New label throws fashion a curve Company makes clothes for women who prefer masculine style

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 12/17/4 | Rona Marech

[SmithL]

Sometimes the pants bunch up in all the wrong places, or the necklines sag, or sleeves hang past wrists, or shirts balloon preposterously. Forget about buying a nicely tailored suit or renting a tuxedo.

For women who prefer minimalist men's clothing styles over stereotypically feminine, frilly garb, the pickings are slim. Women's clothing departments leave them cold. The men's clothes they tend to buy rarely fit properly. Clothes shopping is often torture.

This barren sartorial landscape was brightened last week when Aisha Pew and Breonna Cole of Oakland launched Studded, a label billing itself as the first line of clothes made expressly for butch lesbians, studs, transgender men and bois -- all au courant terms for people who lean masculine in their presentation or identity. The clothes look like what you might find in a men's department, but the design slyly accounts for the fact that women are curvier than men.

Those who would question whether lesbians care about fashion beyond flannel would have found their answer last week at a fashion show at Oakland's Parkway Theater. More than 100 people were turned away from the sold-out event. The lucky 180 who made it inside noisily cheered as models walked down the aisles -- escorted by women in tight, slinky dresses -- then turned, strutted and posed on the stage. They gave Pew, the designer, a standing ovation.

"Seeing the frustration in my wife's face" -- when she shops for clothes -- "is ridiculous to me," Pew said. Decidedly not butch, she has energetic hair that reaches impressive heights in front and a pierced eyebrow and chin. She had dressed for the occasion in a flirty black-and-white polka dot BCBG Max Azria dress with a halter top.

"The point of it is bigger than clothes. It's about feeling good...

[SmithL]

I wonder if this women's clothing store has a hardware department.

[bushisdamanin04]

Just reminds me of the rave a few years ago where business women were wearing those huge, wide shoes and they looked like storm troopers.

[Piquaboy]

Are women built different than men? I guess I will have to try and get Time Magazine to investigate this.

[Klatuu]

Should have called them Duds for Dykes.

[L98Fiero]

LOL.

[Tijeras_Slim]

It's been done.

[sarasota]

I want Katherine Hepburn pants: pleated front w/cuffs.

[retrokitten]

There are some pics at sfgate.com. I think I'll be passing.

[rabidralph]

So these men have curves?

[Gingersnap]

"Should have called them Duds for Dykes."

ROTFLMAO!

[Paradox]

Whats wrong with something like this? Nothing frilly about it:

[NeoCaveman]

I wonder if this women's clothing store has a hardware department.

Well I am certain that they have to sell batteries, lots of batteries.

[HamiltonJay]

Dykes... the ultimate penis envy.

[RosieCotton]

Ewwwwww!

That's just nasty. I mean...I admit to having a few pairs of Carhartt pants that I snagged from the men's department, but...ewwwwww!

[hobbes1]

LMAO!

[fishtank]

""Seeing the frustration in my wife's face" -- when she shops for clothes -- "is ridiculous to me," Pew said. Decidedly not butch, she has energetic hair that reaches impressive heights in front and a pierced eyebrow and chin. She had dressed for the occasion in a flirty black-and-white polka dot BCBG Max Azria dress with a halter top.
"


Boys and girls, let's play "Follow the Pronouns"!!!

[BobS]

"I wonder if this women's clothing store has a hardware department."

I ignore women like this unless I absolutely must deal with them. I prefer comfortably feminine women to associate with on any level.

[fishtank]

Modeling the Studded line are (from left) Cata Stewart, Sin Souza and Ramona Williams at Oakland's Parkway Theater. Chronicle photo by Liz Hafalia