We had some Ahmazing outfits on Sunday at our Power Clashing Party at The Dalloway. Have I mentioned that I fucking love queers and watching them get dressed up?

Qwear looks gooood on stickers. 

Roomie came all the way out to hang with me. Heyo!!

Guess who! Lexi Ritsch! Such a sweetie and great party co-host

NC (Genderqueer Fashionista) and N! Internet friends in real life: WHATUP!! 

Only took a pic of this queer’s Bass Floral shoes. Which I need.

Me and GQF!

Don’t even know how this happened, but HQ be wearing my hat.

Gingham and stipes. Yeah yeah! I love these Gap blazers. 

Thanks again to The Dalloway for hosting this event with me! Hope we can do another one sooon!

If you have any suggestions for meet-ups, either a city or activity, shoot me a message! - Sonia

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Other upcoming events:

Qwear Salon with Raimi &Lee Sunday May 5th in Somerville, MA!

Jack Tar happy hour/cocktail party! Tuesday May 21, 5-7pm. Sonny’s in Portland. Save the date! I know I am! (Portland, ME)

Follow Qwear: FACEBOOK | TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | PINTEREST

We’re gearing up for our big Power Clashing bash at The Dalloway on Sunday April 28th! Here are some of my inspirational favorites, and you can find more on my Power Clashing Pinterest board. I’m definitely going to make a few trips to my neighborhood thrift stores. Can’t wait to see what you all come up with! - Sonia

(from: fashionising.com)

(from: wallpaper.com)

(from: firsthandsecondhand.wordpress.com)

(from: notorious-mag.com)

(from: brand-in-trend.ru/)

(from: kpopstarz.com)

(from fashitects.blogspot.co.uk)

(from sartori.al/)

(from: brokeandbespoke.tumblr.com)

THE DALLOWAY AND QWEAR PRESENT:
Powerclashing Party (21+)
525 Broome Street New York, 10013
Sunday, April 28 at 7:00 PM 
RSVP: clashing@thedallowaynyc.com
Facebook event

No Cover! Prizes will be awarded to the most fabulous clashers.

Follow Qwear: FACEBOOK | TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | PINTEREST

(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

(photo credit: Boogie)

By Guest Blogger, I Dream Of Dapper

For some people it’s the sound of the coffee pot brewing that gets them out of bed in the morning, but for me it’s the endless combinations of colors and patterns that wait for me. I lie in bed and compose my outfit in my head before my feet even hit the floor. It’s no secret that I love a good bow tie and vest pairing; you don’t name your blog over something you feel partial about.

Usually I’m feeling a bit sassy and playful, which for me means fun with colors and patterns. Mind you, I picture myself as Mark from Ugly Betty on these days. I usually start out by choosing my shirt, sweater, and vest/blazer combinations before adding neckwear. I really like using similar patterns that vary in size; but pairing different patterns can also be rewarding. Subtle patterns are great for jazzing things up without looking like a complete clown.

Here are some of my favorite pattern mixtures put together from my wardrobe:

Stripes and Plaid

I find the clean straight lines of a striped shirt accompanied with the complexity of
the plaid pleasing to the eye. Try and match colors with this combination to avoid a
clownish appearance. This button-up has very thin navy stripes, which pair well the navy bow tie.

Gingham and Paisley

Gingham and paisley are great together. The curves and shapes of the paisley add a level of fun to the clean lines of the gingham. When starting out, choose a paisley tie that contains the same colors of the gingham to help bring everything together.

Stripes and Polka-dots

Lines and polka dots are a crowd pleaser. Just keep the patterns small and subtle; otherwise you’ve crossed the line from dapper into clownville.

Gingham and Plaid

Gingham and plaid is a more complex and tricky combination. It risks appearing too busy. But when done with thin lines and subtle colors, it can be really dapper! It also helps with the busy factor to mix bigger patterns with smaller ones. Those who know me know that I like taking risks and being a bit more daring. Taking risks can result in big pay-offs and many compliments. 

Floral and Paisley

One of my signature mixtures is floral & paisley. The features of these traditionally feminine patterns compliment each other and create a fun and playful look. I find that it works really well to mix dark shades with light ones.

