I’ve been making my own clothes since I was, like, 15. … The idea is of this kind of fashion that you want to die in, that you could wear equally well to an awards ceremony or around a campfire in the Grand Canyon. Put on the things you like least, things you hate the most. Things that give you pain. It’s the same thing we do with the language we use in our songs: making ourselves use words we hate.
Casady is a believer that personal style is much more than a pair of pants that you throw on in the morning.
On the more stereotypical – but nonetheless true-to-life – side of lesbian fashion is athletic wear. Sporty attire still maintains its appeal for many lesbians. Take it from Jackie Warner, who not only rocks sports bras and yoga pants on her show Work Out, but designs and sells her own line of sporting apparel.
Jackie Warner
In a recent interview with Elle magazine, Warner was asked if there is a “lesbian physical ideal.” Her response:
Well, I think that older lesbians definitely didn’t take care of themselves. They didn’t exercise. But the younger lesbians, they’re very different. They go to the gym. They manage their eating. They’re much more fashion-conscious. We have a society in which men sexualize women, period. If you don’t want male attention, it makes total sense you’d do everything to your dress and physicality to not be sexualized. But I see that changing dramatically. Now, [younger lesbians] look more like Paris Hilton than Billie Jean King.
Lesbian model Jessica Clark is one of the younger lesbians Warner refers to. Living in Los Angeles, Clark said she often feels that many assume she’s not a “real lesbian.”
“I think there is an implied pressure to look ‘gay’ to be fully accepted by the community, and it can be frustrating,” Clark wrote in an email to AfterEllen.com. “In fact, when I was younger it felt so strong that I questioned whether I actually could truly be a gay woman, because every time I walked into a girl bar or party I was informed that I had to be straight – really based on nothing more than my appearance.”
Jessica Clark
Her sentiments are similar to those who were upset by The L Word’s choice of wardrobe. Is the fashion “too femme” because it looks too straight? Clark described her own style as “quirky sexy,” but to some in the lesbian community, it could also be seen as “straight-looking.”
“Boots, heels, dresses, miniskirts, skinny jeans, cleavage!” she said of her style. “I think of clothes, accessories, etc. as an expression of my personality, and I like to try different, unique looks that have a nod to the latest fashions (as I work in that industry) but are not carbon copies of anything on the runway or the street.”
Niki Cutler is the mastermind behind Dykes in the City, a clothing line for lesbians, by lesbians. Cutler said she thinks that butch and femme still exists and that femmes are a strong part of the community – their personal style included.
“Perhaps [butch/femme] exists in my fashion because I would like to offer to our community what I believe would be fashionably representative of myself (a boi) and the woman that I date (a femme),” she wrote via email. “Of course there are many facets of gender, and trust me, my fierce femme friends have opened my eyes to be less stereotypical in characteristics of gender. I have learned many a lesson. But I like to be challenged and put in my place.”
Cutler’s designs are largely for a modern butch crowd: tuxedo-style button-downs, work shirts, ribbed tank tops and beanies, all emblazoned with the DITC logo. But there are a few skirts in the collection, as well, catering to femmes – or perhaps the butches who love them.
Fashion from DITC
“I think society looks for ways to categorize groups of human beings, and perhaps historically dykes had more important things on their plates than purchasing high fashion,” Cutler said. “They were busy paving the way for the future generations to take the next steps within the dyke culture, some of those steps being arts and fashion. I think as time goes on, the stereotype of lesbians not being into fashion will fade away because of these companies that are producing the hottest trends in all of fashion, not just dyke fashion.”
Increasingly, fashion that purposely reads as “butch” (or, perhaps, “lesbian”) is being marketed directly toward lesbians. Shot at Love contestant Dani Campbell‘s clothing line Futch will include clothing cut in a more “aggressive” style. Other lesbian-owned and operated clothing lines include Rigged Outfitters, a New York company currently in the process of relocating to San Francisco, that features tuxedo shirts printed with tattoo-inspired designs and the words ladykiller and outlaw.
