A reader recently left the following comment:
“When on earth would they start making men’s clothing for women? It’s high time fashion went androgynous all the way. I’m so tired of having to stick with clothes for teen boys.”
We get countless questions and comments similar to this from masculine-of-center women and transmasculine individuals who are fed up (and rightfully so) with struggling to find clothes that fit.
Two years ago, when I first started writing for dapperQ, I felt extraordinarily limited by what I could recommend to our readers because menswear is generally not made to fit the majority of our readers’ bodies. From time to time, I would receive an e-mail from a design house announcing the launch of a new line of menswear made to fit dapperQ bodies, only to find out that these collections consisted only of t-shirts. I would scour the internet looking for fit tips and found that there were nearly zero websites providing solutions to our readers’ questions and nearly zero menswear lines that offered stylish, quality menswear essentials made to fit dapperQ bodies.
So, yes, the time is way overdue for a menswear movement – no, a total fashion revolution – that crushes binary gender, hetero-normative, and patriarchal fashion ideals. In the past two years, the change has come slowly, creeping little-by-little.
Sonny Oram, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Qwear
LGW & Jamie, Co-Founders of The Test Shot
Adding to existing resources such as dapperQ and Original Plumbing, new, fresh, and inspiring blogs like Qwear, The Test Shot, The Handsome Butch, Tips for Trans Men, and Queer B.O.I.S. started budding and thriving as an alternative to the jungle of menswear blogs aimed at cis-gender males that have proliferated with the culture’s renewed interest in men’s fashion. And, I can see the movement growing faster and faster all over the internet.
Mr. Rachel Tutera, Founder of The Handsome Butch
McKinzie, Co-Founder of Queer B.O.I.S.
Last month alone, I was happy to report that Time magazine featured Casey Legler, a female-identified model signed to work EXCLUSIVELY as a male model with Ford, and that the high-end luxury brand Yves Saint Laurent has selected Dutch model Saskia de Brauw to front the campaign for their spring/summer 2013 menswear collection. Even dapperQ was featured on Newsweek magazine’s The Daily Beast T.V.
And, even more promising is that I have seen a gradual growth in the number of menswear lines made for dapperQ bodies, such as Marimacho, The Original Tomboy, Saint Harridan, VEEA Androgynous Fashion, Tomboy Tailors, Kreuzbach10, and Fourteen. NOT just t-shirts. The REAL DEAL.
The existing Marimacho line will be rolling out made-to-measure options in 2013. Photo by Bex Wade.
The Original Tomboy line. Photo by Alfonso Cantarero.
Saint Harridan custom made suits. Image via Saint Harridan.
The Androgynous Fashion line. Image via Androgynous Fashion.
Tomboy Tailors specializes in custom made suits and shirts. Image by Trish Tunney via Tomboy Tailors.
Kreuzbach10 line. Image via Kreuzbach10.
VEER doesn’t design clothing, but rather handpicks items to curate a line for dapperQs
Fashion insiders from big name companies have branched off to curate a line for dapperQ bodies at Wildfang.
Haute Butch offers classic button downs, ties, and creative outerwear.
So, this new year, go out there and support the fashion bloggers, models, and designers that support and represent you. Keep the momentum going. Spread the word. Share the love.
Looking forward to see more from this site
You should also check out Androgyny http://www.wearandrogyny.com. They offering premium menswear inspired button-up that have been re-engineered to fit those born with a feminine form. The FIT is awesome and the styles are distinct – check them out!
We’d love to be included in this roundup! Fourteen has hot ready to wear (RTW) jackets, vests, shirts, pants, ties and bowties all designed with and tested on real life clients! Check out http://www.fourteenstyle.com and for even more photos, Facebook.com/Fourteen.inc
It’s all well and good (and cute) until these kids hit their 30s, 40s and beyond. Once they start to actually grow real curves and look like adults, this look will stop working. Instead of cute, they’ll simply look sloppy. Enjoy the ride while it lasts, kiddos!
What a great article. I live in Santa Rosa and recently heard about Kipper Clothiers. They are another SF-based queer custom tailor. I’m thinking about getting a shirt from them soon. Will keep y’all updated!
You should definitely include Santa Rosa based HAUTEBUTCH in this group for not only a well rounded array of dress shirts,outerwear,bodywear and neckwear but even their very own line of original footwear. Hautebutch has been around for almost 2 years and thriving! Check them out http://www.hautebutch.com and Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/ButchByDesign
nice