Check back soon for more of my outfits IRL!

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As queers, we love the play between classic and modern, traditional gender roles, and new gender spaces. We’ll put multiple plaids in the same outfit, and find a use for our grandfather’s old paisley ties. I’ve slowly started moving into bolder wardrobe choices myself (perhaps putting orange and yellow together in the same outfit is some baby power clashing in the works?) and I’ve been super inspired to see other queers and fashionistas around town breaking every rule I ever heard about what goes together.

Thrift stores are the perfect place to pick up eclectic pieces for your wardrobe. It’s how I Dream of Dapper acquired her cat vest. Topman is another great source for patterned pieces, particularly masculine floral. Just beware of anything with the word “Aztec” in the description. It’s not approved by the Aztecs. H&M has some amazing women’s patterned pants; my friend recently got a pair that she loves.

Some tips for successful power clashing:

1. Mix bigger patterns with smaller ones. 
2. Find a way to tie it all together. When mixing patterns, find a common color to repeat throughout the outfit.
3. THE SQUINT TEST: When you have your outfit on, squint and see if it looks like a mess or you can easily distinguish the different pieces. (A little trick I picked up in painting class.)

Allex Knight, from her recent DapperQ feature. The shirt pattern is so muted and pants so crazy bold that they balance one another out. The light blue nail polish is a really nice touch! (Photo cred: Shaina Chin)

The shirt includes the colors of both the tie and the jacket/vest combo to make a cohesive outfit. The use of thick wool ties is a great way to add some weight and grounding to a mixed patterned outfit. (source: thetieguy.tumblr.com)

Jenna Lyons (J. Crew head, new member of the tribe) always has some crazy patterns and textures going on, but she ties it together with color coordinated footwear. (source: theoveranalyst.net)

This fashionista repeats the color scheme of black, gold, and white. Actually, if you look closely at her wrist, she’s repeating every single color in her shirt. Brilliant! (source: behautebothered.blogspot.com) 

This outfit passes the squint test, because if you REALLY simplify it, it’s a light top and dark pants, the commonality being black and white. (source: blog.stylesight.com)

Dapper Q’s first fashion show is also full of brilliant power clashing. This outfit not only has 3 different patterns in it, but has a canadian tuxedo-esque jacket and pants combo. (Styled and photographed by Jahn Hall)

Here the commonality that pulls it all together is the tie, drawing on the red lines in the blazer and shirt and red designs in the paisley pocketsquare. And it’s all the same deap red, or very close to! Bravo. (source: thatmodernman.tumblr.com)

More Allex Knight from DapperQ. Allex comments in the feature, “I love the clash of classic clothing, my body, and my body art that makes this suit wearing experience so gender queer.” (Photo cred: Shaina Chin.)

Inspired yet?

- Sonia

Leave it to Blake to dress amazingly dapper for $75 total (price break-down below.) Both the tie and the shoes in this outfit were thrifted; other items grabbed on sale. If you live or work near a thrift store, try going in regularly and scanning the shoes and accessories. Once in a while, a real treasure will emerge for you to grab. If the shoes are worn down, you can get them refurbished and looking brand new. Put This On goes over all the valuable secrets in refurbishing shoes in their A Tale of Two Shoes post.

Shirt: Ralph Lauren, on sale for $20
Cardigan: Tommy Hilfiger, on sale for $20
Tie: Thrifted, Goodwill $1
Jeans: Old Navy for $15
Belt: Levi’s for $15
Shoes: Vintage Church’s, thrifted for $4 (DEAL OF THE CENTURY! $300 SHOES FOR $4)

Follow Blake: queerplusfashion.tumblr.com

More on budget shopping: Shopping on a Budget: Plus-Sized Masculine Work Clothes, The Full-On Budget Shopping Post

Hannah, from Newark, DE wrote in, “I’m going to an outdoor carnival tonight! I wanted to wear something bright, fun, and just a little tacky. I paired this yellow and grey wide horizontal striped tank top with a pair of red, white, and blue plaid boxers and, to bring it together, my new favorite shoes. They were a gift from my best friend and I love them to pieces!” 