“Dykes are really trendsetters in fashion, and I try very hard to locate the next trend and provide it for the people,” Cutler said. “Regardless, I think there is something to be said about taking fashion and putting some sort of meaning behind it.”
Femmes might be more inspired by the likes of Beth Ditto, the frontwoman of the Gossip who likes to rifle through racks at thrift stores and recreate dresses and tunics to her liking. She recently told Nylon magazine she is writing her own “style guide,” and that fashion to her has always been about “punk.”
Beth Ditto
“In elementary school, I was the only kid in class who knew who Todd Oldham was,” said Ditto. “When you’re my size or you don’t have a lot of money, one reason punk is so appealing is because it tells you that you don’t have to have anything to be somebody. You can wear your mom’s nightgown to school and be awesome – that’s where fashion comes from. Whenever I meet designers now, they’re always coming from the same place.”
She also said she was inspired by political movements as fashion movements. “Look at the Black Panthers and Riot Grrrl and the feminists of the ’70s not wearing bras – those are fashion statements. But I mean, I also enjoy it. I am a woman who likes to get dressed up.”
As a queer rock star who performs on an international stage, Ditto has an opportunity to “dress up” on a regular basis and show off her style. Instead of viewing fashion as something shallow that has nothing to do with her performance, she uses it to represent herself. In turn, she’s respected for the way she presents herself as much as she is for her booming, soulful vocals.
Ditto might just be a more inspiring fashion role model than any of the characters on The L Word. Another potential fashion inspiration? MTV VJ Kim Stolz, who first came into the public eye as a contestant in Cycle 5 of America’s Next Top Model.
Kim Stolz Photo credit: Scott Gries/Getty Images
In a recent AfterEllen.com interview, Stolz talked about her new look, which is more femme than her androgynous style on Top Model. “I’ve always felt that my style was very versatile, and I think that at different points in my life, I’ve expressed different parts of myself,” she said.
“I think everybody can relate to that. I think there’s a time and a place to wear the more androgynous clothes I wear, and there’s another time and a place, like on TRL, when I want to wear a cute dress and get in touch with my feminine side. I think that I’ve never been pushed to wear one thing or another. It certainly all comes from me, and I like to express myself different ways through my clothes.”
Self-expression is what makes fashion more than a one-dimensional idea. Instead of fashion simply being about what you’re wearing, the important thing is why you’re wearing it. Expressing who you are and what you do in your own personal style is important for anyone, and especially for lesbians who want to be taken seriously – in Hollywood or in ordinary daily life.
The fans who feel somehow slighted by Stolz’s change in appearance may be those who connected with the more masculine look that she sported on Top Model. With longer hair and dresses, Stolz seems to have incited some lesbians to criticize her for no longer “representing.” Why is Kim looking so straight?
Stolz on ANTM
Stolz argued: “From the moment I stepped on the television on America’s Next Top Model, I felt like I tried to transcend stereotypes, as someone who was adverse to that. I certainly don’t want to be boxed in a haircut or a style of clothing. I don’t know, I do what I like with my hair and my clothes, and I present myself in the way that I feel and hopefully people get it.”
On MTV, Stolz always looks stylish, professional and put together. It would seem that her versatility should be a good thing for queer women: She’s completely out of the closet and dresses stylishly – and exactly how she wants every day. Isn’t this the kind of visibility we should be appreciating?
The most famous and most visible lesbian on television, though, is also one of the biggest trendsetters – and proof that our community has a style all its own. When Ellen DeGeneres appears on daytime television, hosting the Emmys or at high-profile events wearing blazers, fitted jeans and sneakers, she always manages to look fabulous. There are few in Hollywood who could pull of the look as effortlessly as DeGeneres, who makes casual look chic.
