Oh hay queers. Remember how Fourteen sells 8 danderific vests with a variety of fits and styles just for the homie homos? They’re offering 14% off through May 24. Just enter the code 539567 at checkout, and you could have the perfect dandy addition to your next formal event this summer.

You can see me wearing their Silk Vest with Charmeuse Lapel here. Sign up for their mailing list for more deals!

I work for Fourteen. It’s like, a thing.

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I did a thing today! I went to a gay friendly wedding expo in Portland, ME representing Fourteen. I got to see our clothes for the first time, try them on, walk in a wedding fashion show, and talk to hotties. My only regret was the Holiday Inn Breakfast Buffet. OMG DON’T DO IT. 

Sorry I don’t have pictures of the fashion show. I was busy waiting back stage in a closet full of the well-dressed queers. 

Setting up our booth!

Surprise surprise! LK Weiss of Jack Tarr helped to put together the fashion show! So naturally within 5 minutes of meeting them we were in a photobooth together.

I totally have this on my fridge now.

This is serious stuff, you guys! Pay. Attention.

One mannequin I dug by our friends Joseph’s of Portland, ME

I’M GAY But ok seriously, I’m wearing Fourteen’s Silk Vest with Charmeuse Lapel and the Silk Duchess Satin Tie in Navy if you wanna go order them or anything.

Oh hay, wanna hang out tomorrow? Live in Boston? GREAT come to my shopping event at Indochino. There may be other special guests joining us as well. You’ll just have to come and find out for yourselves. 

OK LOVE YAS BYE!

Sonia Fragiscle

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Photo by Patty Nash Photography

Ladies, Queers, and Fagettes! I’m excited to announce that my fashionisto career is expanding beyond the blogging platform. Fourteen, a company that makes formal wear for queers, hired me as their marketing assistant. Their inventory has grown since my last post about them, and I’m excited to jump on board. I’ll be learning more about fancy clothings, hitting up wedding conventions, and getting you exclusive updates on Fourteen’s growth as a company.

They just got our new website launched. Check it out! My favorite latest addition to their collection are the Tapered Wool Tux Pants.

I don’t expect my role with Fourteen to affect my position as your Qwear blogger, in terms of content or posting frequency. Whenever I talk about Fourteen I’ll include a note at the bottom explaining that I also work for them. If you have any questions about my new position, come say hi at sonia@qwearfashion.com.

Your favorite fancy queer-pants (except for THB),

Sonia

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Anonymous asked: recently, i’ve been on the lookout for a vest and today i tried a couple on at h&m. they didn’t look great buttoned (because of the whole i have boobs issue) and for them to work for me i would have to get them tailored. they looked alright unbuttoned though, and i was just wondering if you had any tips for the unbuttoned vest look. thanks!

(LK Weiss on dapperQ)

A.D. says:

PROTIP: Make sure everything else you’re wearing is well-fitted for you. Make sure your shirt isn’t too big or your pants aren’t too tight.

(Fourteen photoshoot with Patty Nash Photography)

PROTIP: Look super dapper everywhere else. You want people to know you’re purposefully not buttoning your vest.

(from lorrannyeerodrigo.com)

PROTIP: You’re great! ROCK IT.

More inspiration at Vests with A.D: The Suit Vest (Part 3 of 4)

“Is it me, or is ‘Veto’ starting to sound really good?” - Pheobe Buffay

Since there are so many new queer brands starting up, I thought I’d make a list of our favs! If you have the means to do so, I recommend checking these out when considering your next purchase/getting your hair did! You’re especially lucky if you live in San Francisco, New York City, or London. But many of them have online shops.

Androgyny: High-quality androgynous fitting button-ups for women/people with curves in 5 colors and patterns, priced at $125. No plus sizes yet. (Qwear feature coming soon!)

Bindle & Keep: Bespoke menswear company in NYC. Rae of The Handsome Butch works there, and she’s awesome! Email her for fittings: Rachel@BindleandKeep.com.

Chrysalis: First ever lingerie store for MAAB folks! In NYC, online store opening in Spring. Amazinggg/hot vid on website. (See Huffington Post article about them.)

Fourteen: High-end, unique suit separates for weddings and formal events, made in the USA. Their styles come in every size possible, and in two fits: boy and regular. (See our post about them.)

Marimacho: Brooklyn-based masculine clothing brand for female assigned/identified folks. They have 10 items in their shop including a blazer, suit vest, classic white shirt, bomber jacket, and swim suit.

