Esquire Theme by Matthew Buchanan
Customization Design by Sonia Oram
03
Nov
Patrice took some classic J.Crew pieces and turned them preppy 70’s rockstar. Queer Zeppelin, anyone?
Sunglasses: Oliver Peoples
Scarf: Vintage
Shoes: Bass Washington Moccasin
Everything else: J.Crew!
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More Patrice on Qwear: Steampunk Outfit
11
Jun
Think back to 1973. Were you born yet? Were you born 10 years later? Can you imagine being out and queer back then? I’m drawing a blank.
That’s why it was so eye-opening when Liza Cowan, one of the founders of Lesbian-feminism, and a trendsetter of the 1970’s Dyke Scene in New York City, reached out to me. She wrote a column called ”What The Well Dressed Dyke Will Wear,” and founded DYKE A Quarterly, a magazine that ran for 6 issues and is currently on archive at The Museum of Modern Art Library in NYC. (You can purchase a magnet to support the archive here.)
During our interview, Liza told me that the 1970’s lesbian community’s goal was to expand the surrounding culture’s notion of how women dress and act. Liza reflected that while many of them may have identified as genderqueer or transmasculine today, calling themselves “women” was integral to their empowerment. While our language has expanded since then, our fashion aesthetic has remained strikingly similar! A lot of the styles we wear now are very similar to those in the 70’s, and thrift stores are just as popular now as they were then.
From the first Well Dressed Dyke article, June 1973:
“I know we look different from straight women. Is it a clothes style? A hair style? The movement Lesbians that I know, the community that shows up at conferences, womens’ dances, the firehouse [Lesbian community center] etc. all tend to dress similarly: comfortable work clothes, T-shirts, sturdy footwear, hair cut short or tied back or loose au natural. Women wear put-together suits, and blazers are always popular. But many of the women who go to the bars (at least on weekends) wear outfits straight from Glamour Magazine; platform shoes, tube tops, baubles, crimson mouths and plucked eyebrows. These clothes carry quite a different message.”
Can you draw parallels between the 1970’s Dyke world and the styles you see on Dyke Duds today?
The styles I see on Dyke Duds are not that hugely different from what we’d see on Lesbians in the 70’s…perhaps a bit more preppy (a style I like, by the way.)
It seems the outfits you feature would slip into any of our events pretty successfully without looking like time travelers. Is it just that the 70’s are fashionable again?
The Dykes I wrote about in the 70’s consciously tried not to overplay their clothing. I used to get mad at women for refusing to dress up for events, because I believed that we owed it to ourselves to show up looking great for each other. What you’d see mostly were jeans, t-shirts or button-down shirts. T-shirts with screen printing by dykes for events or venues were popular.
Frye boots, work boots, converse sneakers were in fashion. Sensible shoes. Shoes you could run away in. There were always lots and lots of bandanas, tied around the neck or the head mostly. In my slide show I divided the lesbian look into two sections: “Dyke Schlep” and “Dyke finery.” They weren’t that terribly different, frankly. Blazers and vests were popular. For a while, it was out of fashion to wear a bra, no matter how big your breasts were, so vests were a good and stylish way to cover up.
The other accessories that you’d always see were buttons - political buttons. I had a business making them, so I was always aware of them, but they were very popular for decorating clothing and bags. I think of them as little billboards.
Where did you used to shop for clothes?
I really don’t know where other Lesbians went shopping. I mainly went to thrift stores and army-navy stores, which was where you could get jeans and work clothes. There weren’t the zillion brands of jeans available now. You could get wranglers, Levi’s and Carharts. That’s all I remember. Some jeans were made for women, with zippers on the side. I loved wool sailor pants, the kind with lots of buttons. You could find those used, along with pea coats, at army navy stores. I bet they don’t even have army navy stores any more. It’s also where you’d get denim work shirts, bandanas, and sensible shoes.
I’d sometimes cruise Bloomingdales looking for clothes, but mainly because that’s where I’d shopped as a kid, and was familiar with it. I’d sometimes shop in the men’s department, which was kind of scandalous, but amusing. Sometimes I’d get cast offs from my father or brothers. My very favorite suede vest was a gift from my dad’s closet. I got some ties from him too. He was puzzled, but generous.
