Clothes Make the Woman…

A few months back, I read this article about why men’s and women’s shirts are buttoned on different sides. I’ll get to that, but that got me thinking about a number of things I was curious about relating to lesbians and clothes. I wondered when was the first time a woman wore a tuxedo, they’re quite popular for lesbians! Then, I started thinking about when boxers, Flannel shirts, and Doc Martins became popular for lesbians. So…of course, I did some research. Here are a few things I learned:

Let’s talk buttons. Buttonholes were invented in the 13th century, and wearing gold, silver, and ivory buttons was a sign of wealth. For women of wealth, dressing up was quite the production, and if you were wealthy, you did not dress yourself as a woman. Because most people are right-handed, it was easier for maids to help a woman dress if their buttons were on the left. Since most men, including those of wealth, dressed themselves, having the buttons on the right was easier for them. I still have a favorite flannel shirt that has buttons on the right!
In 1927 Dorothy Mackaill is recognized as one of the first to wear a tuxedo on set for the movie ‘The Crystal Cup’. But it was Marlene Dietrich who stunned audiences, three years later by wearing a tuxedo and a top hat in the movie, ‘Morocco’. At the time, it shocked audiences because it pushed the boundaries of societal norms at the time. Marlene was considerably more well-known.
Flannel shirts and Doc Martins started their popularity around 1970 when women started rejecting societal standards of beauty and feminity. Flannel shirts seemed to peak in the 90s, but I still love them. I never quite got into Doc Martins.
Finally, how about boxers for women. It was quite difficult to find information on this other than TomboyX, the popular clothing company that lesbians adore, began in 2011 after a group of women got together at a Seattle Storm game and talked about starting a company. In the Fall of 2014, the Lady Boxer was born and sold out. Now, of course, I know many lesbians bought men’s boxers before this. I had an ex that wore them and that was back in the 80’s. So, I suspect that lesbians wearing boxer briefs go back much further than that. Perhaps that started at the same time Flannel and Doc Martins became popular! Or maybe, even before that, when the first boxer came out in 1925. History shows many examples of women dressing as men.
Finally, the last interesting fact, which, if the Republicans have their way, might make its way back into law, is when it was illegal for women to dress as men. The first cross-dressing law to forbid this appeared in St Louis, Missouri, in 1843. Next was Ohio in 1948, which forbade a person from appearing in public “in a dress not belonging to his or her sex.” But the police really began using the laws as a tool to harass the queer community in the 1950s, and raids often occurred, arresting individuals who violated the rule requiring people to wear three articles of gender-appropriate clothing or face arrest.

Sometimes, I read books that give lengthy descriptions of what the main characters are wearing, everything from casual wear to fancy dresses and tuxedos. I’m not one of those who often describe in detail what a character is wearing unless it is pertinent to the plot or fits the scene. Even then, I might mention the clothes without going into minute detail. However, I do enjoy reading those descriptions sometimes, and I admit it gives me a little more insight into the characters. Feel free to click on the links to learn when I do find it important to talk about the clothes a character chooses!

Don’t forget that The Next Generation is now on SALE for $2.99…Hurry! The sale won’t last long.