speaking of women in suits....

I know I said I was bored with weddings, but when I saw these photos……… I MEAN COME ON

I had to post a few.

Claire + Leslie recently founded O'Harrow Clothiers, based in Silver Lake, and are already kicking ass with their Pocket Squares for Well-Mannered Rebels and button-downs for both women and men.

And, from Claire, re their suits: 

I got mine from Theory and Leslie got hers made by Requisite Clothing, highly recommend them. 

(Photos by Rad + In Love -- check out more from this rad Palm Springs wedding over on their blog)

MORE PANTS PLS

Dear ESB,

Please help a pants-lovin' lady. I am wearing these beige silk pants to my wedding. I love them but am worried about looking too casual even for my outdoor-picnic kind of wedding. I am wearing some killer heels with them (obvs), but what top should I wear to kick this into fancy mode?

Also, pants week was amazing but so long ago. I want more?

*****

With you in mind, I just did a pants-loving bride post for A Practical Wedding. I even stole your phrase.

My choices may or may not be TOO STYLISH for the APW crowd, but I think you'll dig em. (Pay special attention to all the sexy sleeveless tuxedo-y tops.)



Frida Gustavsson by Hasse Nielsen for Vogue Germany December 2013 via This Is Glamorous

speaking of H&M...

These slim-fit suits from the Conscious Exclusive collection look pretty good.

Apparently H&M now has e-commerce in the UK? But if you're in the good old US of A you'll have to line up on April 4.

What should the (recently pregnant) best (wo)man wear?

Hey hi!

I'm excited to be writing you with my very own dress challenge. I have no doubt you and your trusted b*tches will do good on me.

My brother is getting married at a farm house in Sonoma County this August and has asked me.....wait for it....to be his best (wo)man. When he first asked I thought it would be fun to play up the role a bit and dress a little masculine. Like a rad pantsuit [pictured above].

Buuuut then I got pregnant, and I highly doubt my gunt (can I say that on here) will be back in high-waisted form by wedding time. So what do you think I should wear to a semi-formal, evening wedding that will flatter my post-pregnancy body (nothing sleeveless ya'll) and be a killer way to support my brother, not take (too much) attention away from the bride?.

xo
Best woMan?

*****

How bout stripes? Am I crazy? These silk pants look hella comfy (and gunt-friendly).

With something like this cutaway blazer....?

And killer heels, obvs.

Dear ESB: Can I wear pants?

To an early evening wedding as a guest? 

I've got one I'm attending this weekend I'm outfit-less for. Not literally, you know, but figuratively I HAVE NOTHING TO WEAR. So I just went impulse shopping and tried on a few perfectly lovely, wedding-guest-y dresses. I'm bored with the whole idea. I found a shirt sort of like this except in a creamy peach silk, and it came home with me instead. 

Can I wear this with pants and not look crazy? If so, I saved so much on the shirt I have room in the budget for new pretty shit to make pants look fancier, any ideas?  

Thanks,

Pants Please

*****

YES

DO IT

I have worn pants to more than one wedding, and I'm pretty sure I looked killer. (I felt killer.)

Photo: Kate Lanphear (obv) via Street Peeper

wtf should i wear to my gay wedding

Dear ESB,

I'm getting married next summer and I have no idea wtf to wear. Not a wedding dress. I'm queer and sorta butch, so dresses make me feel like I'm in drag. Problem is that full-on men's formal wear ALSO feels a little like drag (or like I'm wearing business clothes instead of party clothes?), plus it's going to be HOT where we're getting married and I'd rather not wear a jacket.

If you ask the internet for less-gendered-gay-wedding clothes everyone says "flowy white linen pants," which, barf. My everyday uniform is jeans, pearl snap shirt, bomber jacket, boots. I thought about finding some narrow pants I can wear with boots but then what do I wear on top? I'm not opposed to having something custom-made, but I'd have to figure out what.

(Additional wrinkle is that I'm short, size 8, and a total hourglass, so the loose vest and shirt thing like Patty did looks like I'm wearing a tent and a high-button vest just makes me look portly all the way down. Because I'm not thaaat butch, I'd rather show the curves than hide them, especially considering that hiding them is a losing proposition.)

In summary: is there anything I can wear that's medium-butch, hot-weather-friendly, looks good on short curvy ladies, and keeps things snazzy? Plz help. There is a serious lack of intermediate-gender fashion inspiration for the queer ladies.

*****

How bout this Arden Jumpsuit by Kara Janx?? I'd fucking marry you in this.

Kara annoys the crap out of me on Project Runway All Stars, but her bridal line doesn't suck. It's also quite reasonably priced.

Marcel Castenmiller by Jonas Kesseler for FHM Collections Germany via Fashion Gone Rogue

or maybe you should just wear this!

a white tuxedo, i mean.

the yellow furry/feathery thing is optional, but i do kinda dig it.