DeGeneres’ high-profile visibility goes a long way toward overturning the stereotype of the frumpy lesbian. In 2007, W magazine called DeGeneres, who graced their cover, “America’s unlikely new it girl.” In the interview, DeGeneres revealed her favorite designers – Jil Sander, Marc Jacobs, Viktor & Rolf and Neil Barrett – all of whom make clothing for women that has an androgynous or masculine edge, something DeGeneres is well-known and hailed for throughout the mainstream media. She has taken that ugly stereotype and turned it on its head, without being forced into the ultra-feminine fashions that currently rule Hollywood.
So isn’t it time to say goodbye to that old and unfair stereotype? From the polished suit-wearers like DeGeneres or Bette Porter on The L Word, to the 20-somethings like Kim Stolz or Jessica Clark, lesbian fashion is clearly as diverse as we are. We’re here, we’re queer, we’re well-dressed – get used to it.
That day, she had on a pair of supersize purple-and-gold Adidas sweat pants in velour, with matching sneakers, a black XXL T-shirt bearing the logo Black Pit Bull and a riding coat constructed from two quilted nylon dressing gowns, one of them red tartan, the other pink-and-green-flowery, with large Japanese Manga-esque appliqués sewn on them. Her headdress consisted of waist-length artificial black dreadlocks, surmounted by a crushed velvet mobcap with gold studs. Her face was adorned in white pancake makeup and turquoise eyeliner – and one fake pink eyelash.
Casady is an artist and a performer, so her style is a bit more avant-garde than most lesbians would feel comfortable with in their daily wear. But she has been hailed for her fashion sense, which is always expressed by a clash of genders and their preconceived roles. Her newest venture? Creating fashion for others.
She told the Times:
I’ve been making my own clothes since I was, like, 15. … The idea is of this kind of fashion that you want to die in, that you could wear equally well to an awards ceremony or around a campfire in the Grand Canyon. Put on the things you like least, things you hate the most. Things that give you pain. It’s the same thing we do with the language we use in our songs: making ourselves use words we hate.
Casady is a believer that personal style is much more than a pair of pants that you throw on in the morning.
On the more stereotypical – but nonetheless true-to-life – side of lesbian fashion is athletic wear. Sporty attire still maintains its appeal for many lesbians. Take it from Jackie Warner, who not only rocks sports bras and yoga pants on her show Work Out, but designs and sells her own line of sporting apparel.
Jackie Warner
In a recent interview with Elle magazine, Warner was asked if there is a “lesbian physical ideal.” Her response:
Well, I think that older lesbians definitely didn’t take care of themselves. They didn’t exercise. But the younger lesbians, they’re very different. They go to the gym. They manage their eating. They’re much more fashion-conscious. We have a society in which men sexualize women, period. If you don’t want male attention, it makes total sense you’d do everything to your dress and physicality to not be sexualized. But I see that changing dramatically. Now, [younger lesbians] look more like Paris Hilton than Billie Jean King.
Lesbian model Jessica Clark is one of the younger lesbians Warner refers to. Living in Los Angeles, Clark said she often feels that many assume she’s not a “real lesbian.”
“I think there is an implied pressure to look ‘gay’ to be fully accepted by the community, and it can be frustrating,” Clark wrote in an email to AfterEllen.com. “In fact, when I was younger it felt so strong that I questioned whether I actually could truly be a gay woman, because every time I walked into a girl bar or party I was informed that I had to be straight – really based on nothing more than my appearance.”
Jessica Clark
Her sentiments are similar to those who were upset by The L Word’s choice of wardrobe. Is the fashion “too femme” because it looks too straight? Clark described her own style as “quirky sexy,” but to some in the lesbian community, it could also be seen as “straight-looking.”
“Boots, heels, dresses, miniskirts, skinny jeans, cleavage!” she said of her style. “I think of clothes, accessories, etc. as an expression of my personality, and I like to try different, unique looks that have a nod to the latest fashions (as I work in that industry) but are not carbon copies of anything on the runway or the street.”
