Discovering Janet’s Closet: Michigan’s Haven for Transgender Shoppers

Anni Arbour

Published: January 9, 2025 | Last Updated: January 9, 2025

Driving down Fort Street, you cannot miss the boxy, cinder-block building featuring an exterior that still feels like a testament to its first incarnation as a mid-century supermarket, with prominent characteristics recalling its evolution since. The large garage door out front dates back to its transformation into a car dealership and, later, a high-performance engine shop. Its current garish purple paint job glaringly announces its use now as a crossdresser clothing store called Janet’s Closet.

The store proudly proclaims its status as the “World's Largest Store for Crossdressers and Transgender Individuals,” a claim I did not question upon nervously entering its 15,000-square-foot space. Dresses, tops and bottoms fill the floor space, rack-to-rack, wall-to-wall; wigs, shoes and stockings line the walls. For a niche set of buyers, there’s Janet's Dungeon, a connected shop of fetish and BDSM gear and accessories located in the same space.

Btljanetsmachengphotofinal — Janet's Closet today (bottom) and the building when it served as a drag race auto machine shop (top). Courtesy photo

I had come to shop at Janet's a few months into my gender transition journey. As I began reconfiguring my wardrobe to feminine styles, something quickly became apparent: I was going to have a hell of a time finding clothes that fit.

I am embarrassed to admit to all the money I wasted on ill-fitting clothing in the early days of my transition. I was blindly guessing at my sizes based on the sketchy "size guides" that usually accompany clothing ads online and vary wildly from seller to seller. Every online store has its own system.

Logically, buying at a brick-and-mortar store where you can try on clothing is undoubtedly a trans person's best option. Getting past your fear and trepidation of shopping in public is going to be your biggest challenge. Which is what led me to Janet's Closet.

A little history: The store is eponymously named for Janet Law, the store's founder and guiding light. In her previous cisgender man life, she was a local drag racing legend. A master mechanic known for building high performance engines, Law opened National Machined Engine in 1982, in the building formerly housing Downriver Dodge.

Law's connections to drag racing date back to the sport’s halcyon days at Detroit Dragway in the 1960s and '70s. In 1992, Law became manager of the then-closed venue and restored it to a semblance of its former glory. It was a short-lived renaissance, though, and soon, the fabled location at Sibley and Dix shut down for good.

Only a few years previously, Law had wandered into Gigi's, the iconic gay nightclub in Detroit. She had gone there with the purpose of scouting it out as a spot to take a date and check out the drag queen entertainment. She came away with a newly found desire to join the crossdressers there and became a regular at the club.

In time, Law dropped her “dead” first name and legally changed it to Janet. She also had top surgery, but not bottom. When questioned why by a reporter for Deadline Detroit, she replied, “Gender is between the ears, not between the legs.”

Eventually, she converted a portion of her machine shop to a store selling clothing for crossdressers. No such store existed in the Detroit area in the early 1990s, and few anywhere else.

It was an admittedly odd configuration: one side selling car parts and smelling of grease, the other selling women's dresses and stiletto heels. Strange bedfellows, to be sure. Imagine the looks on the faces of the Downriver gearheads who accidentally wandered over to the crossdresser's side.

Law sought to expand her operation by converting 1,200 feet of the building into a nightclub catering to a transgender and crossdresser clientele. The city zoning board refused her proposal, citing the lack of spaces.

Eventually, Law closed the machine shop side. Nowadays, she is semi-retired, and the store is run by Lexi Law, who took Janet's last name in honor of her.

I knew none of this history when I made my first trip to Janet's Closet. Upon entering the store, I had to first get past my kid-in-a-candy-store fascination. So much to choose from! Where do I start?

It is a traumatic experience when going shopping as a transgender person. So, I was apprehensive when I was met by one of the young women on staff. I explained my desire to buy a dress and a wig. Without batting an eye, she took me around and patiently helped me determine the right dress size and find the most flattering wig. No sign of critical judgment, not a smirk, nor a snide comment. Just business as usual for her, putting me at ease immediately.

“I am thrilled to hear that our staff makes you feel this way,” Lexi told me. “That is what we strive for. We hope to provide a safe, inclusive environment for our customers.”

Lexi has worked at the store since 2012. In Janet's absence, she now handles day-to-day operations. Along with bookkeeping and inventory ordering, Lexi also maintains the store's website, which represents a far bigger part of its business nowadays.

Our business [is] mostly online; I would estimate up to 75% at times,” said Lexi. “Over the past few years, though, it seems we have had an increase in store traffic. I think adding our Janet’s Dungeon section in the store has attributed to that traffic increase overall.”

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Janet’s Closet offers designs that work well for transgender women in sizes XS to 4X, including shirts, dresses, skirts, panties and corsets designed by the store as well as brands like Leg Avenue, Dreamgirl, Coquette and more. Shoppers can find hosiery, lingerie and clothing in regular and plus sizes. Most items include waist and chest measurements. Store-designed items offer options like a little extra room in the chest and longer lengths, Lexi explains.

“As a general rule,” Lexi advised, “women’s clothing will be 1 to 2 sizes up from a men’s size. If you wear a men's large T-shirt, you will likely be in the XL or 1X, maybe 2X range in women’s depending on the style.”

Shoes can pose an additional size challenge. It is virtually impossible to find a women's shoe outlet that sells shoes in sizes larger than a women's 12. One brand that does offer extended women’s sizes is Pleaser. Their sexy styles are generally worn by strippers and pole dancers, but they come in larger sizes and their use by drag queens introduced them to the trans community. Luckily, Janet's carries Pleaser shoes in-store. I bought a pair there myself.

The store has become a Mecca for transgender people throughout the United States. I have made the trip to Janet's Closet several times now. They fitted me for my first corset and bra, and on one occasion, I even treated myself to one of the makeovers they offer. While most of the drivers speeding down Fort Street probably wonder what goes on behind Janet's gaudy purple exterior, chances are they would never appreciate the affirmation to be found there for a transgender person.

Open Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Saturday, 12-6 p.m. Janet’s Closet is located at 2317 Fort Street in Wyandotte. Visit janetscloset.com to shop online.