Natalia Bogdianova by Gabor Jurina for Fashion Magazine via Fashion Gone Rogue

HAPPY THURZPANTS

Thought you might need a little #pantsweek inspiration. Not to mention the blazers.

There's a pretty great blazer-with-dress photo over on 100 Layer Cake, along with with a brand-spanking-new Dear ESB: Can I skip my own reception?

(Photo: Will Davidson, Fashion Editor: Stevie Dance, Model: Cassi Van Den Dungen for Russh Magazine. See more hot menswear for women styling here.)

Seeking: A Not-Too-Girly Flower Girl's Dress

Hello

I am in need of some help! My wedding is in a month and i still have not found a flower girl dress. She's not really a flower girl, she's holding a sign that says "Here comes the bride." The problem is she is more of a tomboy and doesn't really like the dress I like. I'd rather put her in something we both like.

This is what i'm thinking of but she says it's too girly. Any suggestions?

*****

I have a radical idea. Why don't you let her wear PANTS?

Caramel Baby & Child has some cute trousers (see above).

And it turns out J. Crew is not a bad place to shop for girls' pants, which are not easy to find. There's a lot of legging-type bullshit out there, and there are jeans and there's some sweat-pant-y stuff, but there are not a lot of straight-up good pants. Even an 8-year-old needs good pants.

For the uber-tomboy, J. Crew even has a "borrowed from my brother" section. Which means they're listing the boys' clothes in the girls' section so you feel okay about buying them for your daughter/niece/flower girl. Hey, whatever it takes.

(under)pants

i'm thinking with all the new high-waisted pants, high-waisted unders may become a necessity.

(the loved one + fortnightlingerie via fieldguided)

but.... are they actually sexy? do we care??

this $170 pair by agent provocateur doesn't suck.

also: these silk-satin shorts are meant solely for lounging, but were "tap pants" originally invented to avoid panty lines when wearing a skirt? i think that's pretty genius.

woolandmisc gets the credit for this post. I had no idea how to wrap up pants week until she said "Take them off."

The bride in the white dungarees (Reprise)

I posted a couple of photos of Fanny a year ago, but clearly some of you are new.

Photo by Simon Howell
______________________________

It seems Anthro loved Fanny's wedding photos so much they commissioned her to do a line of handmade accessories. And she just opened her very own webshop.

Suit shopping for a BUTCH BRIDESMAID

Dear East Side Bride,

My niece is getting married in January. We're a big Latino family and like to get way too involved in each other's lives so we're all helping her plan the details.

My niece is having her two lesbian sisters as her MOH and bridesmaid. The MOH has no problem wearing a dress, but the other older sister is a bit of a tomboy. She's more likely to dress up in slacks and a dress shirt and after some discussion and her freaking out about not even know what an 'updo' was we agreed that maybe it was best she didn't wear a dress after all. I wouldn't want to teach her to walk in heels anyhow.

I think that she'd look awesome in some sort of suit or tuxedo cut for a woman's body. What do you think? She's a tall girl and plus-size. Do you have any affordable suggestions? 

*****

First of all, CAN I COME TO THIS WEDDING??

Second, I started to write: "Buy a men's suit (or a tuxedo, if the groomsmen are wearing tuxes) and have it tailored...."

But this isn't quite my area of expertise.

So I brought in Christina, who is a recovering stylist (c'mon, you never really get over that do you?) AND the wife of an incredibly hot woman who likes to wear men's clothes.

Here's what Christina had to say:

first of all. designers, take note: there is a lack of great "mens wear" out there for women. there is definitely a population of women who prefer to wear pants, suits, and the like and would greatly appreciate clothes cut for them. in the meantime, let's deal with the issue at hand.

i know many, many women, who have worn suits at weddings. here are a few great examples: {amy & ana} {corinna & julie} {julia & tracy} {sarah & nat} {tracey & angela} {alaine & jenna}

patty [pictured above] wore men's pants, a dress shirt and vest, but it all definitely needed to be altered. i would suggest going to any "affordable" menswear stores and try things on. keep in mind, the clothes aren't going to fit perfectly, they will definitely need to be altered.

avoid double breasted suits--they look boxy. i'd definitely recommend the shirt/pants/ vest combo. it's a great alternative to the jacket/suit as it's much easier to alter and it's chic. see: {stori & tausha}

you're not going to be able to walk into the men's wearhouse and buy a suit off the rack. because of the extra curves, the pants might fit but the jacket that goes with it may not. also, the size pants that might fit your hips might be extra long in crotch, and the waist might need to be taken in. because of that issue, the jacket & pants might be easier to buy as separates. mix and match...get a shirt at h&m or urban outfitters or even sears, it doesn't have to be expensive. tie can jazz it up too. don't get a clip on tie...learn to tie it.

most dry cleaners have an alterations person & most are pretty savvy to the menswear on women issue, especially here in los angeles. we go to a place here in silver lake to do a fitting and they don't even bat an eyelash when patty walks in with menswear.

