Photo cred: Caroline Wood

By guest blogger, Courtney 

Hey Qwearlings! I got back from London after spending January there for a Theatre course (liberal arts, y’all). London street fashion seems like the origination of certain hipster styles in the US. Going into most London stores, I found myself drooling over almost every item of hipster-tastic duds, and found myself back in America at the end of the month with a significantly heavier suitcase and significantly lighter wallet.  

I asked a few of my friends who came on my trip to represent some of the awesome fashion we saw there.

Photo cred: Caroline Wood

For starters: TOP-BUTTON SWAG. Literally everywhere. You’ll notice that we are all apparently wearing the same shirt. This is because we are, in fact, wearing the same shirt. We found an amazing store called Primark, which is apparently something like the British Walmart meets Forever 21. There were so many of these short sleeve printed beauties that we, plus two more of our friends, each own two, and none of them are the same. Printed shirts seem to be pretty big, but less plaid (like in the US) and more different prints like the fleur de lis, dots, and birds.

Photo cred: Caroline Wood

Becca (Left)
Shirt: Primark
Pants: H&M
Belt: Urban Outfitters*
Socks: Target
Shoes: Marshall’s

Courtney (Middle)
Shirt: Primark
Pants: Primark
Sweater: H&M
Blazer: Zara
Pocket Square: The Tie Bar
Belt: Lee River
Boots: Aldo

Andy (Right)
Shirt: Primark
Pants: Primark
Belt: H&M
Boots: All Saints

Something else the British seem to love is colored trousers. Andy and I are both wearing pants from— wait for it— Primark! And in the store there were stacks on stacks of colored pants in various fabrics and fits. Most pants on the street, however, are very much slim fit. In fact, I would say most of the London street style I observed was slim fit.  

Other things I saw: crew neck sweaters and sweatshirts, beanies, black boots (like mine and Andy’s), black jeans. And blazers. Going to a club in London, I asked my English friend what guys usually wore when going out. The reply was, “Suits.” And it was true. Tons of slim cut slim lapelled suits, or blazers over tanks with slim cotton pants. Swoon! Check out Topman for more examples of this sort of style.

Courtney is our petite menswear consultant. If you have any questions for her about menswear fit, style in general, or being a rockin badass, send your qwearies here.

*Urban Outfitters donates money to anti-gay campaigns. Learn more about their actions here. Buffalo Exchange and Ragstock are great hipster alternatives

In case you want cutie Andy as a friend on Facebook

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.

Shopping for well-priced work clothes in plus sizes can be hard. No fear! I have some staple pieces that will keep your budget in check while also giving you a professional look. Here are some items to give your wardrobe a professional boost with inspiration for people of all shapes.

1. Can I say cardigans more than once????
Cardigans are a wonderful way to class up any outfit while providing comfort and an element of androgyny (men’s and women’s cardigans are virtually identical.) In addition, they cross over well from day/work wear to nightlife wear. I suggest buying a cardigan in gray, blue, black, and a statement color. I bought most of my cardigans from a Tommy Hilfiger outlet mall in Williamsburg, VA. However, if you don’t live near an out mall, I also like the cardigans over at Old Navy for the price point. 


(source: gentleman-forever.tumblr.com)

2. Vests!
I currently have two vests that I go to whenever I am trying to look more put together and professional. Vests are a great multi-purpose form of clothing. You can pretty much wear then with anything! Goodwill or a comparable thrift store usually has some great options in all sizes.

(source: covermenmag.com)

3. Collared Shirts
Just like cardigans and vests, collared shirts have crossover appeal. If you have trouble finding one that fits you, keep looking! They come in all cuts, sizes, colors, and patterns! You can survive off of owning 5 to 7 shirts — one white, another light blue, and 3 to 5 of your choice. Get some with button-down collars, and some without so that you have a range of of casual and fancy (button-down = casual.) The combinations of cardigans, vests, and collared shirts are endlesssssssss. I recommend Saddlebred collared shirts and Ralph Lauren for plus sizes; they fit me well. Just shop around for what fits you best. 

(source: maxxanch.tumblr.com)

4. Blazers
I have had GREAT luck at Goodwill. However, thrift shops are a mixed bag. Lane Bryant has some really nice blazers. The arms fit well enough that I can bend them and the body of the blazer fits perfectly to my curves. I suggest that you look out for a sale; Lane Bryant can be pricey (I went during a sale and got two blazers for $90, not bad). A blazer should fall below the waistline but not go past your bum. The sleeves should be in between the knuckle and the wrist. 

Herringbone jacket, available at Lane Bryant for $89.95

5. Pants 
Buy pants cheap and get them tailored. I would shoot for khakis and a light weight dress material. Try to stay away from the Poly and Ester twins. I find that slim leg pants are the most flattering look for any size. Have your tailor adjust your pants leg to about 9.5 inches to create the look (trust the tailor with the number of inches). I buy pants from all over, mainly Tommy Hilfiger on extremeeeee markdown and Old Navy during the holiday deal season. See my post about tailoring pants for more info.

