Esquire Theme by Matthew Buchanan
Customization Design by Sonia Oram
18
Jan
(photo credit: Boogie)
Blazer: Burlington Coat Factory
Floral shirt: Target
Paisley tie: Goodwill
Waistcoat: H&M
Jeans: Express
Shoes: Goodwill (Outdoorables by Daniel Green)
More I Dream Of Dapper on Qwear: I Dream Of Dapper (In The Library) | Pattern Mixing Guide with I Dream of Dapper, The Queer Pomp in 3 Steps With I Dream of Dapper | Follow I Dream Of Dapper
10
Jan
01
Jan
Thrift stores like Buffalo Exchange are an excellent place to start for cheap, high quality outerwear. Here’s Allex Knight rocking her $16 find. (Thanks, DapperQ, for introducing me to her!)
Vintage Coat: Buffalo Exchange ($16!)
Sweater: H&M
Tank Top: Urban Outfitters*
Jeans: Black LEVI Skinny Jeans
Snapback: OBEY
Glasses: Urban Outfitters*
(Photo Cred: Shaina Chin)
*Urban Outfitters donates money to anti-gay campaigns. Learn more about their actions here. Buffalo Exchange and Ragstock are great hipster alternatives
18
Dec
This H&M’s women’s blazer had been in the back of my closet for a while because I felt it was too feminine. But it was actually seeing Esther Quek’s neatly tailored women’s suits that encouraged me to try it again. Now I like the fit, and feel that it matches my androgynous presentation perfectly.
The Hunter Boots are Qwear virgins; got them at the Tannery in Harvard Square for $50 and am always waiting for rainy days like to today to sport them.
Blazer: H&M
Shirt: Ralph Lauren Boys’ Blake Oxford, tailored
Belt: Express (men’s)
Pants: Gap Broken-in Straight Khakis (also womens!)
Boots: Hunter Women’s Brixen Combat Boots, bought at the Tannery
I decided to go tieless today because if I wore ties all the time then A. I’d have trouble distinguishing between dressier and more casual occasions and B. I’d never get to show off top button swag (and in the colder weather, my mad ironing skills.)
Finally, my new haircut! Based it off of Logan Lerman in his holiday sweater and wanted to copy his adorable geeky style, but had also found inspiration from queers I’ve seen around town. I did it at a La Flemme Barber Shop in Lexington, MA; an affordable old school barber shop across from where I work that did a fantastic job.
Sending warm thoughts from Boston,
Sonia
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16
Dec
theblueandthewhite asked: When looking for pants, should I concentrate on the way the hips fit or the way the waist fits? I am generally a 24 in women’s stuff, but I have the big hips/butt situation as well.
Courtney says: Where are you considering your waist? Generally nowadays, most folk don’t fasten their pants around their actual waists, but more around their hips. Or if you’re a sagger, it can go even lower. In vintage clothing however, men’s and women’s pants are both worn higher up, around the hips or on the hips, even creeping up toward the actual waist. Currently styles in women’s pants are also shifting upward, with most brands favoring midrise rather than lowrise. So you should gauge the fit around where you want your pants to sit!
Every brand also structures their styles differently; so trying on a bunch of styles will be beneficial. Men’s dress pants and trousers also are generally cut in such a way that the hips and butt are less structured, as compared jeans. So those could be less tedious to go through to find some that fit fantastically. You’ll also perhaps have luck with Boyfriend fit women’s pants.
I really like Pacsun, American Eagle, and Levi’s. Sometimes H&M can have some fantastic pants too, and if there’s a Topman around, that’s definitely worth checking out. All have lots of variety in their fit styles, so just find something that works for you! See Guy’s Pants and Fit for Qwear recommended jeans brands.
06
Dec
Who said faux-hauks had to be thin? Not this queer. Sunny’s got her punk on; with torn up black jeans, broken-in black boots, plugs, tattoos, and that fabulous bleached wide faux-hauk. But the bow tie adds a touch of dandy.
Sweater: H&M
Black button-up: American Apparel
Bow Tie: The Tie Bar
Skinny jeans: CPS jeans
Boots: ALDO
Plugs: gift in Thailand
Sunny’s Tumblr: tipthevelvet.tumblr.com
05
Dec
By Guest Blogger, Sophie Lee
Bow Ties are Cool.
That is the mantra of the Eleventh Doctor, the titular character of the BBC show “Doctor Who,” and is probably enough to convince you to dress more like this man. The abundance of warm earth tones and the professorial vibe of the doctor’s look lends itself well to autumn. You can mix and match different aspects of the doctor’s ensemble for your own seasonal look.
The Bow Tie: I’m pretty sure the intro said it all. Whenever he can help it, the doctor is wearing a bow tie. His go-to is a narrow red bow tie, although he also wears a blue one on occasion. And for really special occasions he’ll break out the white silk bow tie.
