dapperQ’s store guide is a roundup of retailers that are designing or curating collections of *menswear and/or *menswear inspired clothing, accessories, undergarments, and shoes for you! We included retailers that are:
+ Queer owned and operated and/or queer friendly;
+ dapperQ approved (Meaning our team personally owns and/or has tested their products); and/or
+ Recommended by readers.
dapperQ launched in 2009 and has been archiving queer style for over a decade now. While we update the list regularly, we keep closed brands on the list in order to document and preserve queer style history.
Wildfang Flagship Store
A/C Space
Queer owned and operated, Ambiance Couture designs bow ties made from the finest textiles, prints, and accents. Standout products: Ambiance’s Symphony Trio bow tie made our list of top 10 bow-ties of 2012. The brand’s owner and designer, Silki Harris, wowed audiences at dapperQ’s second New York Fashion Week event with Ambiance’s unique bow tie chains.
www.acouturebowtie.com
ALLJACKEDUP (REPORTED CLOSED)
A/C SPACE is a queer-owned, genderless streetwear line made with reclaimed fabric. We take materials that would otherwise be destined for landfills and repurpose it to make clothes that make you look and feel good. Each object is unique and may have slight variations based on the fabrics and trims we find. All production is made in The Garment District of New York City. A/C SPACE represents an inclusive space where all individuals can celebrate their identities and backgrounds.
www.theacspace.com
AMBIANCE COUTURE BOW TIES (REPORTED CLOSED)
Queer owned and operated, Ambiance Couture designs bow ties made from the finest textiles, prints, and accents. Standout products: Ambiance’s Symphony Trio bow tie made our list of top 10 bow-ties of 2012. The brand’s owner and designer, Silki Harris, wowed audiences at dapperQ’s second New York Fashion Week event with Ambiance’s unique bow tie chains.
www.acouturebowtie.com
ANDROGYNY (REPORTED CLOSED)
Androgyny is a revolutionary brand designing clothing for androgynous women and trans* identified individuals, who have fit and style preferences that are rarely met by mainstream brands. Standout products: Signature shirt that has (1) a “boob” button to minimize gaping, (2) no darts, (3) a full cut to accommodate, but not accentuate, curves.
www.wearandrogyny.com
ANGIE CHUANG (REBRANDED AS A/C SPACE)
Angie Chuang is a NYC-based genderfluid, high-end streetwear brand. With a mindful balance of masculine and feminine, the line offers new perspectives on traditional silhouettes. Each piece draws from art and architecture reinterpreted into color stories, textures and an innovative design approach. Chuang graduated from Parsons School of Design with a degree in fashion design. She honed her technical skills at some of the industries most respected and celebrated fashion houses including Theory, Coach and Kenneth Cole.
www.angiechuangnyc.com
ART SCHOOL
Art School is a unisex, London based label which focuses on redefining the limitations of ready-to-wear gendered fashion and aims to celebrate idiosyncratic individuality of queer style.
www.artschool-london.com
AUDIO HELKUIK
Audio Helkuik is a queer/trans designer with an obsession with leather and an intentional disregard for traditional gender norms. Knowing each body is uniquely beautiful, every garment and leather harness is handmade according to the customer’s measurements. This brand’s mission is to make their customers feel powerful and brave through the act of getting dressed and accessorized.
www.audiohelkuik.com
BINDLE & KEEP
Bindle & Keep is a bespoke menswear company based out of New York City that endeavors to provide the finest fabrics, an unparalleled attention to detail, and white-glove client service. They tailor suits, shirts, and jackets to your exacting specifications and sartorial tastes. Standout products: Rae Tutera, dapperQ contributor and founder of the fashion blog The Handsome Butch, endorses their bespoke dress shirts, and our readers recommend Bindle & Keep for high quality wedding attire.
www.bindleandkeep.com
BKLYN DRY GOODS (REPORTED CLOSED)
By forgoing the traditional brick and mortar formula and instead hosting pop-up events throughout New York City and points across the country, BKLYN Dry Goods strives to bring the market a tightly merchandised, thoughtfully executed collection of menswear, objects and curiosities offered at extremely fair prices. Standout products: Items in their apparel section are vintage and/or rare, so there is usually just one of each item available. But, they are so thoughtfully curated that it is easy to put together a one-of-a-kind heritage, urban woodsman dapper look. Co-owner Jahn Hall is a genius at styling dapperQ bodies (take a look at his work here).