Niki Cutler is the mastermind behind Dykes in the City, a clothing line for lesbians, by lesbians. Cutler said she thinks that butch and femme still exists and that femmes are a strong part of the community – their personal style included.
“Perhaps [butch/femme] exists in my fashion because I would like to offer to our community what I believe would be fashionably representative of myself (a boi) and the woman that I date (a femme),” she wrote via email. “Of course there are many facets of gender, and trust me, my fierce femme friends have opened my eyes to be less stereotypical in characteristics of gender. I have learned many a lesson. But I like to be challenged and put in my place.”
Cutler’s designs are largely for a modern butch crowd: tuxedo-style button-downs, work shirts, ribbed tank tops and beanies, all emblazoned with the DITC logo. But there are a few skirts in the collection, as well, catering to femmes – or perhaps the butches who love them.
Fashion from DITC
“I think society looks for ways to categorize groups of human beings, and perhaps historically dykes had more important things on their plates than purchasing high fashion,” Cutler said. “They were busy paving the way for the future generations to take the next steps within the dyke culture, some of those steps being arts and fashion. I think as time goes on, the stereotype of lesbians not being into fashion will fade away because of these companies that are producing the hottest trends in all of fashion, not just dyke fashion.”
Increasingly, fashion that purposely reads as “butch” (or, perhaps, “lesbian”) is being marketed directly toward lesbians. Shot at Love contestant Dani Campbell‘s clothing line Futch will include clothing cut in a more “aggressive” style. Other lesbian-owned and operated clothing lines include Rigged Outfitters, a New York company currently in the process of relocating to San Francisco, that features tuxedo shirts printed with tattoo-inspired designs and the words ladykiller and outlaw.
“Dykes are really trendsetters in fashion, and I try very hard to locate the next trend and provide it for the people,” Cutler said. “Regardless, I think there is something to be said about taking fashion and putting some sort of meaning behind it.”
Femmes might be more inspired by the likes of Beth Ditto, the frontwoman of the Gossip who likes to rifle through racks at thrift stores and recreate dresses and tunics to her liking. She recently told Nylon magazine she is writing her own “style guide,” and that fashion to her has always been about “punk.”
Beth Ditto
“In elementary school, I was the only kid in class who knew who Todd Oldham was,” said Ditto. “When you’re my size or you don’t have a lot of money, one reason punk is so appealing is because it tells you that you don’t have to have anything to be somebody. You can wear your mom’s nightgown to school and be awesome – that’s where fashion comes from. Whenever I meet designers now, they’re always coming from the same place.”
She also said she was inspired by political movements as fashion movements. “Look at the Black Panthers and Riot Grrrl and the feminists of the ’70s not wearing bras – those are fashion statements. But I mean, I also enjoy it. I am a woman who likes to get dressed up.”
As a queer rock star who performs on an international stage, Ditto has an opportunity to “dress up” on a regular basis and show off her style. Instead of viewing fashion as something shallow that has nothing to do with her performance, she uses it to represent herself. In turn, she’s respected for the way she presents herself as much as she is for her booming, soulful vocals.
Ditto might just be a more inspiring fashion role model than any of the characters on The L Word. Another potential fashion inspiration? MTV VJ Kim Stolz, who first came into the public eye as a contestant in Cycle 5 of America’s Next Top Model.
Kim Stolz Photo credit: Scott Gries/Getty Images
In a recent AfterEllen.com interview, Stolz talked about her new look, which is more femme than her androgynous style on Top Model. “I’ve always felt that my style was very versatile, and I think that at different points in my life, I’ve expressed different parts of myself,” she said.
“I think everybody can relate to that. I think there’s a time and a place to wear the more androgynous clothes I wear, and there’s another time and a place, like on TRL, when I want to wear a cute dress and get in touch with my feminine side. I think that I’ve never been pushed to wear one thing or another. It certainly all comes from me, and I like to express myself different ways through my clothes.”
