--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I have worn a tuxedo, but I have never…" description: "\"I have worn a tuxedo, but I have never covered up for respectability politics or to shame other women.\" — Janelle Monae" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4f/janelle-monae-3903_never_i-have-worn-a-tuxedo-but-i-have-never-co_114670.png" --- # I have worn a tuxedo, but I have never covered up for… ![“I have worn a tuxedo, but I have never covered up for respectability politics or to shame other women.” quote by Janelle Monae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4f/janelle-monae-3903_never_i-have-worn-a-tuxedo-but-i-have-never-co_114670.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4f/janelle-monae-3903_never_i-have-worn-a-tuxedo-but-i-have-never-co_114670.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4f/janelle-monae-3903_never_i-have-worn-a-tuxedo-but-i-have-never-co_114670.png) > “I have worn a tuxedo, but I have never covered up for respectability politics or to shame other women.” [Janelle Monae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-monae/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Choosing personal style should be an expression of self, not a concession to external judgments or political conformity. **In simple terms:** Dress for self‑expression, not approval. Key Takeaway Authenticity over performative respectability. Themes identity self‑expression politics gender Mood defiant confident Type cultural social When to use this quote - fashion industry - public performances - social media presence Key Concepts cultural autonomy social conformity Practical Applications - Develop personal style guidelines rooted in values - Critically assess external pressures before adopting trends Questions to Reflect On - When does personal expression become a political statement? - How can one navigate respectability politics without compromising authenticity? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Shame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shame/) [Women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/women/) ## Related quotes > [There's this responsibility you feel to present a certain thing that kind of respectability politics. I think that became the only accepted way of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-famuyiwa/there-s-this-responsibility-you-feel-to-present-a-certain-thing-that/) [Rick Famuyiwa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-famuyiwa/) > [“Respectability politics is the dogged belief that if black people just shape up, dress right, and act right, racists would suddenly have a dramatic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikesh-shukla/respectability-politics-is-the-dogged-belief-that-if-black-people/) [Nikesh Shukla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikesh-shukla/) > [I have a great body, I really do. But I want to be taken seriously as an artist, and wearing anything that shows it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-monae/i-have-a-great-body-i-really-do-but-i-want-to-be-taken-seriously-as/) [Janelle Monae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-monae/) > [I live in Tuxedo Park, N.Y. and spend time in the West Village, where my wife Elizabeth Cotnoir, a writer-producer and documentary filmmaker, has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-shore/i-live-in-tuxedo-park-n-y-and-spend-time-in-the-west-village-where-my/) [Howard Shore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-shore/) > [Bernie doesn't own a tuxedo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-o-meara-sanders/bernie-doesn-t-own-a-tuxedo/) [Jane O'Meara Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-o-meara-sanders/) > [I'm quite a tuxedo junkie, I collect them all year round.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zac-posen/i-m-quite-a-tuxedo-junkie-i-collect-them-all-year-round/) [Zac Posen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zac-posen/) > [In my whole life, I've worn black tie three times. I can't tie the knot myself. Once, at the premiere of the opera, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefano-gabbana/in-my-whole-life-i-ve-worn-black-tie-three-times-i-can-t-tie-the-knot/) [Stefano Gabbana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefano-gabbana/) > [You put a tuxedo on me, it's like putting a saddle on a hog.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-parsons/you-put-a-tuxedo-on-me-it-s-like-putting-a-saddle-on-a-hog/) [Bob Parsons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-parsons/) > [In the modern world there's no such thing as formality. A dinner jacket used to mean a tuxedo, you know?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-emmerich/in-the-modern-world-there-s-no-such-thing-as-formality-a-dinner/) [Noah Emmerich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-emmerich/) > [I don't have a tuxedo that fits anymore because my chest and my biceps are too big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-sheen/i-don-t-have-a-tuxedo-that-fits-anymore-because-my-chest-and-my/) [Charlie Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-sheen/) > [Getting away from a white or light colored tuxedo shirt is always a little dangerous. Certain staples shouldn't be mixed with. Light pink or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-feig/getting-away-from-a-white-or-light-colored-tuxedo-shirt-is-always-a/) [Paul Feig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-feig/) > [I put on the tuxedo, and it's like putting on overalls - they're my work clothes. Then I go to work. I'm relaxed. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hendry/i-put-on-the-tuxedo-and-it-s-like-putting-on-overalls-they-re-my-work/) [Stephen Hendry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hendry/) > [Did you ever feel as if the whole world was a tuxedo, and you were a pair of brown shoes?