www.bklyndrygoods.com
BROOKS BROTHERS
Brooks Brothers is known for its all-American classic style for both *men and *women. But, did you know that in 1954, the BB NYC store created a counter to encourage women to buy men’s shirts for themselves? Since then, BB has been creating both *men’s and *women’s classic pieces that look great on all genders. Standout products: Our readers recommend both their *men’s and *women’s dress shirts. But, we’re particularly fond of their Classic *Women’s Button-Down shirt, because it has no bust darts and has a relaxed fit through the body and hips for female-bodied individuals.
www.brooksbrothers.com
BULL AND DAGGER
Bull and Dagger is the U.K.’s first gender queer label offering ready-to-wear classic tailoring online and custom suiting by appointment. With a British heritage aesthetic in mind and tipping a carefully millinered brim to the flamboyant, the dandy, and the fop of a bygone era, Bull & Dagger reclaims the essence of the attention seeker with a deconstructed view towards the future.
www.bullanddagger.com
BUTCH BASIX
Queer owned and operated Butch Basix offers all of the extras you need to kick your dapper game up a notch: ties, rings, bottle openers, skin care, you name it. They are on point with their accessory game, particularly rings and wrist cuffs.
www.butchbasix.com
BUTCH CLOTHING COMPANY
BCC provides suits, jackets, trousers, shirts, waistcoats, overcoats, and accessories designed to fit a butch woman perfectly! Standout products: Outstanding, classic bespoke wedding attire, formal wear, and business suits.
thebutchclothingcompany.co.uk
CHARLIEBOY
CharlieBoy is a new gender of clothing encouraging freedom for women and trans* identified individuals to express themselves through the way they dress and experiment with tomboy and androgynous style. Standout products: Their long and short sleeve button-down shirts, which are inspired by the 1920s, are a perfect mix of modern and retro.
charlieboy.net.au
CHROMAT
Chromat began in 2010, drawing from founder Becca McCharen-Tran’s background in architecture. Each Chromat collection explores the intersection of architecture, fashion and technology, producing garments that augment and enhance the body’s performance through innovative design and cutting-edge technical fabrics. Chromat is designed in New York City and Miami by a diverse team of creative collaborators ranging from artists to scientists to choreographers. Chromat is queer owned and known for casting some of the most diverse bodies to model their designs.
www.chromat.co
CILIUM
Cilium, formerly known as TILLYandWILLIAM, is a clothier with a philosophy that celebrates and explores innovation, transformability, and gender non-exclusivity. At the nucleus of Cilium is designer Tilly d Wolfe. They spent years crafting Cilium to align itself with active social and environmental responsibilities in regards to the sourcing and production of its wares while seeking new and ancient technologies for unyieldingly comfortable and sustainable materials. The goal is to extend the use of clothing, thinking about the ways in which you may use it throughout a given day as well as how it can evolve across a lifetime. Creating pieces that move in rhythm with our physical needs and possess the ability to transform in tandem with our ever-changing sartorial desires.
www.cilium.nu
CLAIRE FLEURY
Queer designer Claire Fleury has been a costume and fashion designer since 2014. With a profound history in dance and theatre, CF creates her designs with a stage in mind.CF is perpetually looking for the perfect balance of elegance and wit, funkiness and tradition in her designs, and by using vibrant textiles and easy going but structural silhouettes she creates an array of sculptural and colorful original garments that are meant to adorn and celebrate the human body in all its glory.
‘Gender is irrelevant: It’s all about pattern, cut, and catching the eye.’ (Cate McQuaid for the Boston Globe).
www.clairefleury.com
DEVONATION
DEVONATION by Devon Yan is an independent custom made fashion label, serving people who like to adding a polished, bold, fashion forward and one of kind piece of art to their wardrobes. The impeccably tailored styles can be style feminine, masculine, and anywhere in between or outside of, blurring all boundaries.
www.devonyan.com
DISTINGUISHED CRAVAT (REPORTED CLOSED)
Distinguished Cravats are not your average neckties and bow ties. Designer Kate Ross uses unique blends of silk with leather neck “straps” to create head-turning, statement pieces. Standout products: Ross’ collections change regularly, so that her line stays fresh and relevant.
