Queer lady fashion has had a history of being considered an unfashionable way to establish someone’s identity in the community. Queer fashion for lesbians and bisexuals has stereotypically been dubbed more masculine. The usual image when it comes to lady queers is butch or androgynous.
According to a study done at the University of West England, by Victoria Clark and Kevin Turner, “there are distinct lesbian and gay appearance norms. These norms centre on a butch or androgynous … many people feel under pressure to conform to these norms in order to be accepted by other lesbians.”
Although there are many spectrum’s of gender identity, we are going to take a look into stereotypical queer fashion.
What are the different identities?
Butch (stone, soft): Slang, used to describe a queer man or a woman who is overtly masculine. This is defined by the clothing the individual chooses to wear, if it is loose fitting and comfortable. A person can also be defined as butch by sporting a cropped haircut that is cut close to the scalp.
Femme (hard, soft): A women who gives off exaggerated feminine traits. This can include long hair, wearing heels and a dress, or if they choose to wear a significant amount of makeup.
Dapper: In the English language, dapper means trim and well-dressed. In the queer community, it means suits, bowties and a nice pair of Oxfords.
Androgynous: An out-of-date term, but its definition is someone who is neither masculine nor feminine but somewhere in the middle. This look is popular in the rock music scene.
Shoes?
Doc Martins: Essential when choosing queer footwear, Doc Martins have been the footwear of choice for the art, music and queer scene. According to The Guardian, the footwear was invented by a German army doctor, Klaus Martens, and the company is now based in England. The boots have been seen in a number of sub-cultures as well, including punks, the LGBT community, mods and glam rockers, goths and skinheads. These shoes are great to add to your femme look, with a skirt and tights, or to seal your butch identity.
Converse: A good canvas running shoe is important for your queer look. Converse is an American company. The shoe has been a part of the skater, rocker and queer subculture. Not only are they fun to mix and match with skirts, shorts or straight-leg pants, they are also comfortable so that you can easily switch from your super-queer apple-picking date to dancing your cute booty off at a nearby club.
What do I wear with those shoes? Pants.
Trousers: The most universal of the pants, trousers look professional and provide comfort and full coverage. Trousers can also be dressed more femme than butch, depending on where on the gender spectrum you fall that day.
“Mom” Jeans: Those pants that should have been burned in the ’90s are back, and ready to offset a lot of butts. But, it’s okay, because in queer fashion, comfort is a must and clothes are not worn to be sexually alluring. When looking for anything to cover your bottom that fits into the queer sub-culture, always look for straight-legged pants.
That thing I use as a napkin
Button-ups: Button-up shirts are a staple in queer fashion. To go further, plaid button-up shirts are a must. They are masculine looking and, for the stereotypical lady queer, they make you look somewhat dressed-up (excluding plaid) and are, again, comfortable.
The cut-off tee: Cut off tee-shirts are super queer and have been popular in the women’s rights movement (second wave). They are nice in the summer and a sleeveless button-up may even be able to make its way into the office.
V-necks: The v-neck tee-shirt originated in the Middle East, and has made its way into queer culture. This is due to the abundance of them for sale at any American Apparel.
Queer Accessories
Toques: Yes, even in the summer.
Caps: Floral caps are really in right now. Hannah Hart, YouTube sensation from My Drunk Kitchen, even has one.
Suspenders: Always aim for suspenders.
Bowties: For the dapper queer.
