In the slideshow ahead, we asked members of the gay community to tell us stories about an item of clothing they couldn't wear until they came out — for fear of being outed or ridiculed for dressing "too gay." Coming out is the first step to living one's truth, much as the act of getting dressed in the morning and having the courage to walk out of the door as you are can be, too. At least, that's the fantasy that fashion can provide to self-discovery that, in harsher conditions, may not manifest as easily as we want it to. But when it does come to fruition, it holds a lot of power — a power that allows you to live exactly the way you were born to.