www.distinguishedcravat.com
DUCHESS CLOTHIER
Duchess provides high quality suits and other garments, both custom and off-the-rack, as well as excellent, impassioned, and insightful service. Standout products: Impeccably made masculine suits and wedding attire.
www.duchessclothier.com
EIGHT + SAND
Queer owned and operated Eight + Sand offers American classics – well-tailored basics such as T-shirts, hoodies and button-down shirts – that are made in the US. Eight + Sand measured real people, by hand, to find out how the body presents in all its diversity. Then they sewed samples for every object we make, for every size, and adjusted measurements for every single one. Sizes range from X-small to XX-large, and customers can store their measurements for future purchases.
www.eightsand.com
EVERLANE
Sonny Oram, Founder of the queer style blog Qwear, is a big fan of Everlane’s affordable casual basics, such as their t-shirts, terry sweatshirts, and button-downs. We think Oram looks great in Everlane too (see here).
www.everlane.com
EXCEPTIONAL NEW DESIGN CONCEPT SHOP (REPORTED CLOSED)
END is an independent unisex e-store featuring a roster of global, underground brands. Standout products: dapperQ guest bloggers Jaime and LGW of The Test Shot, an online project that documents transmasculine style, recently modeled some of END’s shirts and pants and our team was immediately impressed by the style and quality of brands featured in END’s collection.
www.exceptionalnewdesign.com
FOURTEEN (REPORTED CLOSED)
Fourteen is a clothing line of classic suit separates specially tailored for the lesbian, queer, and trans community. Standout products: Impeccably made tuxedos and tuxedo shirts with necklines and shirt cuffs that are modified, and chest room added where needed. Readers highly recommend Fourteen for wedding attire. Items in their collection were featured and received rave reviews at dapperQ’s second New York Fashion Week event.
www.fourteenstyle.com
FOX & BRIE
Fox & Brie is a line of handcrafted menswear, specializing in bow ties, neckties and other accessories. Ties are made with a variety of new and vintage fabrics collected from all over the world. Standout products: Fox & Brie bow ties received high praise from attendees at dapperQ’s New York Fashion Week. Their bow ties have also made our list of top 10 bow ties of 2012.
www.etsy.com/shop/FoxandBrie
GENDER FREE WORLD
Gender Free World (GFW) was founded in 2015 (part of Gender Free World Ltd) by a consortium of like-minded individuals who were seeking alternatives to ill-fitting androgynous and masculine attire that is traditionally designed for a narrow group of consumers. Standout products: GFW’s first collection of long sleeve shirts. The fabric is sourced from sustainable production and conforms to the ‘fair made’ standard. GFW’s collections has since grown from shirts to include underwear, bow-ties, and coats.
www.genderfreeworld.com
GRIT GEAR (REPORTED CLOSED)
Grit Gear wearable leather art accessories are custom made with high-quality leather and hardware. Every piece is an original design, by queer artist YK Hong, created to distinguish and make a statement. Standout products: We are HUGE fans of Grit Gear leather suspenders and bow-ties. Their Triple Suspension suspenders were received with high acclaim at dapperQ’s second New York Fashion Week event.
www.gritgearnyc.com
GYPSY SPORT
Gypsy Sport is a unisex sportswear brand that uses upcycled materials. All products are made in the U.S. Gypsy Sport is a lifestyle brand that has gained mainstream comercial success with regular fashion week collections featured in elite publications, such as Vogue.
www.gypsysportny.com
HALZ
HALZ started in the basement of an apartment in Brooklyn. Since then, they have worked tirelessly to create what they felt didn’t exist. HALZ is genderless and minimally sized; crafted to adapt to the wearer and highlight and what they choose to accentuate. HALZ strives to craft clothing that generates a safe space.
