flyingflesheater asked: I'm a cross dresser and I work at American Eagle. Let me just say that while I'm sure AE has its faults, I have never once been made to feel uncomfortable about my gender presentation by my managers, other employees or even the customers, and I live in a very conservative area so I feel like that's pretty awesome. There's a level of diversity in our store that is really inspiring to me, and something that I haven't seen in stores like A&E or Hollister (which is right next door to us actually)

This is amazing. I had a really great experience at American Eagle Kids too. (Keep in mind that I am no longer dyke-identified, like I was when I wrote that post a year ago. But the rest still applies!) Glad to hear you’ve had great experiences with them as well. Exciting that such a mainstream store can be a safe place for us. - Sonny

Let’s be real: I care about dressing well, I care about other queers dressing well and feeling good. And that’s why I have this blog. If I wanted to have a blog about only supporting companies with good practices, well, that would be a different blog. We could call it “Fair Trade Queer.” Or something. Spinoffs welcome.

The only brands I’ve been boycotting on Qwear are Urban Outfitters and their affiliate Anthropologie. (Which you can read about here.) If I boycotted every brand that had bad practices, I’d be pretty limited in the Looking Pretty Pepartment.  

But I’m now adding Abercrombie & Fitch and their affiliates (Hollister, and some other brand I haven’t heard of called Gilly Hicks) to the list of brands I will no longer promote in this lifetime. Because of this:

UPDATE 5/16: While the following video does a great job out outlying the issues with A&F, a few folks alerted me that it’s problematic. I completely agree with that article, and considered deleting the video altogether from this post. I decided to leave it here for discussion, but would discourage anyone from actually joining his campaign. 

You can still model them in your submissions, but I won’t link to them. I will also include a disclaimer: “Abercrombie & Fitch actively discriminates based on class, size, and appearance. For similar brands, try Aéropostale and American Eagle Outfitters.” Thoughts? Proposed edits? Contact me.

For a long time I was promoting A&F because I loved their jeans. But the zipper recently broke on them anyway. Along with all my trust. *wipes tear.* 

- Sonny

Just discovered this Shereen Jenkins kid. I don’t know if this is a thing, but I’m going to call her style mainstream street smart. Sporty clothing with easily recognizable brands. So dope.

Hat: American Eagle
Sweatshirt: Abercrombie & Fitch
Watch: G-shock
Jeans: Hollister
Shoes: Converse

Follow Shereen:
Tumblr: shereenjenkins.tumblr.com
Youtube: youtube.com/user/SJmoves/videos

that-lovable-ginger asked: Hi there! I've only just really begun to understand that I'm genderqueer, and as a result I've started realising that sometimes I love the idea of dressing masculine. The problem is, I don't own any masculine clothing and don't really know where to begin! My other problem is that I have long hair, which means that I find it difficult to have a masculine appearance (I'm a bit tentative about the idea of cutting my hair short though, because it's such a big change). Please help? :)

Congratulations! Check out A.D.’s blog. They are genderqueer too, and have amazing long hair: exsouthernbelle.tumblr.com. Also check out this post they wrote: Queer with Long Hair.

It can be hard diving into a whole new wardrobe. Are you interested in incorporating masculine pieces into your current wardrobe? If so, you may enjoy this post: Mixing Mens and Womens Pieces. If I was going to buy my very first masculine clothing item, it would probably be a basic button-up. Finding my first men’s button-up that fit really well was an amazing feeling.

I also did just a lot of trying things on and exploring what felt right. I found that the best places to do this are where people aren’t gender policing the customers. So you can comfortably explore and try on many things without feeling like people are watching you. I felt really comfortable in department stores that were either crowded enough that people didn’t notice me, or where sales people weren’t lurking around. It was also easy to bounce back and forth between the mens and boys’ sections. Stores with all gender dressing rooms are also great places to trying on men’s clothing. Dapper Q made a list of stores that have them: Abercombie & Fitch, American Eagle Outfitters, American Apparel, Banana Republic, Express, Gap, H&M, Hollister Co., Old Navy, Uniqlo. (From Dressing Rooms: Legal, Physical, & Emotional.) I’d also like to add that some J. Crews and Club Monacos have them.

Good luck and have fun!

Being a prepster and breaking fashion rules are my two favorite things. 

