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A Dip Into Gender Nonconforming History: Taking Dapper Cues from the “Male Impersonators” of 20th Century America’s Swinging Drag Scene

This Pride Month, as right wing legislators across the United States move to criminalize drag performances, support for transgender youth, and even medical transition for transgender adults, it feels like an appropriate time to make note of the long, long history of drag in America. In Chicago in particular, we happen to know that drag performances as a form of public entertainment were happening as far back as the 1890s. Yes, that’s right - drag’s role in American culture predates airplanes, radios and insulin. We don’t mention Chicago arbitrarily - as part of this piece on the daring fashions of the “male impersonators” of the 1920s - 30s (what we’d call drag kings, these days) and how to don them,...

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The Pocket Tomboy’s Guide to Wearing Multi-Colored Shoes

  Today's blog post is a guest post written by Layne Crawford a.k.a. The Pocket Tomboy, a blogger and fashion consultant who has earned a coveted spot on DapperQ’s 100 Most Stylish list for 2017. Their mission is to help folks feel good about themselves through fashion and have fun while doing it. You can follow them on Instagram @thepockettomboy or on Facebook.     Even if you consider yourself a fashion newbie, you probably can come up with decent outfits with solid black or brown shoes - but what if a multi-colored pair catches your eye? People really notice what you have on your feet, and multi-colored shoes make a statement about the wearer before onlookers even glance at the rest...

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10 New Year’s Resolutions for a Masculine of Center Professional

  The point of a New Year’s resolution, for most people, is to improve yourself in some meaningful way. You might want to start getting back in shape, aspire to pick up a cool new hobby, or make a plan to read more books in the coming year: every person will have a unique idea of what a more awesome version of themselves might look like. The most common thread in all these goals, however, is the desire to like ourselves more, to become that version that makes us feel confident in our accomplishments and our appearance. For the tomboys, masculine of center dressers, and androgynously-inclined folks out there who work in professional environments as teachers, sales people, managers and...

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The Well-Dressed Tomboy’s Guide to Fall Fashion

  Fall is a time to celebrate new beginnings, the changing of seasons, the proliferation of the color orange, and, of course, the unleashing of fall fashion. As a masculine of center dresser, your average tomboy launches into the autumn of the year with a wardrobe bursting with plaid, denim, leather jackets and beloved hiking boots. While there’s nothing wrong with that, some who aspire to a more refined and professional aesthetic may find themselves wondering how to upgrade their look while still staying true to their personal style. We’ve got some tips and tricks for putting your best foot forward this fall!   The Secrets of Layering Clothing Everybody knows the best thing about fall fashion is that you...

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The Pocket Tomboy's Back to School Fashion Tips

Today's blog post is a guest post written by Layne Crawford a.k.a. The Pocket Tomboy, a blogger and fashion consultant who has earned a coveted spot on DapperQ’s 100 Most Stylish list for 2017. Their mission is to help folks feel good about themselves through fashion and have fun while doing it. You can follow them on Instagram @thepockettomboy or on Facebook. Unless you attend an educational institution with a strict uniform policy, on the first day of school you want to show off your style and new threads. While it’s been more than a minute since I’ve been in school (5 years actually), I still get excited over the fashion associated with it. Like New Years, the first day...

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