@halznyc
HAUTE BUTCH
Haute Butch fashion collection is a vibrant outward expression of dressing that represents the core of a butch woman’s gender presentation. From unique blazers, color contrasting dress shirts, sleek and highly tailored vests, preppy pastel polos – butch style seekers can consider this label a “go to destination for all things butch.” Standout products: We are fans of their outerwear and jackets, as pictured here on Brown Boi Shea Archer at Archer’s wedding officiated by B. Cole.
www.hautebutch.com
JAG & CO. (REPORTED CLOSED)
Bespoke clothing meets vintage chic at this clothier that creates clothing for all genders. CEO and designer Jaguar Bedford has designed her website without the traditional “men’s” and “women’s” categories. It’s just all about the clothes here. Standout products: Every item of clothing is beautifully tailored. Jag & Co. offers a Paper Boy Suit, complete with matching formal dress shorts; perfect for formal events on days that are just too hot for pants.
www.jaguarandcompany.com
JO JO & SOFIA
Jo Jo & Sofia hand makes one-of-a-kind accessories, such as tie clips, cuff links, and pocket squares, from refurbished vintage digs. Standout products: Upcycled tie clips and pocket squares have been a smash at dapperQ New York Fashion Week events since 2012. Their Roar tie clip is a dapperQ team favorite.
www.jojoandsofia.com
KIPPER CLOTHIERS
Based out of San Francisco, Kipper Clothiers is committed the production of high-quality, well-fitting custom suits and shirts with a masculine silhouette for the Bay Area LGBTQ community. Standout products: Master tailors create wedding attire, formal wear, and business suits that are form-fitting, with armholes that are raised, and pants constructed to provide a cleaner line from the waist to the ankle.
www.kipperclothiers.com
KIRRIN FINCH
Kirrin Finch is a conscientious clothing company, founded by Brooklyn-based couple Laura and Kelly Moffat, that creates menswear-inspired apparel designed to fit a range of female bodies, non-binary folks and transmen. Their button-up shirts and t-shirts are made in New York City using eco-friendly materials and practices. Standout products: their button-ups are known for having unique accent details, such as colorful cuff buttons, contrasting fabrics on the pocket and cuffs, and fun printed fabrics.
www.kirrinfinch.com
KREUZBACH10 (REPORTED CLOSED)
Kreuzbach 10 designs menswear inspired shirts cut to fit women’s bodies. Standout products: Australian sizing runs small, so their tuxedo shirt is perfect for petite individuals. Kreuzbach 10 was featured in and received rave reviews at dapperQ’s second New York Fashion Week event.
www.kreuzbach10.com
KRIS HARRING
Queer and Black owned, KRIS HARRING is an emerging apparel brand that embraces all who embrace themselves. The brand designs, develops and manufactures genderless staples that can easily transition from day to evening merging the worlds of “mens” and “womenswear” with subtle ease and versatility giving us the freedom to never compromise again.
www.krisharring.com
LANDEROS NEW YORK
LANDEROS NEW YORK is dark, romantic and gender-neutral at its core. By intricately weaving his love of art and new wave music into the fabric and design of each collection, Andre Landeros Michel crafts the distinct LANDEROS NEW YORK aesthetic. Exaggerated silhouettes and details derive inspiration from new wave album artwork and 80’s nightlife subcultures. LANDEROS NEW YORK enjoys blurring and eliminating sartorial gender binaries, allowing the individual to imbue their own meaning into each piece.
www.landerosnewyork.com
LANDS END
Lands End offers timeless American pieces that are made to last. Standout products: Gone are the days when we associate Lands End with mom jeans. They are competing with brands like J. Crew to bring stylish new heirlooms for the fashion-forward prepster at any age. Our readers really appreciate their selection of button-downs that come without bust darts (unfortunately, plus-sizes come with darts) and tailored pants that accommodate hips.
www.landsend.com
MARIMACHO (REPORTED CLOSED)
Marimacho is classic fashion, including blazers/jackets, swimwear, dress shirts, and pants, designed for the unconventionally masculine. Standout products: Marimaco’s Brooklyn Blazer addresses common fit issues and has elbow patches that epitomize classic dapper style. Also, readers swear by Marimacho’s gender-neutral swimwear.
www.marimachobk.com
MEN’S WEARHOUSE
Men’s suits, dress shirts, ties, shoes, slacks, sport coats, tuxedos and casual clothing. Standout products: Many of our readers have purchased or rented their wedding suits from Men’s Wearhouse. And, while we cannot vouch for all of the locations, our readers have stated that Men’s Wearhouse offers great customer service.
www.menswearhouse.com
NIK KACY GENDER NEUTRAL FOOTWEAR
Inspired by the fashion needs of the LGBTQ community, NiK Kacy has designed a collection of luxury, gender equal shoes that fits all genders and identities. Standout products: Pretty much every shoe is pure indulgence, from their classic derby’s to their monk strap boots.
