Anonymous asked: When you decide to change your look, or as you said in your last post "present differently", is it a conscious decision to morph or do you just begin to gravitate toward different pieces until your wardrobe has changed?

The change I referred to rather vaguely was in gender presentation. And I’d say this change was conscious. I think a switch got turned on when I bought one of those $10 boy’s v-necks that emphasized my shoulders rather than my chest. It made me feel the most at home in the upper half of my body than I’d ever felt before. From that point forward I continued to build up the basics and purged everything I knew I’d never wear again. I think my bridesmaid dress for my brother’s wedding is now in his closet. (Maybe he’ll want to wear it to my wedding!) My style has since evolved as I’ve become acquainted with the vast possibilities within androgynous fashion. But the decision to move away from what I was expected to wear and towards what I wanted to wear was totally conscious. 

Now that I’m stocked up on basics and veering away from 12-year-old Ralph Lauren model territory (<- it was for realll), I’m gravitating towards more daring styles. I’m seeing I Dream of Dapper mix paisley and gingham, Fit For a Femme adding detachable collars (why can’t tomboys do it too?), Slim-fit leopard print pants with a teal blazer (thanks dapperQ!), among many. I still love all the things I loved before, but I’m slowly incorporating some of these bolder ideas into my wardrobe. This change I’d say is more unconscious, because I just take inspiration from the world around me and try it out, while still wearing all the same pieces I wore before. I don’t have any grand plans to morph my wardrobe towards a whole new style. So we’ll see what comes of it.

Thanks for the awesome reflective question!

- Sonia

(re: question about my choice of glasses)

I got a hold of Ashley Yielding’s girlfriend, who goes by Miss Hootie Baby (http://misshootiebaby.tumblr.com/). As you could imagine, Hootie lives up to the standards of the Androgynous Fashion Queen herself. Though I’ve had limited interactions with her, it seems that Miss Hootie Baby’s internet name sums up her flirtatious, playful, and feminine persona. I’ve based this observation off her creative, varying, and chic clothing choices; that she puts up with her girlfriend getting hit on by multitudes of Tumblr lesbians every day (though it seems that she drew the line at the swim suit picture. Too bad!); and that she lives in Arkansas and hasn’t gone legally insane. 

When choosing which pictures to include in this post, I decided to stick with the “lesbian elements” theme. Hootie’s fashion has many attributes for our inspiration, but I take away these three things: 

1. A girl can wear men’s clothes and still be hyper femme. A true femme, Hootie wears blazers, mens’ shirts, and hipster glasses in the most feminine way imaginable. When she wears blazers, she accentuates the curves of her legs with tight leggings. With other collared shirts, she mostly tucks them in to bring out her hips (which is best done with high-waisted pants and skirts much like you see here.) 

2. I should totally use more props in my pictures. Each outfit is in a completely different character, and the photography helps to bring that alive via location, props, lighting, and camera angle. 

3. Why not wear a different style every day? What I love about Hootie is that she doesn’t just have one style. (Well, according to Lookbook, she has 47.) I imagine she has fun playing the role of her daily outfit, even if she does it in as simple ways as holding doors for strangers, or smiling at people on the street. Not that she’d want to smile at them…. she’s in fucking Arkansas. 

• Shirt: “Country Demin Button Down,” bought at an antique mall
• Tights: Target
• Heels: Bakers

• Blazer: ETSY.COM/SHOP/ACTIONISTHEFRUIT
• Tube Top: Forever21
• Shorts: Forever21

Blouse: http://www.etsy.com/SHOP/ACTIONISTHEFRUIT

All vintage

Vest: Supposedly borrowed from some friend named “Dylan”

• Tank Top: Forever 21
• Belt: Thrifted
• Shorts: Levi’s
• Boots: Thrifted

For more styles by Hootie, visit her lookbook. Special thanks to my new internet (and soon to be real-life) friend Natalie for assisting me in asking Hootie for this feature. Follow her! (www.nattyv.tumblr.com)

Related Posts: Lindsie: Femme with Lesbian Flair, Femme and Fabulous: Interview and Photoshoot with Elissa

I must admit, I’ve been stalking this chick for a while now. She’s probably the cutest androgynous girl I’ve ever seen, and her 100,000 followers on tumblr seem to agree. Her name is Ashley Yielding (http://ashleyyielding.tumblr.com/) and though she may be too famous to bother with an interview, she agreed to letting me post these pictures. What’s her deal? She’s 22 (woot woot), she works at a law firm in Arkansas, and she’s in a relationship (sorry ladies). What do I have to offer other than supplying you with her fashion inspiration? My outlook on why her fashion efforts are so successful:

1. She wears clothes that fit her body type. It just so happens that her body type is already androgynous, so she can get away with things like low-rise jeans. I wouldn’t be caught dead trying it myself, unless, say, I was performing in a hip hop music video.

2. She’s committed to her style. She’s not afraid to go all out, whether she’s doing the sailor outfit, street smart swag, or decked out hipster. When you try to hold back from going too far with an outfit, ask yourself this: is it because you’re afraid people will laugh at you, or because you genuinely want to keep it subtle? 

3. She’s not afraid to look like Justin Bieber. Us lesbians, we sometimes look like Justin Bieber. Get used to it.

I don’t know where she got all her clothes, other than that the white belt and striped shirt are from Urban Outfitters.

Thanks for letting me use your pictures Ashley, and I hope to see you on “The Real L Word” soon!