Dress to impress: Six fresh faces of lesbian fashion

The shout is being heard, reverberated in lesbians’ dress and reflected by their refusal to accept any narrow stereotypes pop culture may expect from them.

“Just because I’m gay doesn’t mean that I have to dress like a boy,” said 28-year-old Katie Andelman, who prefers to wear heels, dresses and girly-girl blouses almost every day. “It’s kind of funny, because when I first came to Denver, people couldn’t understand that I was gay. They just couldn’t wrap their heads around it.”

But with time, Andelman says, people are starting to accept the fact that she is a lesbian, though her choice of dress doesn’t conform their idea of “gay.”

Society’s mental diagram of “gay” is also pushed by 29-year-old Ty Lowdery, who refuses to be called either butch or fem. “I like to refer to myself as a stud, s.t.u.d.. I think that is more of an African-American thing,” Lowdery answered after being asked what style of lesbian dressing she prefers, saying her typical dress includes plan V-necks, jeans and high boots.

This development of the lesbian fashion scene can perhaps be accredited to the growing trend of androgynous dressing that seems to be a favorite amongst both straight and gay fashion circles. “Style should blend together. If you like fashion you should be influenced by all of it – men’s and women’s,” said 27-year-old Lainey Irwin, who loves to mix separates from each of the sexes, rocking a bow tie one day and a big scarf the next. Like Irwin, 32-year-old Emily Bridge never dresses particularly “feminine,” but she maintains a sense of class with each outfit she wears. Her typical look includes oxfords, slacks and boat shoes, representing her personality and upbringing in Michigan – where neatness and sharp dressing was the norm, and splashes of preppyness like monograms and pastels are common on both men and women.

The theme of hometown influences seems to be common within this group of ladies, with 28-year-old Clare Jensen representing her home state of New Mexico by accessorizing most of her outfits with turquoise and rings from her jeweler friends, and Lowdery accrediting her hometown in Texas for her generous amounts of swag.

The diverse influences these women embody also reflect the uprising androgynous trend in fashion – all of them are inspired by a unique group of men and women from David Beckham and John Varvatos to Usher and Jennifer Aniston. Not afraid to limit themselves when it comes to celebrity muses, Irwin said it best with style advice applicable to anyone: “When it comes to dressing, don’t think about the label or mold, dress for yourself. Make it your own art.”

The definition of fashion, like that of art (and what inspires it), is always changing, yet it usually remains cemented on a common sense of who the bearer is, where they come from and where they are going. Reflecting this consistency, the majority of the lesbians interviewed claimed that their fundamental style has always been the same, even if their identity has evolved throughout the years. Even after coming out to friends and family, these women may change their looks but never change their style, and in effect, never change themselves.

They are more than their sexual orientation, and their style, drawing influences from hometowns, a diverse range of celebrities and even nature, displays that loud and clear. The shout of the new lesbian voice is now not only being heard throughout America, but also being seen – through dress, through style and through a new attitude of representing no one but themselves.