www.nikkacy.com
ORIGINAL TOMBOY (REPORTED CLOSED)
Original Tomboy is a lifestyle brand by Alicia Hardesty, who draws on her Kentucky heritage to design unisex clothing that is a mixture of modern and vintage. Standout products: Self-identified tomboy Hardesty is already receiving acclaim for her innovative, “Southern cool” designs and even landed a spot on Project Runway season 10. Additionally, items from her collection were featured in and received high praise at dapperQ’s second New York Fashion Week event.
www.theoriginaltomboy.com
OUTPLAY
Outplay is a queer-owned, Miami-based company designing androgynous, gender-neutral swimwear. They offer full-coverage and mid-drift swim tops, swim trunks, and board shorts. Standout products: In addition to swimwear, Outplay offers super comfortable, drop-crotch pants that are perfect to throw on if you want to look stylish after a dip in the water.
www.outplaywear.com
PEAU DE LOUP
Based out of Vancouver, Peau De Loup (PDL) is an apparel company specializing in button-downs for female-bodied individuals. Standout products: Their Alpha shirt, made of up-cycled fabrics, is engineered with all of the details of a traditional menswear shirt but made to fit dapperQs. PDL sources only the best material, so their shirts feel lux (LUX, LUXXXXX – the staff own some)…and they are environmentally friendly.
www.peaudeloup.com
PETER MANNING / FIVE EIGHT NYC
Peter Manning / Five Eight was founded to provide men 5’8” and under with great clothing that fits properly. While the company’s original focus was to serve the over 25% of American men 5’8″ and under, the company understands that masculine people of all genders experience similar fit issues. And, they are queer-friendly! Standout products: Many brands are specializing in button-downs and bespoke formal wear; but, Peter Manning / Five Eight offers stylish off the rack casual pants, like their slim fit chinos, with inseams that start at 27″.
www.petermanningnyc.com
PLAY OUT UNDERWEAR
Gender-neutral underwear for women that breaks the stereotype – not too pink, not too girly. Just cool, comfortable, sexy and fun – like you! Standout products: Play Out’s Hipster and Boy Short style underwear are great for dapperQs who like *men’s underwear but do not want the Y-front opening. The company is also queer owned and operated, so that’s an added bonus.
www.playout-underwear.com
RATIO CLOTHING
Ratio clothing handcrafts custom-made shirts in the USA, guaranteeing a perfect fit or they’ll remake your shirt(s) for free! Standout products: For every dollar you spend on an off-the-rack designer shirt, only about 20 cents go towards the actual labor and materials to make it. At Ratio, it’s over double that, which leads to a much higher quality product. Don’t believe us? Then ask Sonny Oram of the queer blog Qwear to tell you just how happy they are with how Ratio’s shirts fit.
www.ratioclothing.com
RODEOH
Women owned and operated RodeoH offers high quality, fashionable harnesses perfect for packing or strapping. Standout products: We normally would not include adult toys in our list of recommended *menswear brands. However, these harnesses are very stylish, no-fuss, fun undergarments that also happen to have a more “functional” purpose.
www.rodeoh.com
SAINT HARRIDAN (REPORTED CLOSED)
Saint Harridan has created a line of suits designed to fit your body and your gender. Suits feature a sleek masculine cut, re-engineered for women and transmen. Standout products: Their suits, of course! They were a smash at dapperQ’s second New York Fashion Week event and are perfect for work and weddings. Right now, everyone wants to get their hands on a Saint Harridan suit.
www.saintharridan.com
SALT
Salt is a mineral that cleanses, heals, preserves and transforms. Whether in the sea, the sweat and tears of our bodies or in the foods that nourish us, Salt brings with it the alchemy of healing. Jessie Levandov and Auston Bjorkman formed SALT in their living room in Brooklyn, New York in 2017. Their handmade garments are inspired by the rugged simplicity of workwear and the tenderness, love and patience of hand craftsmanship. Salt is intentionally designed for all genders, inspiring ease, comfort and versatility for all bodies. Queer-owned and produced and sourced entirely in New York City, Salt is committed to design that disrupts the historically harmful and exploitative garment industry, and supports a way of moving through the world that resists white supremacist, capitalist, and normative standards of beauty and expression.
www.salt-nyc.com
SCOUT’S HONOR (REPORTED CLOSED)
Scout’s Honor is a tomboy apparel company based out of San Francisco. Their current collection focuses on button-down shirts specifically made to accommodate female-bodied individuals. Standout products: We are particularly fond of their short sleeve Camper shirt, a stylish option for warm weather months.
www.scoutshonorclothing.com
SHANE AVE.