I love this outfit. It’s bold and cute and just the perfect amount of pattern mixing! So impressed! Go babyqueers! And I don’t think it’s too tacky to rock any day of the week.

Tank top: Forever 21 Men’s
Jeans: Aeropostale
Boxers: Boys’ Hanes
Hello Kitty Sneakers: Vans

Follow Hannah! divinethefuture.tumblr.com

Colorful, Dapper, Preppy menswear for work. Obsessed. This Oakland-residing school teacher’s outfit is totally knocking my invisible socks off. Known as Bookmonkey5000, she includes dapper tips about tie knots for short queers, getting custom made pants from makeyourownjeans.com, and more sartorial reflections.

• Shirt: Land’s End Boys (6 dollars via Lands’ End’s weekly On the Counter sale)
• Tie: Gap Factory Store 
• Belt: Banana Republic Outlet
• Pants: Custom made at makeyourownjeans.com 
• Shoes: Bass Ely 2  

• Shirt: Land’s End Boys
• Tie: The Tie Bar
• Belt: American Eagle
• Pants: H&M, purchased at Buffalo Exchange
• Shoes: Bass Weejuns 

Her words about the first outfit: I’d long been eyeing some beautiful blue suede Nordstrom 1901 Oxfords, as seen in this post by the amazing gentlemen at Closet Freaks, but sadly, those don’t come in a small enough size for me. So I ordered the Ely 2s and then switched out the blue laces for white ones to snazz them up a bit. These chinos are one of a few pairs that I’ve had custom made from makeyourownjeans.com. Shipping is expensive, so they can run you anywhere from $70-$100 a pair, and they’re not designer quality or anything, but they fit me the way I want them to fit, which is more than I can say for almost every other pair of pants in the universe.

Her words about the second outfit: I wanted to pair some simple classics (white OCBD, loafers) with some more modern pieces. I’m by no means a flashy dresser, so pairing these bright blue jeans with a plain white oxford makes me feel like my outfit isn’t too loud. I’ve been really digging knit ties lately; they can make jeans dressier or trousers more casual. Every tie at The Tie Bar is 15 bucks, and while the quality isn’t stellar, you can pick up quite a few nice ties without breaking the bank.

Dapper queer tip: Since I’m kinda short (5’ 5”), my ties are often too long. Because of that, I like to use knots that “eat up” a lot of tie and make the tie shorter. In this look, I used a double four-in-hand. The Knize knot is also a good one for the same reason. The double Windsor is also a large knot that’s good for shorties, but I prefer the asymmetrical look of the Knize or double four-in-hand.

Anonymous asked: Is there a way to make a plaid shirt and plaid shorts work together? Or should I give up on double plaid?

A plaid shirt and plaid shorts combo would be impressive to pull off, but you could do it if the patterns had enough contrast. You might also consider adding a solid tie or something to calm it down. Here is an example of successfully mixing 3 types of plaids. They work together because they are all so different; we have tiny, large, and medium and colorful. Now I just feel like I’m playing Set.

(source)

Anonymous asked: I’m seeing all these guys’ pictures from prom and they’re all in the generic black or white suits with a vest the color of their date’s dress. I want to look snazzy or dapper or some other wonderful adjective at my prom, without looking like someone copy-pasted my outfit. Any suggestions?

I want this for you, too Anonymous. And what’s the point in being queer if you can’t have a little fun? Here are some ideas that I bet the cis straight boys at your school haven’t thought of:

Color: Having a non-black suit can pretty easily eliminate the predictable factor. (source) Riviera Club has some beautifully detailed yellow pants like this on sale for $72 (clicky)

Elbow patches: Sexy professor look. Nuff said. (Source unknown. If you took this picture please tell me.)

Unique Dress Shoes: Dress Slip Ons, wing tips, saddle shoes, contrast soles, or oxfords of other colors are a great way to spice things up. The lady reelers above are the 1901 ‘Saddle Up’ Oxfords at Nordstrom. 

Pattern mixing can make for a really bold and dynamic outfit. The key is to mix big patterns with smaller ones. Check out the pattern mixing tag for more inspiration. (source)