Self-expression is what makes fashion more than a one-dimensional idea. Instead of fashion simply being about what you’re wearing, the important thing is why you’re wearing it. Expressing who you are and what you do in your own personal style is important for anyone, and especially for lesbians who want to be taken seriously – in Hollywood or in ordinary daily life.
The fans who feel somehow slighted by Stolz’s change in appearance may be those who connected with the more masculine look that she sported on Top Model. With longer hair and dresses, Stolz seems to have incited some lesbians to criticize her for no longer “representing.” Why is Kim looking so straight?
Stolz on ANTM
Stolz argued: “From the moment I stepped on the television on America’s Next Top Model, I felt like I tried to transcend stereotypes, as someone who was adverse to that. I certainly don’t want to be boxed in a haircut or a style of clothing. I don’t know, I do what I like with my hair and my clothes, and I present myself in the way that I feel and hopefully people get it.”
On MTV, Stolz always looks stylish, professional and put together. It would seem that her versatility should be a good thing for queer women: She’s completely out of the closet and dresses stylishly – and exactly how she wants every day. Isn’t this the kind of visibility we should be appreciating?
The most famous and most visible lesbian on television, though, is also one of the biggest trendsetters – and proof that our community has a style all its own. When Ellen DeGeneres appears on daytime television, hosting the Emmys or at high-profile events wearing blazers, fitted jeans and sneakers, she always manages to look fabulous. There are few in Hollywood who could pull of the look as effortlessly as DeGeneres, who makes casual look chic.
DeGeneres’ high-profile visibility goes a long way toward overturning the stereotype of the frumpy lesbian. In 2007, W magazine called DeGeneres, who graced their cover, “America’s unlikely new it girl.” In the interview, DeGeneres revealed her favorite designers – Jil Sander, Marc Jacobs, Viktor & Rolf and Neil Barrett – all of whom make clothing for women that has an androgynous or masculine edge, something DeGeneres is well-known and hailed for throughout the mainstream media. She has taken that ugly stereotype and turned it on its head, without being forced into the ultra-feminine fashions that currently rule Hollywood.
So isn’t it time to say goodbye to that old and unfair stereotype? From the polished suit-wearers like DeGeneres or Bette Porter on The L Word, to the 20-somethings like Kim Stolz or Jessica Clark, lesbian fashion is clearly as diverse as we are. We’re here, we’re queer, we’re well-dressed – get used to it.
The satirical film Another Gay Movie (2006) is largely about making fun of gay male stereotypes, but lesbian character Muffler has a significant role to play. As a typical gay female, she dresses sloppily and sports a mullet that isn’t meant to be ironic. She’s loud, obnoxious and unattractive by any standard – she’s the perfect representation of the unfashionable lesbian.
As Another Gay Movie shows, the stereotype that lesbians have no sense of style continues to endure, but these days it is being challenged on all fronts. From out lesbian stylist Patricia Field (Sex and the City) to The L Word to Beth Ditto and Ellen DeGeneres, fashionable lesbians are increasingly the norm in pop culture. And now that fashion has become such a huge part of mainstream society – Project Runway and The Devil Wears Prada are just two examples – it’s important that queer women are recognized, included and respected as red carpet-worthy.
Much of the stereotype of lesbians having poor fashion sense is rooted in cultural prejudices about the “mannish woman” as unnatural and ugly. Though lesbian style was never exclusively about masculine attire, the idea that lesbians tend to dress like men has persisted. When Showtime’s The L Word debuted in 2004, many lesbian viewers complained that the characters were all too “femmey” and that the fashion – which emulated the esoteric aesthetics of Sex and the City – was too unrealistic.
Cynthia Summers, costume designer for the Showtime series, told AfterEllen.com: “Ilene [Chaiken] always wanted it to be a show that spoke about fashion, right from the get go. They’re a group of talented – some of them affluent, some artists – you know, our characters – living in L.A. A lot of what they wear and what their look entails has to speak to that as well, [and] of where they’re actually at.”
