The song’s lyrics pretty much sum up all of the femme crushes that I had in my 20s – “Why can’t you want me like the other boys do? They stare at me while I stare at you.”

The Flight Facilities website revealed little about the group. I searched on-line for Flight Facilities’ Wiki page only to find that it was taken down. Next step was to Google them. It appears that the Sydney duo is very mysterious and, according to other music lovers in the blogosphere, they aim to keep their identities hush hush. But all that doesn’t matter. If I want to chillax to their amazing tunes, I can visit their site, subscribe to their newsletter, download their remixes, etc. What I wanted to know more about was Annie’s experience as their boy model. Here’s what Annie had to say firsthand:

“The whole experience was quite personal to me.  I certainly knew I was tapping into a side of me that really wanted to climb trees, get dirty, and not have any curves at all.  Aesthetically speaking, it was all wonderfully transformative as well as refreshing to be a part of something that showcases a love story that we don’t usually get to see in our mainstream culture.  Overall, I’m just glad people are reacting and discussing their own interpretation of the whole thing.”

Held on Sunday, April 15th, 2012 at the LAB in historic downtown Brooklyn, New York, the show’s goal was to elevate the “consciousness of mainstream media and the fashion industry, opening their minds towards powerful dominant lesbians geared up in the androgyny of men’s wear.”

dapperQ was able to score these unpublished images from Fallon Davis, CEO of F-L-Y Society ENT and one of the producers of the show. If you missed this one, be sure to follow Fallon on Twitter for future events.

Rebellious twists on classic menswear styles are getting lots of love on the DapperQ Pinterest board. The smartly supercharged layers from Lees Shop exploded with repins, while bright touches like the brogue boots below have had their share of attention from the discerning eyes of the Pinterest crowd. Got something to say about my virtual swag gathering? Get on Pinterest and make it known!

“Once I grew into my style and found clothes that fit (like in the boy’s department) I was so excited about my findings that I wanted to share them with others. I find that my biggest clothing staples are jeans and button-ups because they can be dressed up and dressed down. I like wearing watches as an accent piece and usually wear one every day. My style is pretty clean-cut and simple and can often match the preppy aesthetic. I find that I’m much more comfortable in women’s pants than tops. I like women’s skinny jeans but want my upper half to look androgynous. So I have to work really hard to find men’s tops; usually in the boys’ departments or at Topman, and I often have to get things tailored too.”

In addition to running Dyke Duds with her business partner, Ashley Yielding, Sonia works in classical music management where she represenst soloists and chamber musicians and acts as their agent, publicist, and career advisor. She has managed to build a wardrobe that is appropriate for both work and play. So let’s follow Sonia as she takes us on a trip through her closet to bring us Seven Days of Dapper.

Day 1: Business Meeting

If I want to impress people at a meeting, all I have to do is whip out this shirt I got custom-made from Ratio Clothing.

Day 2: Casual Outfit

Glasses: Adrienne Vittadini; Shirt: All Son, “Striped Heather Thermal Crew Shirt,” bought at Urban Outfitter; Belt: Express (men’s); Jeans: Abercrombie and Fitch, “The Erin Skinny;” Shoes: Kenneth Cole Reaction

Day 3: Cocktail Party

My friends’ cocktail parties are the perfect time to throw on a bow tie and go faux-formal. Glasses: Adrienne Vittadini; Bow Tie: My brother’s closet (i.e. IT’S MINE NOW); Button-Down Shirt: Gap “The Perfect Shirt”; Sweater Vest: Old Navy “Boys Argyle V-Neck Sweater Vest” ; Watch: 666 Barcelona; Jeans: Abercrombie and Fitch, “The Erin Skinny;” Socks: Smartwool; Shoes: Bass ”Ely Gobi Suede”

Day 4: Concert/Formal Event

My job requires looking very professional for fundraising events and concerts, so I knew I’d need a nice suit. Suit: Topman, “Black Textured Skinny Suit;” Button-up: Banana Republic, Non-iron fitted sateen shirt; Tie: Express, snagged during a $10 tie sale; Shoes: Bass “Susie Black Navajo Leather”

Day 5: Dinner Date

I also want to look a little bit nicer on dates, but not too much, so I usually wear jeans to keep it casual. My date outfits are actually very similar to my business casual outfits. Glasses: Adrienne Vittadini; Sweater: H&M, men’s department; Shirt: Gap “The Perfect Striped Shirt;” Jeans: Abercrombie and Fitch, “The Erin Skinny;” Shoes: Bass ”Ely Gobi Suede”

Day 6: Picnic

Sweater: Ralph Lauren Polo  (Macy’s boys 8-12 department); Shirt: Gap “The Perfect Shirt;” Watch: Tikkr; Belt: Bought at Sam’s Outdoor Outfitters; Shorts: Old Navy “Women’s Perfect Khaki Bermudas;” Shoes: Sebago Docksides

Day 7: Spring Walk

Sunglasses: Lacoste; Shirt: Ralph Lauren Boy’s, Tailored Shirt; Watch: Tikkr; Jeans: Abercrombie and Fitch, “The Erin Skinny;” Shoes: Adidas

Finding men’s clothing that fits a female body isn’t simple for any DapperQ. Petit(e) bodies present their own challenges. How do you find masculine swag for a pixie-like figure?

