person I voted for, but I see them every day working out and have become friends with a lot of them. That is how change is made on a bigger scale, but it starts with these little granular things and human connections.
What message do you have for people who feel that lingerie should only be for cis women?
I’ve gotten comments online about how I’m taking a job from a woman. I try to empathize with some of these people, but I want to say that nothing I’m doing is trying to take anything away from a woman. If anything, it’s only to admire, respect, and uplift the road that women have paved that I get to parade down. I would never want to take a job or opportunity from any woman, because it’s already hard enough to be a woman in this society. I understand where the critics are coming from, but there can be other people at the party too. I think that’s what is at the crux of the trans erasure—this fear that women are being erased, but that will never happen. Women aren’t going anywhere.
Find Jake
@jakedupree
www.jakedupree.com
Photography
@carianneolder