Summers has been given a lot of freedom in her position, and she said she has “great bodies to dress.” After Season 1 (which she described as “a little tame”), she was able to maintain the same look for each character.
The L Word’s Bette (left) and Shane
For Bette, Summers gave her a tailored menswear look with dresses and skirts only when it seemed appropriate. For Shane, the inspiration has been “early ’70s Mick Jagger.” “It’s sort of very tight pants and shirts, and crazy hair which she came in with herself,” Summers said. “It’s been versatile over the seasons but we keep the rock thing for her, and it truly works.”
She continued: “I think it really transferred into real life. I think … people want to watch a movie or show to be inspired. Whether you’re inspired to have something in your life or it just opens your eyes to other people doing that, that’s what it’s really all about. Our characters influence people, and people are not afraid to emulate them.”
It’s sort of a chicken-or-the-egg situation with The L Word: Do the characters dress that way because real lesbians do, or do lesbians now dress that way because of the characters? Summers said it goes back to the location: They are Los Angeles lesbians, and in L.A., lesbians have Balenciaga bags just like their straight fashionista counterparts.
On the other side of the coin, it is the most butch character of The L Word who is often the most emulated, according to Summers.
“People ask me how do I feel about Shane look-alikes walking around, because you pretty much see them everywhere,” Summers said. “You know, all I can say to that is, you know, good! If it’s not coming from an inspired sort of perspective – fashion comes from within, I’m a firm believer in that.” But considering that Shane’s look consists of shaggy hair, vintage T-shirts and fitted blue jeans (when she’s wearing clothes at all), it begs the question of whether she is really the most “inspiring” or simply the most representative of the way many lesbians dress today.
Shane’s style is actually quite tame compared to the style that some queer artists flaunt. Perhaps it’s the influence of Paris, where she has lived on and off since 2003, but Bianca Casady of the musical duo CoCoRosie presents another take on a modern-day lesbian with a unique sense of style.
Bianca Casady (left) of CocoRosie
She often sports a thin mustache (akin to fellow queer fashion model/musician J.D. Samson) and was recently profiled by the New York Times Magazine, which described her physical appearance as such:
That day, she had on a pair of supersize purple-and-gold Adidas sweat pants in velour, with matching sneakers, a black XXL T-shirt bearing the logo Black Pit Bull and a riding coat constructed from two quilted nylon dressing gowns, one of them red tartan, the other pink-and-green-flowery, with large Japanese Manga-esque appliqués sewn on them. Her headdress consisted of waist-length artificial black dreadlocks, surmounted by a crushed velvet mobcap with gold studs. Her face was adorned in white pancake makeup and turquoise eyeliner – and one fake pink eyelash.
Casady is an artist and a performer, so her style is a bit more avant-garde than most lesbians would feel comfortable with in their daily wear. But she has been hailed for her fashion sense, which is always expressed by a clash of genders and their preconceived roles. Her newest venture? Creating fashion for others.
She told the Times:
I’ve been making my own clothes since I was, like, 15. … The idea is of this kind of fashion that you want to die in, that you could wear equally well to an awards ceremony or around a campfire in the Grand Canyon. Put on the things you like least, things you hate the most. Things that give you pain. It’s the same thing we do with the language we use in our songs: making ourselves use words we hate.
Casady is a believer that personal style is much more than a pair of pants that you throw on in the morning.
On the more stereotypical – but nonetheless true-to-life – side of lesbian fashion is athletic wear. Sporty attire still maintains its appeal for many lesbians. Take it from Jackie Warner, who not only rocks sports bras and yoga pants on her show Work Out, but designs and sells her own line of sporting apparel.