Queer owned, Shane Ave. offers beautifully designed custom suits for all genders. Shane Ave. recognizes that mainstream formal fashion in general terms is very gendered and often doesn’t allow the freedom of expressing one’s own identity. Many queer bodies are left out in the market place. They have nowhere to go that allows them to feel confident and comfortable to purchase their chosen formal attire.Shane Ave was born out of a need to provide formal fashion that blurs traditional lines of gender divisions.
www.shaneave.com
SHARPE SUITING
Based out of LA, Sharpe Suiting creates high quality suits and dress attire for all identities and body types. Their clothing is “undefined by gender binaries.” We are particularly interested in getting our hands on one of their gingham-lined, satin lapel blazers. They have now expanded to LA, Chicago, Charlotte, and Florida.
www.sharpesuiting.com
SHOW AND TELL
Show & Tell Concept Shop, founded in 2011, is a platform for unique, vibrant inclusive style that promotes Bold Beauty and Intentional Living. Our carefully curated assortment features our handmade Show & Tell Collection alongside an evolving selection of ethical and sustainable goods from like minded brands. We believe in socially responsible practices, authentic self-expression, and radical acceptance and celebration of people of color, LGBTQIA+ folks, Women, and other marginalized communities. The physical shop is located in Oakland, CA, but products are available online as well.
www.showandtelloakland.com
SIR NEW YORK (REBRANDED AS SALT)
Trans designer and owner, Austin Bjorkman, designs high end meets street menswear that is perfect for the fashion risk-taker. Standout products: Readers who are fans of futuristic athletic street goth love SIR New York’s aesthetic. Bjorkman’s designs have been featured in hip-hop videos and popular menswear magazines.
www.sirnewyork.com
STUZO CLOTHING
Owned and operated by QPOC couple Stoney Michelli and Uzo Ejikeme, Stuzo Clothing is a line of affordable, genderless, laid-back Cali street style. Stuzo has been worn by androgynous model Madison Paige, Kiyomi McCloskey of Hunter Valentine and The Real L-Word, and rapper and choreographer Lady Cultura. Stuzo only produces a few pieces per design in order to provide quality, limited edition products.
www.stuzoclothing.com
SUNSUN
SUNSUN is a queer-owned brand offering casual custom unisex pieces in bright, Kente cloth, geometric, and graphic prints. Standout products: Each product is incredibly artistic and special, mixing traditional and modern patters and silhouettes. Their designs are fresh and exciting, a much welcomed reprieve from the traditional “suit and tie” designs dominating the queer fashion scene. An added bonus is that all items are custom made, so you get pieces that are unique and made-to-measure.
www.sunsuncreative.tumblr.com
SYRO SHOES
Syro is a femme footwear brand that designs high heels for people of all genders. Queer-owned Syro offers a wider range of sizes, making heels accessible for people of all presentations and identities.
www.shopsyro.com
THE PHLUID PROJECT
The Phluid Project is a gender-free brand (androgynous, unisex, gender neutral) selling clothing, accessories, and beauty for the LGBTQIA+ community. Both their online shop and brick and mortar store in NYC offer original Phluid designs in addition to carefully curated products from other queer brands ranging from clothing to shoes to beauty products. The physical store also boasts a coffee shop and bar; events such as fashion shows and panels; and a community space that can be booked for meetings and organizing.
www.thephluidproject.com
THE SHIRT BY ROCHELLE
Rochelle Behrens invented The Shirt after years of wearing ill-fitting button downs that gaped at the bust. Her patented dual-button technology addresses gaping. Standout products: The icon shirt is designed without seams in the front for a smooth finish.
www.the-shirt.com
THOMASTHOMAS: Menswear Tailoring For Women
Founder SJ Weston brings her background in menswear tailoring with former label Eastie Empire to ThomasThomas, which is all about British fabrics, vintage detailing and a modern cut. They release one look every month, as well as offering any of their house styles custom made in your choice of fabric, size and cut.
