Gay flannel outfit
Earlier this year, I received this text message: “My friend is on establish for a commercial where she plays another woman’s wife. This is the shot she sent me.” The picture attached was of two women, one with loose curls spilling down a basic tee shirt, the other wearing a business casual shag and a flannel shirt. A lesbian couple. Receive it?
The wardrobe choice certainly could have been a coincidence, but it’s far more likely it was meant as a strategic wink, one that does the heavy suggestive lifting for a primetime American audience. Above all, I felt it was a haphazard stab at “inclusivity” meant to make the brand look good. But whatever the creative team’s intent, it ended up perpetuating a tired womxn loving womxn stereotype—the queer woman in flannel—that I can barely believe has survived all the way to
According to noted queer composer and Slate editor June Thomas, the association between lesbians and flannel likely began at the advent of women’s trousers. Because jeans were once the only acceptable trousers women could wear in general, and lesbians spearheaded the trend, the flannel-and-den
Here at Autostraddle, planning content around Pride can be a bit of a conundrum. It&#;s frustrating to see mainstream outlets only elevate in-depth content about the LGBTQ+ community and only really work with a bunch of gender non-conforming and trans writers for one month out of the year, when we&#;re queer everywhere all the time. At the alike time, Pride is immensely important to us here at Autostraddle and to a lot of our readers. It&#;s an ongoing part of LGBTQ+ history and resistance. It&#;s a complex month, which even the most well intentioned mainstream media Pride packages don&#;t always capture. We&#;ve come up with a really rad theme for our Self-acceptance package this year that harnesses some of that complexity, and I can&#;t wait for it to be revealed to you.
But first, a little drama, a little tease. For the first time ever here at Autostraddle, we&#;re COUNTING DOWN to Pride! Because let&#;s be authentic, June may be Lgbtq+ fest month, but it&#;s not like we only live as out, proud, boisterous gay people from June 1 to June 30! Pride events — tiny and large — own been in the planning stages for a while
To Flannel or Not to Flannel?
I retain my first flannel. I stood in front of the dressing room mirror at Charlotte Russe, sizing up the pink and grey fabric swishing around my torso. This is it, I thought. Liberation. Identity festival. Acceptance. Finally, I could put my queerness on exhibit for the planet to see. This was the first stage of a novel era in which everyone could get one look at me and realize that I’m interested in girls. I could meet other queer women and talk about lgbtq+ things and shop at queer places. Right?
Well no, not really. My experience hasn’t changed drastically since that fateful day two years ago. I haven’t cut my hair short. There are no edgy piercings anywhere on my body, not even on my ears. My footwear of choice is flats, not black combat boots. I assume I’m not very good at existence a lesbian. And therein lies the problem.
Even though I know it’s just a stereotype, I can’t shake the association between wearing flannel and gayness. It’s definitely a social construct (there’s nothing inherently lgbtq+ about flannel), but I feel just a tad bit gayer in it. To me, wearing flann
Shades of Gay: A Low-Effort Mentor to Dressing Masc
I am a firm believer that clothes possess no gender, and this is a hill I am more than happy to die on. However, this does not alter the fact that I touch more comfortable when I wear more ‘masculine’ clothing.
This doesn&#;t represent I never wear dresses or skirts. I do, and I enjoy them. Everyone can. As I say, clothes have no gender. Simply put, masculine clothing makes me feel like me, and that I look enjoy the person I am supposed to be.
So, if what I&#;ve said makes sense to you, keep reading.
For a start, don&#;t be afraid of buying clothes from the men&#;s section, if you&#;re looking to buy something new. ‘Mens’ clothes are often better made, sturdier, and cheaper (because we live in a world where the pink tax bites us all). Honestly, it was a hangup I had, and it took me a long time to get rid of it. But I am incredibly happy that I did.
So, what to buy?
Don&#;t be nervous of experimenting with whatever will make you comfortable. However, there are some good staples to start off with. I would recommend some basic t