Jackie Warner
In a recent interview with Elle magazine, Warner was asked if there is a “lesbian physical ideal.” Her response:
Well, I think that older lesbians definitely didn’t take care of themselves. They didn’t exercise. But the younger lesbians, they’re very different. They go to the gym. They manage their eating. They’re much more fashion-conscious. We have a society in which men sexualize women, period. If you don’t want male attention, it makes total sense you’d do everything to your dress and physicality to not be sexualized. But I see that changing dramatically. Now, [younger lesbians] look more like Paris Hilton than Billie Jean King.
Lesbian model Jessica Clark is one of the younger lesbians Warner refers to. Living in Los Angeles, Clark said she often feels that many assume she’s not a “real lesbian.”
“I think there is an implied pressure to look ‘gay’ to be fully accepted by the community, and it can be frustrating,” Clark wrote in an email to AfterEllen.com. “In fact, when I was younger it felt so strong that I questioned whether I actually could truly be a gay woman, because every time I walked into a girl bar or party I was informed that I had to be straight – really based on nothing more than my appearance.”
Jessica Clark
Her sentiments are similar to those who were upset by The L Word’s choice of wardrobe. Is the fashion “too femme” because it looks too straight? Clark described her own style as “quirky sexy,” but to some in the lesbian community, it could also be seen as “straight-looking.”
“Boots, heels, dresses, miniskirts, skinny jeans, cleavage!” she said of her style. “I think of clothes, accessories, etc. as an expression of my personality, and I like to try different, unique looks that have a nod to the latest fashions (as I work in that industry) but are not carbon copies of anything on the runway or the street.”
Niki Cutler is the mastermind behind Dykes in the City, a clothing line for lesbians, by lesbians. Cutler said she thinks that butch and femme still exists and that femmes are a strong part of the community – their personal style included.
“Perhaps [butch/femme] exists in my fashion because I would like to offer to our community what I believe would be fashionably representative of myself (a boi) and the woman that I date (a femme),” she wrote via email. “Of course there are many facets of gender, and trust me, my fierce femme friends have opened my eyes to be less stereotypical in characteristics of gender. I have learned many a lesson. But I like to be challenged and put in my place.”
Cutler’s designs are largely for a modern butch crowd: tuxedo-style button-downs, work shirts, ribbed tank tops and beanies, all emblazoned with the DITC logo. But there are a few skirts in the collection, as well, catering to femmes – or perhaps the butches who love them.
Fashion from DITC
“I think society looks for ways to categorize groups of human beings, and perhaps historically dykes had more important things on their plates than purchasing high fashion,” Cutler said. “They were busy paving the way for the future generations to take the next steps within the dyke culture, some of those steps being arts and fashion. I think as time goes on, the stereotype of lesbians not being into fashion will fade away because of these companies that are producing the hottest trends in all of fashion, not just dyke fashion.”
Increasingly, fashion that purposely reads as “butch” (or, perhaps, “lesbian”) is being marketed directly toward lesbians. Shot at Love contestant Dani Campbell‘s clothing line Futch will include clothing cut in a more “aggressive” style. Other lesbian-owned and operated clothing lines include Rigged Outfitters, a New York company currently in the process of relocating to San Francisco, that features tuxedo shirts printed with tattoo-inspired designs and the words ladykiller and outlaw.
“Dykes are really trendsetters in fashion, and I try very hard to locate the next trend and provide it for the people,” Cutler said. “Regardless, I think there is something to be said about taking fashion and putting some sort of meaning behind it.”
Femmes might be more inspired by the likes of Beth Ditto, the frontwoman of the Gossip who likes to rifle through racks at thrift stores and recreate dresses and tunics to her liking. She recently told Nylon magazine she is writing her own “style guide,” and that fashion to her has always been about “punk.”
Beth Ditto
“In elementary school, I was the only kid in class who knew who Todd Oldham was,” said Ditto. “When you’re my size or you don’t have a lot of money, one reason punk is so appealing is because it tells you that you don’t have to have anything to be somebody. You can wear your mom’s nightgown to school and be awesome – that’s where fashion comes from. Whenever I meet designers now, they’re always coming from the same place.”