www.thomasthomas.london
THÚY CUSTOM CLOTHIER
Thúy H. Nguyen is a personal stylist who started a small, San Francisco-based business that creates affordable custom suits and dress attire for people of all genders. He works with a shop in Thailand, where master tailors custom make each item. The business is still in its starting phases, but definitely one to look out for.
www.thuycustomclothier.com
TOM-BOI
Australian based company Tom-Boi designs men’s style undies cut for women so they don’t have the extra fabric in the ‘pocket’ and are wedgie free. They offer international shipping to the USA and UK. Tom-Boi has plans to start producing other items of clothing in the near future. Keep an eye out!
www.tom-boi.com
TOMBOY TOES
Tomboy Toes is an online retailer of men’s style dress shoes in sizes that fit women, trans men, non-binary people and all people with smaller feet. Standout Products: Their “Down Town Dappers” are gorgeous shoes for any business or formal ocassion.
www.tomboytoes.com
TOMBOY X
TomboyX creates menswear-inspired clothing for women. Standout Products: Their line of original boxer briefs are the most comfortable (and dapper) pair of underwear you will ever put on.
www.tomboyx.com
TOPMAN
The Topman brand provides a large selection of key pieces cut specifically to fit tall and petite customers. Standout products: Not only do our dapperQ bloggers and readers swear by Topman’s shirts, pants, and suits, but Sonny Oram of the blog Qwear is also a huge fan.
www.us.topman.com
TRADLANDS
Trandlands creates menswear inspired staples for women with a relentless emphasis on fit, details, and quality. All of their products are guaranteed to last and made to be lived in. Standout products: Our friends over at Autostraddle cannot get enough of Trandlands’ button-downs, giving them praise for their quality and longevity, and for the fact that they are made by an independent business.
www.tradlands.com
TRAVIS OESTREICH
Travis Oestreich is a New York City based fashion designer whose designs blur the lines of feminine and masculine ideals and promote a more gender-neutral lifestyle. He launched his eponymous line in 2018 to share his vision with the world, by first re-invigorating the energy of caftans. “The care-free and fun feeling was not lost to the 60’s and 70’s, it simply got an upgrade.”
www.travisoestreich.com
VEEA (REPORTED CLOSED)
VEEA’s designs truly high-end menswear fashion (pants, jackets, shirts, vests) made to fit women. Standout products: VEEA button-downs come in unique, fashion-forward patterns and colors, so you can diversify your dress shirt collection. Our Managing Editor’s partner is a fan of their Echo button-down.
www.androgynousfashion.com
VEER NYC (REPORTED CLOSED)
By androgynous women for androgynous women, VEER NYC is an online retailer that curates gender-neutral clothing collections. Standout products: Their collections tend to have a more urban feel (think drop-crotch pants, leather embellished sweat shirts, and street goth tops). Readers who do not identify with the traditional dapper aesthetic highly recommend this brand for urban-chic wear.
www.veernyc.com
WE ARE MORTALS
Firmly rejecting the traditional gender binary and serving as a voice for the future, We Are Mortals designs gender neutral, high fashion athleisure wear for are those who don’t easily fit into a label or category. Standout products: Their liquid silver sweatshirt is a classic must have staple, perfect for any style across the feminine-masculine spectrum.
www.wearemortals.com
WILDFANG
With both storefronts in NYC, LA, and Portland, as well as an online shop, Wildfang offers clothing collections curated for the modern day tomboy. Standout products: Their chinos are both relaxed, yet structured enough to wear as dress and casual pants. Our Managing Editor and her partner, who are on opposite ends of the gender-spectrum, share the Wildfang x Peau de Loup exclusive Wolf button-down, which can be styled feminine or masculine.
www.wildfang.com
Don’t forget to check out more targeted recommendations…
For our Shoe Guide, click here
For our Jeans 101 Guide, click here
For our Trousers for Curves Guide, click here
For our Dress Shirt Guide, click here
Leave your store/shop recommendations in the comments section.
We love this list and would love to be included in the next one. We’ve dressed many members of the dapper q community including some of those that made your most recent 100 most stylish list, produced fashion shows for sf and oakland pride 2013,hosted and curated the first ever Saint Harridan pop up shop, and been a major part of the queer fashion scene in the bay for the last 2 years!