Polo: Tommy Hilfiger Boys
Sweater Vest: Old Navy “Boys Argyle V-Neck Sweater Vest” 
Bracelet: Morellato
Belt: Abercrombie & Fitch Preppy Braided Belt
Shorts: Old Navy Women’s Perfect Khaki Bermudas
Socks: American Apparel
Shoes: Bass ”Ely Gobi Suede”

I’ve recently made a few more fantastic purchases: a couple Tommy Hilfiger boy’s polos, and a Ben Sherman backpack on sale at ASOS. I felt that my wardrobe was lacking in bright colors, so I took the plunge and got some orange to go with all the navy I already had. Plus, how can I be a true Prepster without bright colors? All I need now is a lakeside house in New Hampshire and some boats… 

Polo: Tommy Hilfiger Boys
Watch: 666 Barcelona
Belt: Abercrombie & Fitch Preppy Braided Belt
Shorts: Old Navy Women’s Perfect Khaki Bermudas
Boat Shoes: Sebago Docksides
Backpack: Plectrum Canvas Backpack by Ben Sherman

Now that you’re venturing into the mens section, why not add some pink to your palette? Something that used to be seen as feminine is now given a preppy and masculine twist. And I love it when queers double the irony. Here are some of the latest pink items I’ve been coveting:

1.’Olsen’ Brogue, available at FarFetch for $210
2. Morgan Mountain Board Shorts, available at Abercrombie & Fitch for $25
3. Boy’s L.12.12 Original Fit Short Sleeve Classic Pique Polo in Flamingo Pink,  available at Lacoste for $45
4. Gray Plaid Skinny Tie, on sale at Pocket Square Clothing for $30
5. Kids Cashmere Sweater, available at J. Crew for $135 
6. Tide Beech Tee, on sale at Hollister for $15
7. Pink Deck Striped Shorts, available at Topman for $70
8. Pink Ray-Ban Wayfarers, on sale at Sunglass Hut for $79.98
9. ASOS Skinny Chino with Pigment Dye, available at ASOS for $49.71
10. Supra High Top Shoes TK Society Light Red, on sale at www.suprasneaker.co.uk for $84

A lot of people have been asking about how to stay cool but dress preppy this summer. Some bright colors, prep brand logos, polo shirts, and anything nautical, with argyle, or an emblem should do the trick. Here’s some inspiration for ya for part 1 of the summer prep:

Preps like to show logos of high end brands so that people know how well-to-do they are. Little do they know that you got the Lacoste Boy’s Polo Shirt on sale for $29.99… here. Or on Ebay too for even less.

This dockside slip-ons will look great with shorts or on dressier occasions and will last you for years. They’re such a staple that they’ll work even if you evolve out of your preppy style. Greenbrook Light Suede Shoe, on sale at Rockport for $89.99

Nixon Nautical Watch, available at Barneys for $250. For the same look you can get a NATO watch strap for about $12 here and slip and old watch face in or pick one up here. Check out Mimi rocking one.

Ashley looking cute. Pacsun’s got some sick avaitors online exclusive for $14.50 called With Love From Ca Sunglasses.

Asos has some sweet choral chino shorts, available here for $38.27

Count on A&F to be as preppy as possible. Here is the Preppy Braided Belt, available at Abercrombie & Fitch for $34, still best worn with a little bit hanging off the end. Check out me wearing one in my Preppy Queer post from last summer!

This post wouldn’t be complete without a button-up shirt or some blue and white stripes. And who better than Abercrombie to supply both of them in one item? Roll up the sleeves and it’s perfect for summer. This is the Otis Ledge shirt, on sale for $28.90

And as usual, check out the summer and preppy tags for more ideas.

And where might I end up tonight? At a club? On a dinner date? At a vegan potluck that is unbeknownst to me a meeting for members of a cooperative farm? This outfit can be swung at any occasion. Happy Friday!

Shirt: H&M Boys, tailored (cost $38 total)
Tie: Express
Watch: 666 Barcelona
Jeans: Abercrombie & Fitch, “The Erin Skinny”
Socks: Urban Outfitters
Shoes: Adidas

Anonymous asked: I am a busty girlperson who prefers masculine tops, but I rather like my chest and don't like trying to flatten it with sports bras or binders. What would you suggest for where to get button downs or styles that appear more masculine but don't force me to compromise by binding?

My busty friends do well with the Gap’s women’s button-ups (pictured below), which are pretty androgynous in style. Abercrombie & Fitch, Hollister, and J. Crew have pretty androgynous fitting women’s button-ups as well. Boyfriend shirts might also be a good bet. (Who knew that they’d get recommended on a queer blog so much… those poor straight people) They have them at Urban Outfitters, Pacsun, and American Eagle. Comment if you have any more ideas.