She also said she was inspired by political movements as fashion movements. “Look at the Black Panthers and Riot Grrrl and the feminists of the ’70s not wearing bras – those are fashion statements. But I mean, I also enjoy it. I am a woman who likes to get dressed up.”
As a queer rock star who performs on an international stage, Ditto has an opportunity to “dress up” on a regular basis and show off her style. Instead of viewing fashion as something shallow that has nothing to do with her performance, she uses it to represent herself. In turn, she’s respected for the way she presents herself as much as she is for her booming, soulful vocals.
Ditto might just be a more inspiring fashion role model than any of the characters on The L Word. Another potential fashion inspiration? MTV VJ Kim Stolz, who first came into the public eye as a contestant in Cycle 5 of America’s Next Top Model.
Kim Stolz Photo credit: Scott Gries/Getty Images
In a recent AfterEllen.com interview, Stolz talked about her new look, which is more femme than her androgynous style on Top Model. “I’ve always felt that my style was very versatile, and I think that at different points in my life, I’ve expressed different parts of myself,” she said.
“I think everybody can relate to that. I think there’s a time and a place to wear the more androgynous clothes I wear, and there’s another time and a place, like on TRL, when I want to wear a cute dress and get in touch with my feminine side. I think that I’ve never been pushed to wear one thing or another. It certainly all comes from me, and I like to express myself different ways through my clothes.”
Self-expression is what makes fashion more than a one-dimensional idea. Instead of fashion simply being about what you’re wearing, the important thing is why you’re wearing it. Expressing who you are and what you do in your own personal style is important for anyone, and especially for lesbians who want to be taken seriously – in Hollywood or in ordinary daily life.
The fans who feel somehow slighted by Stolz’s change in appearance may be those who connected with the more masculine look that she sported on Top Model. With longer hair and dresses, Stolz seems to have incited some lesbians to criticize her for no longer “representing.” Why is Kim looking so straight?
Stolz on ANTM
Stolz argued: “From the moment I stepped on the television on America’s Next Top Model, I felt like I tried to transcend stereotypes, as someone who was adverse to that. I certainly don’t want to be boxed in a haircut or a style of clothing. I don’t know, I do what I like with my hair and my clothes, and I present myself in the way that I feel and hopefully people get it.”
On MTV, Stolz always looks stylish, professional and put together. It would seem that her versatility should be a good thing for queer women: She’s completely out of the closet and dresses stylishly – and exactly how she wants every day. Isn’t this the kind of visibility we should be appreciating?
The most famous and most visible lesbian on television, though, is also one of the biggest trendsetters – and proof that our community has a style all its own. When Ellen DeGeneres appears on daytime television, hosting the Emmys or at high-profile events wearing blazers, fitted jeans and sneakers, she always manages to look fabulous. There are few in Hollywood who could pull of the look as effortlessly as DeGeneres, who makes casual look chic.
DeGeneres’ high-profile visibility goes a long way toward overturning the stereotype of the frumpy lesbian. In 2007, W magazine called DeGeneres, who graced their cover, “America’s unlikely new it girl.” In the interview, DeGeneres revealed her favorite designers – Jil Sander, Marc Jacobs, Viktor & Rolf and Neil Barrett – all of whom make clothing for women that has an androgynous or masculine edge, something DeGeneres is well-known and hailed for throughout the mainstream media. She has taken that ugly stereotype and turned it on its head, without being forced into the ultra-feminine fashions that currently rule Hollywood.
So isn’t it time to say goodbye to that old and unfair stereotype? From the polished suit-wearers like DeGeneres or Bette Porter on The L Word, to the 20-somethings like Kim Stolz or Jessica Clark, lesbian fashion is clearly as diverse as we are. We’re here, we’re queer, we’re well-dressed – get used to it.