Great list! Like Show & Tell above, we’d love to be included, too! My partner and I design gender-neutral underwear, and will have our first underwear for sale this holiday season! We participated in the DapperQ and Whitney Day New York Fashion Week event, and strive to design fun, sexy and men’s-style underwear for women and genderqueer people, no matter their identity! Please check us out. http://www.playout-underwear.com
Add this to your list. Grand Opening just days away. Masculine accessories, jewelry, gifts and more.
Why oh why do all the cool stores have be in New York or San Francisco? Can ya make a list for the rest of the United States? I know Target and Old Navy aren’t exactly fashionable places anymore. Thanks!
Thanks for all you do DapperQ! Butch Basix grand opening just days away! We hope we make the list next year: Masculine accessories, jewelry, Haute Butch ties, great gifts and more. http://www.butchbasix.com
Thanks DapperQ for mentioning us as a trusted brand to shop. We appreciate the support.
And hello to all the DapperQ readers. It’s very nice to meet you.
Sadie @ Tradlands
Found this website just by surfing at random and quite thrilled I came upon you. Thanks.
I'd like to recommend Cyberoptix Tie Lab as a great online shop to buy ties and bowties from. It's run by Bethany Shorb, an artist and designer not afraid to poke at gender with a pointy stick. Plus her designs are lovely and quirky and cool. Her ties come in skinny, narrow, and standard, so there's really a tie for every body type and style. 🙂
I recommend Girls Like Boys Clothing! They have great queer-oriented sportswear, they don't leave femmes behind and they support dope designers.
Australian based company Tom-Boi also offers men’s style undies cut for women so they don’t have the extra fabric in the ‘pocket’ and are wedgie free. Also insanely comfy and they offer international shipping to the USA and UK. http://www.tom-boi.com
Hello! Love this list! For those in the Portland, OR area, be looking for Two Tongues in 2016. I’m opening a queer and transgender based consignment clothing store! Should be up and running by the end of the year. Much love to all! XO
These are all geared towards trans men and nothing for or by trans women :/
I’d like to add Franco Uomo to the list. They are a high end men’s wear shop with in house tailors offering bespoke services. I’m a genderqueer person, and had a great experience purchasing a suit, and am now getting a bespoke suit made. They really get to know you and will work with you on what you want.
Because they aren’t a queer-focused shop, I approached them about their comfort level working with more clientele like myself (because I don’t want to write this and then find out they’re being dickish to others of our community).
“Oh yes absolutely”, said the tailor, adding “I can also give drag queens curves”.
If you are in the Santa Clara, CA area, this shop is a treat.
Another great store that features xs in mens and basic oxford shirts for women is Uniqlo!!
Any other suggestions in Australia for shirts? Charlie Boy seems to have most stock on sale, most sold out and not be re-stocking or replying to email. Uniqlo is good here for plain shirts but no pizazz. Would love some more suggestions. I pine for an Aussie Wildfang…
Dapper Geek would love to make to the next list! I am a queer, American, handmade, small batch neckwear and accessories deisgner, from Nashville and currently in Frederick MD. Everything I make is made by hand in my studio using reclaimed, found, vintage and new modern fabrics keeping my products as unique as my clients!
We hava a LGBT section in our shop and support LGBT rights.
https://carpediemstore.uk/collections/lgbt
We’re here, we’re queer and very supportive of our community – check us out! http://www.betweenthelinesclothing.com
And for a great bespoke suit:
https://theartefact.com/
Just wondering if there are any lines you may recommend that are more affordable out there. No all butch folk can afford a shirt for $60 and pants for $126. Even if there are local stores that have clothing that may be suitable for butch folk.
Surprisingly, Anne Taylor Loft stores. Also, Banana Republic. Loft, though. Always has a 40%off sale. Yes, the models wear the clothes femme; however, ignore the blouses and check out the pants. I bought chino style pants in two colors for less than 75 bucks (for both not each). Pair the pants with a good shoe—Hundred/100 and Frye have (or at leas had) great wingtips.
I would recommend removing Kipper from this list! The owner Erin Berg is MIA and has not provided me the suit that I paid for in full over 4 months ago. I am seeking a refund from my credit card. If you check out his reviews on yelp, you’ll see that he has not followed through on multiple orders in the last two years! The business website is shut down, the email bounces back, and the phone line doesn’t work.
As a plus size human (3x – 4x), there were very few brands here I could wear based in the sizes they offered. Would love to see a list like this catered to bigger bodies