Look for pants with these cuts:


(source: panizsehatniaki.blogspot.com) Pants from Zara


Pants from Tommy Hilfiger (source: he99.blogspot.com)

6. Shoes!
Shoes can make or break an outfit. No holes, no tears, not too broken in for the office. Out of all of the above basics, I recommend that you spend the most money on good quality shoes. I like Clarks desert boots and Bass Weejuns for the office.

Desert Boots. Pick yours up at Topman, FarFetch, The Tannery, Infinity Shoes, or basically anywhere. (source: four-thirdsgentleman.tumblr.com)


Bass Weejuns (womens) available at Bass

Related Posts: Androgenizing With Ralph Lauren, Diminishing Curves With Menswear

All my followers in cold climates are freezing because I haven’t posted about leggings and tights yet. Sorry guysss!!! Leggings and tights are traditionally thought of as feminine, but I really love making them into a masculine or androgynous thing too. Some people call men’s leggings “meggings,” which is dumb and gendered. But whatever works to help stores get them on the racks. 

Leggings and tights can be worn under shorts, skirts, or ripped jeans. Leggings, because they are thicker, can also be worn with over-sized shirts/sweaters. Then when you get to “jeggings;” a cross between jeans and leggings, you can wear them on their own. Flaunt it, queers.

More AMAZING photos of this outfit on her blog: anouskaproettabrandon.com

(source: lookbook.nu) Leggings from Zara, but these functionally count as jeggings.

(source: flickr.com)

(source: socialbliss.com)

(source: mirjami.myshowroom.se)

Places to pick up tights and leggings: American Apparel, H&M, Topshop, ASOS, Modcloth, Zara, www.nylonjournal.com

I went shopping at the Zara on Newbury Street in Boston yesterday. As I waited in the dressing rooms to try on some fabulous golden chinos, a suited employee came up to me and said something inaudible. “Just one,” I said, making my best guess as to what he was asking me. But then he repeated himself, clearly a little embarrassed. “You’re not allowed in here.”

I quickly realized he meant women are not allowed in the men’s dressing room, and he was reading me as female. 

A little shocked and caught off-guard, I went downstairs to the long line at the women’s dressing rooms, where my female assigned counterparts were trying on 7 items each. After waiting a few minutes, I realized that my interest in the pants was quickly dwindling, and I’d much rather find out why they felt the need to force me into a space that didn’t make sense for me (I almost exclusively shop for men’s clothes.)

So being the radical queer that I am, I went back upstairs to ask a few questions. They told me that they made the policy after a guy opened the courtain on a woman in the dressing room while she was changing. I then asked them if they had any transgender anti-discrimination policies, and they promptly told me that I could use the men’s dressing room if I wanted to. So the bad news is that Zara — or at least the Zara on Newburry Street in Boston — has a discriminatory rule against gender non-conforming folks. The good news is that the minute you complain they let you break it.

Their fearful response to the curtain incident is one that I see a lot among institutions who aren’t educated in transgender and genderqueer rights. People seem to think that enforcing gendered spaces is going to increase the comfort level and safety of everyone involved. Sadly, it does just the opposite. It marginalizes gender non-conforming shoppers, it makes it harder for straight couples or mixed gendered friends to shop together, it makes one line much longer than the other, it forces employees to uncomfortably kick someone out of a space that they have every right to be in, and it encourages rape culture (men can’t be trusted or expected to behave themselves.) As my shopping buddy put it, an anti-creep policy would get the job done more effectively.

I’d love to hear your thoughts. What have you done when you got kicked out of a gendered space? After hearing my story, will you avoid Zara? Will you purposely shop at Zara just to show them that we exist?

Anonymous asked: I’m going out with my girlfriend to the local opera house to see an orchestra play. I’m guessing it’s a formal event, so how do I go about dressing for something formal, but not go all out? I’m quite feminine (and I have long straight brown hair) but can sometimes wear more androgynous clothes.

You’d want something conservative with classic, subtle colors. Maybe something like this:

(source: dreamstylediary.com)

• Blazer: Zara
• Sweater: Primark
• Blouse: Koton
• Jeans: Zara
• Flats: Zara
• Bag: H&M

Beatboxgoeshump came out with another Everlane product teaser. The bowtie with button-down and cardigan is such a hot combo.

Bowtie: Everlane
Denim Jacket: AllSaints
Cardigan: J. Crew
Button-down: Rugby RL Oxford
Pants: Zara
Belt: Everlane
Argyle Socks: J. Crew
Oxfords: bought in Paris

Decked up in peter pan collars, bow ties, and berets, our Austrian-based friend Emma is going through a lot of popular trends right now in both femmewear and menswear. Any one of these outfits would be perfect for your next soiree.

YESS. It does not appear that Zara has this exact sweater anymore, though they still feature the style in these tops. Not what you’re looking for? Luckily, Etsy has 3,483 hand-made goodies with peter pan collars!

• Beret: Kastner & Öhler
• Sweater: Kastner & Öhler
• Peter pan collar shirt: Zara
• Skirt: H&M
• Tights: Calzedonia
• Shoes: Russell & Bromley

An example of successfully mixing pinstripe and plaid. Also, that bow tie… amazing. Armstrongs Vintage has an online store on ebay, linked to below.

• Bow tie: Armstrongs Vintage
• Blazer: H&M
• Shirt: Pimkie