Open Barbers: Haircuts for people of all genders! In London. Pricing is on a donation basis. Email them at openbarbers@gmail.com for appointments.

PHRESH CUTZ: “A spot for queers and friends of all kinds to kick it with like-minded individuals over drinks, snacks, and beats while tightening up their look!” In Brooklyn. (See Autostraddle post about them)

RodeoH (NSFW): Adorable, comfortable harnesses slash cute underwear. Available online and at in-store locations across the globe.

Saint Harridan: Off-the-rack masculine suits for female assigned people. Wide rang of sizes. 100 Pre-orders taken, accepting more soon. (See our post about them.) 

Tomboy Tailors: A retail shop in San Francisco that just opened on Feb 2nd! They have have in-house clothing, custom fittings, a plus line, and shoes for smaller feet. Online store opens in April. (See our post about them.)

Unbound Apparel: Sweet tees and hats to celebrate gender nonconformity. Prices range from $7-15.

Veer NYC: Curated androgynous clothing. No clothes yet, but you can support their Indiegogo campaign here. I recommend the $25 option, because you’ll get a $25 gift certificate when their store opens. Great deal! 

Wildfang: Curated tomboy clothes for people with curves. Opening shop on their website in the spring. Join their mailing list for updates, and add them on Facebook and Twitter . (See our post about them.) 

If there are any other companies you believe should be on this list, message me!

UPDATED FEB 8: Made wording changes to be more inclusive of MAAB trans* folk looking to wear androgynous clothes. 

Thanks to spasmsofreethought and obsidionalis for additions + everyone who commented!

- Sonia

I hadn’t heard of Fourteen until I ran into long-time Boston Dyke March organizer, Christine Hurley and got to talking about my Passion for Fashion (happens within 3 to 5 seconds.) She introduced me to this new queer wedding attire company, founded by lesbian/queer wedding planner Bernadette Smith. And now after getting the chance to talk with Bernadette and Fourteen fashion designer Marialexandra myself, I’ve become wildly impressed with their efforts to combine creativity and craftwomanship to fill the gaping holes in the world of lesbian and FAAB gender non-conforming formal wear.

There are several queer clothing companies out there now making their mark (Marimacho, The Butch Clothing Company, Saint Harridan, and Androgyny; among others) and each one has their unique offerings. But unlike many of these companies, Fourteen also designs for mid-spectrum folks looking for non-dress options that still embrace their curves. By offering 2 fits options: Standard fit and Boy fit, Fourteen serves a wide range of gender presentations. And each separate is very versatile in terms of how you choose to wear it. Wouldn’t this velvet jacket look also amazing with a billowy blouse?

Velvet Jacket, $414 

The team got a head start on research through Bernadette’s years of work as a wedding planner. When they started Fourteen, they conducted many focus groups to ensure satisfying everyone’s needs when it came to fit, style, and varying body types. Marialexandra observed people putting on the clothes to get a sense of how their previous clothing had fallen short of their needs. Most of us, when putting on ill-fitted shirts, tug things here and there to get them to fit right. When the participants tried on Fourteen’s clothes, all their fit problems went away for the first time. (woah, imagine if you didn’t have to tug your shirt down to get it to fit over your hips properly!) Fourteen aims to create well-fitted garments for the whole range of bodies, including those who bind and pack or are post-op.

Solid colored silk shantung bow tie, $64

Available now on their website are a velvet jacket and a Sateen jacket with pockets, each in several classic colors; six vests (one of them has sequins inside!), 2 dress shirts in 2 lengths for untucked and tucked wearing; 3 pants; and 9 pieces of neckwear made to match the garments, available in several sizes to accommodate those with smaller necks and shorter torsos. The designs are edgy, creative, and vintage inspired. It’s clear that designer Marialexandra has a talent for understanding what queers need and want in their formal garments.

One specialty Marialexandra told me about was hidden chest darts. For the boy fit, Fourteen is keeping the sides straight up and down, and using hidden chest darts to leave room in the chest area. This technique is very uncommon, and something none of us have seen on off-the-rack clothing. (Chances are The Butch Clothing Company uses them too, but Shaz won’t give away her secrets!)

As Fourteen continues to get off the ground, they will release more clothing outside of formal wear! Marialexandra is already working on several designs for underwear, binders, and swimwear! All available in about 6 months. And further down the line; maternity clothes! Can’t wait to get my hands on some of these. 

Like Fourteen on Facebook for the chance to win one of their reversible silk ties! And, make sure to add them on Twitter and Pinterest to keep up with everything this amazing company is doing!

(Photo cred: Patty Nash Photography)