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gobel/did-you-ever-feel-as-if-the-whole-world-was-a-tuxedo-and-you-were-a/) [George Gobel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gobel/) > [Tommy Dorsey would walk up to you if you had a tuxedo on and make sure you didn't have on white socks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louie-bellson/tommy-dorsey-would-walk-up-to-you-if-you-had-a-tuxedo-on-and-make/) Louie Bellson > [“She broke up with you again, didn't she?" He flopped back in his chair, lanky legs hooked at the ankles. "She also reserved a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecily-white/she-broke-up-with-you-again-didn-t-she-he-flopped-back-in-his-chair/) [Cecily White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecily-white/) ## More by Janelle Monae > [I just think my own ambition would not allow me to sit on the gifts that my creator had given me. And so that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-monae/i-just-think-my-own-ambition-would-not-allow-me-to-sit-on-the-gifts/) [Janelle Monae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-monae/) > [Perfection is the enemy of greatness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-monae/perfection-is-the-enemy-of-greatness/) [Janelle Monae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-monae/) > [I am going to take art more seriously. I most definitely want to leave behind art, and that does not just mean music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-monae/i-am-going-to-take-art-more-seriously-i-most-definitely-want-to-leave/) [Janelle Monae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-monae/) > [It's unfortunate that a lot of people think African-American female artists are monolithically R&B this-or-that, don't have to do anything by default.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-monae/it-s-unfortunate-that-a-lot-of-people-think-african-american-female/) [Janelle Monae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-monae/) > [ It's hard for me to be serious. I can't really rub oil on me and go all the way with it \[laughs\]. I hear… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-monae/it-s-hard-for-me-to-be-serious-i-can-t-really-rub-oil-on-me-and-go/) [Janelle Monae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-monae/) > [People don't ask Jay-Z to take his shirt off when he rhymes,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-monae/people-don-t-ask-jay-z-to-take-his-shirt-off-when-he-rhymes/) [Janelle Monae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-monae/) > [I hope women feel confident with themselves and realize that we don't all have to look alike or be the same size to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-monae/i-hope-women-feel-confident-with-themselves-and-realize-that-we-don-t/) [Janelle Monae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-monae/) > [I feel myself becoming the fearless person I have dreamt of being. Have I arrived? No. But I'm constantly evolving and challenging myself to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-monae/i-feel-myself-becoming-the-fearless-person-i-have-dreamt-of-being/) [Janelle Monae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-monae/) > [I was made to believe there's something wrong with me,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-monae/i-was-made-to-believe-there-s-something-wrong-with-me/) [Janelle Monae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-monae/) > [I spend a lot of time in the future, But to help the future, sometimes you got to go back to the past, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-monae/i-spend-a-lot-of-time-in-the-future-but-to-help-the-future-sometimes/) [Janelle Monae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-monae/) > [You are only as beautiful as the many beautiful things you do for others without expectation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-monae/you-are-only-as-beautiful-as-the-many-beautiful-things-you-do-for/) [Janelle Monae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-monae/) > [Beauty is about enhancing what you have. Let yourself shine through.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-monae/beauty-is-about-enhancing-what-you-have-let-yourself-shine-through/) [Janelle Monae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-monae/) > [I'm always thinking about that young girl or young boy who doesn't quite know if their music, their messaging, their imaging, their voice is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-monae/i-m-always-thinking-about-that-young-girl-or-young-boy-who-doesn-t/) [Janelle Monae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-monae/) > [I've cried over string arrangements.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-monae/i-ve-cried-over-string-arrangements/) [Janelle Monae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-monae/) > [My mom is a great artist and she inspired me when I was young to sketch and draw, but I never took it seriously.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-monae/my-mom-is-a-great-artist-and-she-inspired-me-when-i-was-young-to/) [Janelle Monae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-monae/) [Explore all 119 Janelle Monae quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-monae/) ## More Never quotes > [It's really fun and challenging to build things that have never been built before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mason/it-s-really-fun-and-challenging-to-build-things-that-have-never-been/) [Hilary Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mason/) > [Usually male directors have to use foul language to get the job done. 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I've never even thought about having another job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-farrell/i-guess-i-ve-never-really-wanted-to-be-anything-else-i-ve-never-even/) [Owen Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-farrell/) > [I have fallen in love with American names, the sharp names that never get fat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-vincent-benet/i-have-fallen-in-love-with-american-names-the-sharp-names-that-never/) [Stephen Vincent Benet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-vincent-benet/) > [I don't think my relationship with the idea of womanhood is that attached to giving birth... like, I'm fully aware that I'll never give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patti-harrison/i-don-t-think-my-relationship-with-the-idea-of-womanhood-is-that/) [Patti Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patti-harrison/) > [I'm very used to working with first time actors - you can just look back at 'E.T.' with Drew Barrymore, and Christian Bale from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-spielberg/i-m-very-used-to-working-with-first-time-actors-you-can-just-look/) [Steven Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-spielberg/) > [If you’re a person struggling to eat and stay healthy you might have heard about Michael Jordan or Muhammad Ali, but you’ll never have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/if-you-re-a-person-struggling-to-eat-and-stay-healthy-you-might-have/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [I thought I fought a really good Orlando Salido. I never let him get into his fight. 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