Fall Fashion: We Wear the Pants

Know what the latest in women's fashion is this fall? Yes, that's right. Menswear. Straight women have finally caught up to us lesbians. Well, kind of.

Ferre, Lim, and Wang Fall 2008 Collections from Style.com

Fall style guides are expounding on the virtues of adding a few choice items of menswear-inspired clothing to your wardrobe this season. Favorites include vests, slacks, boots, and military shirts and jackets. These are, of course, to be worn with other super-feminine clothing. After all, we don't want to look like men, do we?

Well, as a woman who has never liked dresses and would rather wear plaid than floral, I say eff 'em. Wear as much menswear as you want - or, you know, as little. After all, we lesbians have been wearing clothes designed for men for years and looking damn good in 'em.

Ok, so this isn't exactly a new trend, even in the straight world. It's been floating around for a few years, at least. Yes, I am excited about this trend because it means that I might be trendy for once with my butch self (yeah right), and it means that I will probably get to see more lovely ladies in button-downs and ties. But I'm also excited about this trend because gender boundaries in clothing are starting to blur. Women wearing ties and men wearing supertight jeans aren't exactly the norm - at least not in most circles - but they're certainly becoming more common by the week.

So what does this mean for you?

We ladies on the butch side of the spectrum are well prepared for this. Of course, as a women regularly wearing mens' clothing, you're probably not too concerned at what the wider women's fashion world thinks of what you're wearing. Just know that you are in fact trendy this season.

All you femmes out there who want to keep on the cutting edge of fashion, you may have an advantage over the straight women out there. Now, we're all aware of how nice it can be to date someone who wears the same sized clothing out there. If you're a woman with no mens' clothing in your own closet, but you happen to be dating (or friends with) a woman who does - butch or otherwise - you're in luck. You're in a perfect position to expand your wardrobe to match the season's trends without having to buy a thing. Just borrow some items from your best gal's closet!

And all of you whose style lies somewhere in the middle of the gender spectrum - well, I would bet money that you're the ones who are influencing this trend. You've already got the wardrobe for this fall, and you know how to put it all together. Kudos to you.

Weddings, Dyke Style

Well, as I know you've heard by now the Queen Mother of lesbians, Ellen DeGeneres, and her girlfriend Portia de Rossi got hitched this weekend.

So what do lesbians wear to get married anyway? Well, honestly I think we're lucky. Gay men generally seem to wear suits or tuxes, while straight people are stuck in their gender roles. We, on the other hand, have the entire spectrum of formal wear to choose from. So let's start with Ellen and Portia.

I'm honestly not sold on Ellen's outfit. She usually has an awesome sense of style - I'm fairly convinced she brought the casual blazer style into lesbiandom singlehandedly. This outfit though ... Well, the shirt is kind of nice - what I can see of it anyway. And the pants are inoffensive enough. But the vest? It makes me think she's reverted to her old 80s self. I could definitely see that outfit working with a silk suit vest or something along those lines, but seems to be some sort of odd halter-vest-thing. Anyway, I'm not impressed.



Portia, on the other hand, looks lovely as always. She wore a dress by Zac Posen. Lots of poof and lots of skin in all the right places for a classy summer wedding gown. The two exchanged hand-written vows and rings designed by Neil Lane.

So what about the rest of us who don't have money for designer fashions and who in all likelihood will not get pictures of our weddings leaked to the press? Well, here's what's in with lesbian weddings.

There has been a trend, especially since marriage became legal, to go the classic route with the tux and gown. I'm a huge fan of tuxes, and this is a great idea for lesbians who have always dreamed of getting married with all the bells and whistles and maybe dreamed of being the one wearing the cuff links too.

It can get a little more complicated with two women in big poofy wedding dresses. Mostly you need to make sure that the combination of the two won't prevent you from leaning over to kiss the bride.

On the other hand, there seem to be a significant number of lesbians having less traditional weddings - whether that means showing up at the San Francisco court house to get the document or a big party on the beach.

One thing I've seen a lot of - and we do see this in the DeGeneres-de Rossi wedding - is one or both women in a white or tan suit. I like this look. It's not the traditional tux, so it's good for women who are worried about projecting an "I'm the man in the relationship" image, and at the same time it's a nice compromise for those of us who would rather kiss a man than wear a dress.

There are also a lot of lovely embroidered button-down shirts and a lot of colorful gowns and dresses. The best advice I've heard, really, is take whatever you're most comfortable wearing - and wear a nicer version! There are obviously a lot of choices for dresses that I can't even begin to contemplate. Dresses are like a whole different world to me. Then there are blazers and tux jackets and silk shirts and slacks. The possibilities for us lesbians really are endless.


Technorati Tags: lesbian,, wedding,, gay,, marriage,, fashion

A Lesbian Fashion Product Review: Schick Quattro Titanium Trimmer

About a week ago I got a Schick Quattro Titanium Trimmer Razor in the mail, sent by a nice marketing company who thinks that stuff should totally be marketed to lesbians.

