Menswear Movement: New Year, New Hope

Suits from St. Harridan

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.

casey1Casey Legler

Saskia de Brauw

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 TailorsTomboy Tailors specializes in custom made suits and shirts. Image by Trish Tunney via Tomboy Tailors.

Kreuzbach10 line. Image via Kreuzbach10.

FourteenFourteen

AndrogynyAndrogyny

VEERVEER doesn’t design clothing, but rather handpicks items to curate a line for dapperQs

WildfangFashion insiders from big name companies have branched off to curate a line for dapperQ bodies at Wildfang.

HautebutchHaute 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.

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7 Comments

  • 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!

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