Q: I am kind of new to the whole butch thing, but I definitely know that I enjoy dressing from the men’s department. I am having a very hard time finding both casual and dress clothes because I am actually pretty small all around. I am only about 5’5″, have a small chest and am pretty thin so finding clothes that fit properly is getting really hard. I like guys jeans but they make my butt look big and a lot of guys shirts are just too big. I want to be able to dress comfortable and decently (and more importantly affordably, I am a college musician and am on a very tight budget) in men’s clothing but I just don’t know what to wear and where to find it… Please help…

A: I’m a titchy 5’0″ and weigh only 42kg (93 pounds), so this is something I struggle with a lot! My own style is more than a little bit preppy – as a female-bodied, geeky, British gentleman I’m sort of becoming a parody of myself – so I don’t know whether my experience will be helpful to your own journey towards a style that’s authentic to you, but I thought I’d share just in case. My number one rule is to only shop on the internet. It’s not profitable for high street stores to stock my size on the shop floor, but they often sell the same clothes in smaller sizes online. Ensure that free-of-charge returns are available before you order. Decent websites allow you to do targeted searches for XXS menswear and size zero women’s workshirts with proper collars. The former hides my curves, but the neck tends to be too big, while the latter might be slightly more figure-hugging than I would like but since the neck fits, I can wear it with a tie. So it sort of balances out. Getting shirts tailored is always a good idea, but not really an option for students like you and me. I still make a point of spending that little bit extra on good fabric, so that when better times come along my favourite shirts will still be worth spending the money on improving. Try to avoid the temptation to buy poorly made shirts that will need to be replaced a year down the line. Sadly, I don’t know what to advise when it comes to jeans. Carrot-cut trousers in boy’s sizes tend to fit me okay, as do boy’s shoes and boots. Chinos in women’s sizes are available that don’t look too feminine. Have you struggled to find masculine clothing for a small frame? Do you know the magic secret for perfect boyish jeans? Comment below or give us a shout on Twitter to share your wisdom.

Click through for the DapperQ Pinterest board

Pinterest, the image sharing platform that is taking the world by storm, just got a whole lot cooler – DapperQ now has a pinboard, run by semi-regular contributor Zoya.

I’m focusing on stylish products, putting out high-value pins that link straight through to a shopping source. I do repin inspiring images from other people, but in principle I’m trying to make DapperQ’s pinboard a useful resource for our followers, rather than a curated collection of unattributed content from Tumblr. Let me know how you think I’m getting on.

Once every two weeks I’ll put up a post here showing the best of our pins, but to really stay up to date on the hottest content, follow our pinboard.

In the first two weeks of DapperQ pinning, it’s been clear that pale shaded items with interesting textures are getting the most attention. Particularly hot are these Diesel jeans and an incredible blond wood watch by WeWood, which have been repinned 72 times in total.

What do you think? Are you getting into bleached items and tactile materials? Or is the popularity of these images just about a fascination with over-exposed photography, rather than about the items themselves? You can comment below, or you can hit the pinboard and make your preferences felt there.

The interesting thing about all of this is that I was trying to pin an image from photographer Hana Pesut’s Switcheroo project. Now you tell me where I shoulda pinned it!

Christina & Philip via Hana Pesut

Pesut’s collection not only challenges ideas about gender-normative fashion, but exemplifies the way in which clothing shapes our identity, a phenomenon a New York Times article on clothes and self-perception recently explored. As stated in the article, “’We think not just with our brains but with our bodies’, Dr. Galinsky said,’ and our thought processes are based on physical experiences that set off associated abstract concepts. Now it appears that those experiences include the clothes we wear.’”

Dustin & Shmoo via Hana Pesut

Jodi & Rob via Hana Pesut

Sydney & Owen via Hana Pesut

Ian & Alanna via Hana Pesut

Vij & Andy via Hana Pesut

Aiya & Stewart via Hana Pesut

Kristy & Brennan via Hana Pesut

Julia & Matthew via Hana Pesut

Tell us what your favorite Swicheroo images are? Got any of your own?

“Can you do a segment on sandals? Summer is coming around again, and like every year I resign myself to wearing lightweight sneakers all summer with the occasional flip flop. I just haven’t been able to find a nice stylish men’s sandal in my size (men’s 5-6). Is there such a thing? Any advice would be appreciated.”

Here at dapperQ we pride ourselves on not being the fashion police, which is why I’ve been dodging this question like Clinton dodging questions about his relations with Lewinsky. You see, I’m not a huge fan of menswear sandals. However, I thought I’d put my own personal biases aside and research what was out there so I could provide solid recommendations for our readers.