How to incorporate this into your look: For your everyday wear, chose wool or linen bow ties rather than silk ones; in a dark shade, with a narrow bow (batwing or a thinner semi-butterfly). Narrow cloth bow ties are more casual but equally dapper. Or for double the doctor fashion points, opt for a tweed bow tie. For formal affairs, go white silk.
High quality bow ties are hard to find sometimes. Vintage clothing stores are a good place to start, and I love the selections at High Cotton. Pictured above is the Darden Woolie Bow Tie.
(sources: J.Crew, A.P.C. - Elbow Patch Sweat, bintheknow.wordpress.com)
The Jacket: The eleventh doctor wears a well-fitted tweed jacket with elbow patches. Elbow patches are one of those delightful details, effervescent of your old college professor.
How to incorporate this into your look: Tweed jackets are an excellent addition to any fall wardrobe. See the tweed jacket selections of Topman, House of Fraser (men’s), The Outnet, and Modcloth (women’s). Or just go with the elbow patches! Many brands like H&M, Zara, and ASOS, to name a few; sell sweaters, cardigans, and blazers with elbow patches. Or if you like sewing, add patches an old sweater or blazer for a personality revamp! Here’s a DIY elbow patches tutorial.
The Details: The doctor tends to wear slim-fit shirts with button-down collars. But the beauty lies in the details. His shirt is often a muted shade of his bow tie color. And for another nice touch, his suspenders always match his bow tie.
A second really great element of his shirts are the contrasting cuffs. Although the only time they are fully visible is when he gets dressed, you can seeing them peaking out though his sleeves throughout the series. The doctor’s cuffs are a darker shade and ringed, similar to the cuffs on a letterman jacket. It’s a nice little burst of color and a fun detail.
How to incorporate this into your look: The exact shirt the doctor wears was made and sold by UK designer Paul Smith. It was part of a limited edition collection in 2010 and is no longer available. But for a similar style, look for the colors of your accessories in a muted tone. Also for slim fit shirts with cuff or collar contrast details. Try Claudio Lugli, Hugo Boss, Dockers, Brooks Brothers. Finally, don’t underestimate the value of a good pair of suspenders! His are a simple clip on; easily picked up at Topman or American Apparel.
03
Dec
Teresa is back with possibly my favorite fashion element of the year: elbow patches. The oatmeal colored sweater is just the midtone of several shades of brown, including the yellow pants as the lightest. This sepia color palette is a beautiful way to create a retro 70’s feel.
Sweater: H&M
Watch: Lacoste, Men’s Montreal Brown Leather Strap
Pants: Levi’s
Shoes: Canvas Authentic Vans with DIY leather laces
More Teresa on Qwear: Suede Sneakers for a Tomboy, GQ Cover Material
Teresa’s Tumblr: teresabeans
27
Nov
Yesss. Some great finds at vintage/thrift stores and H&M boys. Could Amanda BE any more queerspiring?
Shirt: H&M boys
Jacket: Thrifted, tags removed
Blasses: Vintage store in Toronto called Black Market
Backpack: Army Navy Deals
Watch: 80’s Casio, thrifted
Amanda’s Tumblr: photo.tumblr.com
23
Nov
Anonymous asked: Hello! I have been looking for a casual / going-out blazer for the longest time and I think it’s time to ask for help. I usually shop for androgyny in the women’s section, but whenever I find a blazer style I like it doesn’t fit. I’m a shortie (5’1) with broad shoulders so most women’s blazers are tight in the shoulders and pull out in the chest area. Do you have any recommendations from the womens section or mens section? Should I just buy from the mens section and get it tailored? Thanks!
Courtney says:
As a shortie (5’ 2”) with broad shoulders myself, let me say I feel your pain. Something that I learned from my dad when shopping for blazers: the shoulder fit is most important. Everything else could be tailored if absolutely necessary, but when looking for a more masculine styled blazer, shoulders must fit. I’ve found that even women’s blazers that I don’t think fit me well actually fit and look more masculine if I go up a size to fit my shoulders. So even if you think you wear a certain size, try on a couple others to see if you might like the fit better.
I’ve also found that men’s slim fit blazers fit very well because they are cut to fit broader shoulders along with emphasizing waists.
Brown and Burgundy Skinny Blazer, $230 at Topman
Tweed Blazer, $99.95 at American Eagle
Banana Republic offers petite sizes for their women’s wear as well as regular and tall - but even if you usually buy petite, the regular fit might be better for broad shoulders. Women’s blazers also tend to be cut shorter, so if you’re looking for a more androgynous style and you are smaller, women’s regular fit blazers might hang more masculine on you anyway:
Cotton Hacking Jacket, $150 at Banana Republic
Ludlow Sportcoat in Black Watch Harris Tweed Wool, $548 at J. Crew
This is so expensive, but look at that fantastic plaid! J. Crew offers short cuts for their suiting so it’s easier to find pieces that fit smaller folk. Hey, maybe this will turn up in a thrift store!