I totally agree with this sentiment, so I figured I'd check it out and give you the dirt on this razor.

The first thing I thought when I saw this razor was: neat!

Why?


Well one end has a 4-bladed, titanium-tipped razor with an edging blade on the opposite side. The blades are apparently coated in titanium, which keeps it sharp or gives you superpowers or something. The other end of this thing has an adjustable, battery-powered trimmer with a removable comb.

It claims to be shower-proof and, after at least a week in my shower, it seems to be doing fine.

First, a note on the 4-blade thing. I've been doing just fine with 3, and I thought 4 would just be silly and excessive. I have to say, I'm changing my tune. Four blades is nice. Five is just silly and excessive.

Now, you may be thinking that a razor like this was created for men. Well, that's probably true. After all, what are women going to do with a beard trimmer? I can think of a few things, at least.

1. For the ladies with hair even shorter hair than I, it would work just fine as a hair trimmer.
2. For the ladies who don't like waxing, you can use this to trim your more private hair. I gave this a shot, and I give it two thumbs up.
3. For the drag kings, to use as intended!

Finally, you might be worried about cutting yourself on the razor while using the trimmer, or vice versa. I can assure you that if this was easily done, I would have done it. I accidentally pushed the trimmer button a couple of times while shaving and wondered why my armpit was vibrating, but I ended up with no damage either to pit or fingers.

Looks like you can get the trimmer for between $10 and $15 with replacement blades somewhere around $12 for a 4 pack and $17 for an 8 pack.

If the titanium really ends up doing as advertised and keeping the blades sharper longer, I'd say that this is a pretty good deal, and if you need a trimmer for one reason or another it's a fun gadget.

Camping in Style

The summer vacation season is in full swing and today our Style Butch, Brigid Shaw, heads to the great outdoors and shows you what the styling butch should have along with her while she is communing with Mother Nature.

Whether you're visiting your friendly neighborhood National Park or headed off to set up camp at a music festival, 'tis the season to break out the tents and the bug spray. I'm going to assume that most of you know the basics of camping – how to set up a tent, where to store your food, etc. Here' I'll be looking at what's new on the camping scene. Keep in mind, though, that you by no means need new, expensive gear to enjoy yourself outdoors. All you really need is a sleeping bag and a sense of adventure.

When it comes to clothing, The Merrell Gatherer Jacket caused quite a stir recently, around the internet at least. This is basically a jacket shell covered in pockets that the wearer can fill with whatever happens to be nearby. A little cold? Grab a handful of leaves and stuff 'em in. Too hot? Take out all the stuffing and wear it as a windbreaker. It went from concept piece to on the shelves in a few months, and this creative, mulifunction design may be an indication of where sportswear manufacturers are headed.

The other big trend in outdoor wear is more predictable. Environmentally conscious clothing design and manufacture has been around in this sphere a little longer than in most, but it's really started to take off in the last few years. Patagonia, for instance, makes their clothing out of 100% organic cotton and runs recycling programs for capeline and fleece. Other companies like Marmot and Big Agnes are starting to make sleeping bags out of recycled materials. Suffice it to say, if you're looking for some eco-friendly gear, you won't have to look too hard.

Solar power is another big thing, not just on the green front but on the outdoor one as well. Solar chargers can be handy if you're going to be in the backcountry for a few days and you really, really need that iPod or cell phone charged. Be warned, though. If you're just looking to be eco-conscious, you'll have to use that spiffy charger for several years before it pays back the energy used to produce it. The brand I've seen floating around is Solio, which has a neat little fold-out design and a suction cup to stick to your windows.<

You're going to need water if you plan on doing some hiking or some cooking. I hope you've already gotten the news, but if you haven't – BPA, which is a chemical used in the manufacture of polycarbonate and therefore many reusable water bottles, has been linked to various health problems. Because of this, metal water bottles have been increasing in popularity. SIGG is the most popular brand – so popular, in fact, that their web site claims that they are manufacturing at top capacity and still can't meet the demand – but there are a bunch of other brands out there. And don't throw your old Nalgenes away just yet. You can always use them for storage, or even as a lantern.

Finally, you'll need somewhere to sleep. Recently I've taken up hammock camping. It seems to be a growing movement both in casual camping and in hardcore ultralight backpacking. Hammocks are generally reviewed as more comfortable – and way lighter – than tents. They take only a couple of minutes to set up, and if you use thicker nylon straps instead of rope they have a lower environmental impact than tents. Their only downfall is the colder months, but creative solutions like extra insulation and down quilts seem to solve that too. I personally have an ENO hammock, which I've spent several nights in. It's really nice to get rocked to sleep while looking up at the stars.

If you're looking for something a little more luxurious, the Airstream is the Mercedes of stylish camping. Airstreams certainly aren't new, but they're back with a passion. Retro is cool, and Airstreams are both. Their design hasn't changed much since the '40s, and they call to mind images of motor lodges on Route 66 and campy tourist attractions like the world's largest ball of twine (which, incidentally, is in Cawker City, Kansas).