Enter Google. When I started my Google search on articles about menswear sandals published by popular on-line menswear magazines, one of the first results produced was an article titled “Blogger Showdown: Should You Ever Wear Sandals?” from Esquire Magazine, wherein two leading menswear bloggers, sandal-hating Atif Kazmi and pro-sandal Dan Trepanier, battled over whether menswear sandals are a fashion do or fashion don’t.

While Trepanier’s arguments were solid, I found myself returning to my own sandalphobe reasoning, which was not addressed by either blogger who both focused mainly on durability, comfort, and style.

Enter my bias. Take it from femme who wears lots of open-toed shoes – sandals are tricky to pull off. One false move and game over. Not only is it hard to find quality sandals that fit, are good for walking, and stylish enough to match the rest of your dapper outfit, but it takes a great deal of time to make sure your feet are appropriately groomed. Hang nails, calluses, and cracked heals can be perceived as a sign of poor hygiene. But as my mother would say, “If you like it, I LOVE it.” However, I’m going to use this platform to advocate for some alternatives to menswear sandals that come in dapperQ sizes.

Sneaks made from recycled Fed Ex envelopes by environmentally friendly Civic Duty

Esquire Magazine recommends these Espadrilles by Soludos.

You can never go wrong with a pair of Toms

Boat shoes are trending right now. Try Sebago’s Docksides

Lightweight fabric Oxford from Aldo

If going sockless makes your stomach turn, try Falke’s invisible socks

Think my stance on menswear sandals is rubbish and insist on wearing Birkenstocks? At least try an updated version of the unisex Birkenstock or …

My gal who is more andro would rock something like these custom made unisex Etsy sandals

If you wear larger sized shoes and want more coverage, these GBX OB T-Strap sandals start in a men’s size 6.5 (about a women’s size 8.5)

In closing, the showdown over menswear sandals doesn’t end at Esquire. Menswear blog The Urban Gentleman visits this issue and states, “All the gentlemen wardrobe/styling books tend to avoid the topic of men in sandals. And when a book does mention it, it’s either sternly against it or indirectly snubs it.” They go on to offer visual examples of menswear sandals worn fashionably. However, they caution, “If you are choosing to wear sandals, then please get a pedicure. There’s nothing worse than a man wearing sandals with unkempt feet. Make sure your toenails are cut and feet are moisturized.”

Update 5.11.12

This post received quite a few reader comments on Facebook and Twitter. Here’s what people had to say:

“GOD SAYS NO TO SANDALS. except cute strappy girl ones. And, even those are on the line.”

“I made my own sandals.”

“Do! for healthy feet!”

“DO! this convo somehow made its way to the office the other week. I think we all just need a trip to Italy to see how fine men werk the sandal proper. never flip flops. or birkenstocks. there are so many beautiful men’s sandals out there. “

“I think it can be incredibly sexy. It’s all about the execution. And pedicure of course.”

“Menswear sandals? Do you mean mandals?? From a pure vanity standpoint I’m a no, but then – why shouldn’t [we] be able to air [our] tootsies in the warm months. If the Digable Planets weighed in they’d say ‘do what you feel.’”

“Not usually. I mean, in hot weather, we all do it; just don’t be fooled that it’s suitable for any kind of event requiring any real style. Being fab requires sacrifice sometimes, sadly.”

“No one in their right mind should wear that hippy shite.”

“DO IT! Mass amounts of comfort in the long summer days… a chance for your feet to breathe.”

“A foot thong… Those are hideous…. Birks! Really…..”

“I wear sandals all Summer, don’t like those pictured though.”

“Not under any circumstances.”

“No!”

“No way!”

“Bleh. You either need to be a hippy or an unabashed fop to pull off bare toes.”

]]> http://www.dapperq.com/mens-sandals-do-or-dont/feed/ 0 http://www.dapperq.com/ceramic-ties-by-cor-sine-labe-doli/ http://www.dapperq.com/ceramic-ties-by-cor-sine-labe-doli/#comments Mon, 19 Mar 2012 15:31:52 +0000 Anita Dolce Vita http://www.dapperq.com/?p=8110 Boy oh boy do I have something that will knock the socks off all you tie aficionados. Check out the Cor Sine Labe Doli line of ceramic bow-ties and neckties with ceramic knots that I recently came across.

Made in the Italian town of Marostica, the ceramic pieces are double and sometimes triple cooked; bow-tie ribbons are hand sewed by Italian tailors.

Cor Sine Labe Doli brings new life to neckwear, creating head turning, conversation starting pieces that are old-fashioned dandy meets modern avant-garde.

Prices range from $175 to $350.  To purchase, visit Opening Ceremony or Antonioli.

To give you a ballpark idea of standard boys and menswear sizes, I compiled information from size charts provided by some of the top selling menswear brands.

Menswear Tops (in inches)
*Click here for video instructions on how to measure for men’s shirts.
**Blazer and suit jacket sizes generally correspond with chest size
(i.e., if your chest measures 36, then your jacket size will be approximately 36.)

Men’s Bottoms (in inches)

Boys Sizes (in inches)

U.S. Shoe Size Conversions
(General rule of thumb: subtract two from the men’s size to get the women’s size;
add two to the boy’s size to get the women’s size.)