vintage is also another great way to go, as sometimes the men's sizes can be more forgiving, plus you can get more bang for your buck. in los angeles, there are lots of great places. wasteland {four locations, the studio city one is great!}, decades, iguana vintage, aaardvark's, squaresville, to name a few. it can't hurt to check out goodwill {hint: go to a goodwill in a nice neighborhood}. you'd be amazed what you can find. but it takes some time & patience...

the shirt and vest can match the color combo of the other bridesmaids...or you could even have something custom-made to match the other sister's dress. it's not as pricey as you'd think and you can get a great fit.

you can also try to find a women's suit that works. in the "professional" or career sections of most stores, the suits can be pretty great and don't have to be altered. they just don't usually have the same menswear fabrics, so tend to be a bit more feminine, but worth checking out because of fit. i'd try macy's, nordstrom, ross, sears, h&m...

by the way, there's a new trend of wearing casual shoes {ie converse} with a suit. patty says it's not cool. stay classy.

Editor's Note: Dudes who aren't precisely 5'10" + 175lbs might find some of these tips helpful, too.

First Image: Marcel Castenmiller by Jonas Kesseler, styled by Emi Kameoka, via Wearing the Pants + COUTE QUE COUTE. (Okay, Marcel is a dude. But he's so pretttttttttttty.)

Second Image: Patty Schemel by Chris Strother

what is it about blondes in WHITE PANTS?

I've got a menswear for women post coming up, but in the meantime I thought I'd torment you with this photo of Corinna & Julie.

One-of-a-kind dress by Elizabeth Dye + custom suit by Duchess.

(Photo by Evrim Icoz. See more from this wedding on Rock n Roll Bride.)

Many thanks to Christina, who will be doing the heavy lifting later.

wedding-worthy SHORTS

i mean. if the bride's gonna wear pants. amirite?

1.
2.
3. Heimstone Spencer Silk Shorts at Nitty Gritty Stockholm via Honey Kennedy

so pretty, you could even put em on the bridesmaids.

How can I make a pantsuit wedding-worthy?

Dear East Side Bride,

A month ago I was positive that I would be wearing something other than a dress to my cousin's black tie wedding. But as the date approached closer and closer, I began to realize that many retailers feature dresses as the only appropriate evening wedding attire.

Why do I need to wear a dress??! I asked myself. I've worn many dresses my whole life! I think it's time for something different.

Korean garb? Just another korean dress but itchier.
Skirt? Boo. It's a dress. But for your thighs.
Turtleneck and chain. YES but what about the bottom half of my body?

I love what YSL did for the female pantsuit! We have these great designers introducing menswear into women's fashion and it's incredibly empowering. But how can I wear pants or a pantsuit to an evening wedding without looking like I just came from work? Can it be done?

Thanks,
Pantalone-ly girl

*****

A turtleneck's not gonna cut it at a black tie wedding. If the men are required to wear tuxedos, you should wear one too.

If you like, you can femme it up with a sheer blouse + black bra. Or shorts...? (Preferably not both.)

And definitely wear a kick-ass pair of heels.

Image 1: Kirsten Dunst via because im addicted via Just Jared, Image 2: Eva Herzigova via Refinery29

p.s. I wanted to tell you to skip the shirt and go jacket-only if you were feeling bold, but in order to avoid this unsightliness you'd have to skip the bra, too.

Tuxedo Pants for the Ladies

Ellen inspired me to take a look around the internets....

1. Silky-Tweed Tuxedo Pants by Lyn Devon
2. Wide-Leg Tuxedo Pants by Robert Rodriguez
3. Gucci Velvet Flare Tuxedo Pants
4. Delicate Donna Trouser from French Connection

All right, Ellen, you win.

How could I not post a photo? Those Zac Posen tuxedo pants are slammin.

Photo of Ellen DeGeneres and Portia DeRossi by Lara Porzak via Bird via Jessica Hynds

BRIDERHOSEN

Jean Paul Gaultier 2007 

(with many thanks to kidchamp, who just coined a new word)

p.s. If you're into the boho lacypants look, there are vintage lacypants to be had on etsy here and here.

Pants Week continues!

In case Pretty in Pants (or Bianca, helllllloooo) inspired any of you to go the wedding pants route, here's a round-up of some vintage pants I found on etsy + elsewhere around the internets....

1. 60's Three Piece Suit (yes, there's a skirt too!) from Coldfish
2. 80's Jumpsuit from Foxtail
3. 70's Gold Sequined VEST AND BELL BOTTOM PANT SET from tovasvintage
4. 80's Bernard Perris Jumpsuit from What Goes Around Comes Around
5. 70's Wide Leg Jumpsuit from viralthreads

Blog of the Week(ish): Wearing the Pants

Obviously.

Photos of Bianca Jagger (1975), Patti Smith + Robert Mapplethorpe (1969), and Katharine Hepburn (1950's) via this goldmine.

Not all the photos on the blog are vintage, but man do I love the vintage ones.

Thanks, Anon! All you anons are killing it today.