Shaz Riley, a butch Brit, recently launched The Butch Clothing Company, a custom-tailored label for butch dykes like herself. Apart from the tailoring, Riley says nothing differentiates her clothes from men’s formal clothes. “Us butch women — yes I accept I maybe generalizing — want to look as good in our butch suits as men do in theirs,” Shaz tells Queerty. “The detailing even the basic shape… our range of fabrics and colors is as good as any men’s… but perfectly tailored for any discerning butch women. Most importantly our suits are not feminised in any way.” Rad, thanks for clearing that up. Of course, between Madonna and Marlene Dietrich there’s a long list of iconic women sporting butch couture. So we asked Riley which ten lesbian ladies she’d like to see sporting her fashions. Here are her ideal endorsements.
Shaz Riley, a butch Brit, recently launched The Butch Clothing Company, a custom-tailored label for butch dykes like herself. Apart from the tailoring, Riley says nothing differentiates her clothes from men’s formal clothes. “Us butch women — yes I accept I maybe generalizing — want to look as good in our butch suits as men do in theirs,” Shaz tells Queerty. “The detailing even the basic shape… our range of fabrics and colors is as good as any men’s… but perfectly tailored for any discerning butch women. Most importantly our suits are not feminised in any way.” Rad, thanks for clearing that up. Of course, between Madonna and Marlene Dietrich there’s a long list of iconic women sporting butch couture. So we asked Riley which ten lesbian ladies she’d like to see sporting her fashions. Here are her ideal endorsements.
Dave
It’s a little fucked up to include Chaz Bono in a list of butch women, but, I mean, there’s an asterisk, so obviously it’s okay.
BenR
@Dave: At least they got the pronouns right. That in itself seems like a pretty big step for Queerty.
Daniel
@BenR: Yee-haw!!! I RAWK!
Sammie
I wouldn’t say she’s particularly butch, but Sue Perkins looks damn good in suits! ;D
Midgey
Um, how about Rachel Maddow!?
missanthrope
Re. Chaz Bono on a list of “butch women”.
Queerty,
What in fuck do you think you’re doing?
Signed,
-Missanthrope
Clara
I concur with Maddow and Perkins
also isn’t Chaz out of place?
Also, don’t recognise 3 of the people.. 😐
Alexa
@Midgey, unfortunately Rachel is barely known in the UK because hardly anyone gets MSNBC there. But she would obviously look great in their suits.
And Sue Perkins rocks a suit and tie like nobody else 🙂
Jadis
Chaz Bono shouldn’t be in there. I think Rachel Maddow would make a great substitution, though.
I would like to state at this time that butch women rock. Keep being awesome!
Alexander
The top left corner of the pic #11 says “ANAL” snail.. why is it?
Daniel
@missanthrope: Shaz Riley chose all the people in the list. We ran her choices. She acknowledged that Chaz Bono is not a woman and so did we*, but Ms. Bono was pretty darn butch before his gender reassignment surgery — that’s the fuck what we were doing. Thanks.
Echo Park
Chaz Bono is NOT a woman. Trans-folk are NOT asterisks.
Dave
@Daniel: Had you said “Chastity”, used female pronouns, and made it explicit that you were referring to Bono historically and not as he is today, I could almost buy that. But no, you (and Riley) thought that sticking an asterisk next to a man’s name made it OK to include him on a list explicitly labeled “10 Tough Gals”.
You (and Riley) were wrong.
me
No Rojo Caliente???? Mr. Cynthia Nixon was robbed!!!
Daniel
@Dave: I hear you and see the error. To be honest, I never realized that it was kosher to refer to a woman’s previous identity as a man. Heck, I even thought that doing so might be offensive. But I understand the difference.
Riddle me this: tell me how you would edit page 8. Any other transfolk, feel free to weigh in on on proper editing for this piece. I regularly tackle trans issues for Queerty and want to learn how to do it correctly. Thanks.
jeffree
Fascinating that this article stirs up such a brouhaha and such little praise.
Riley picked the names, not Daniel. Don’t pick on him for that! You can contact Shaz via her website. I’m sure she’s love to hear your feedback.
If Riley had included Hillary Clinton would there be such an uproar? She after all is a cis-gender str8 woman who eschews dresses.
jeffree
@Missanthrope: Your gratuitous swearing blunted the aptness of your comment.
Jadis
@Daniel: You should edit page 8 by leaving it out. Or alternatively, change the headline to “9 tough gals and a dude.”
HTH
veg
You call this a list of butch women?
NO BLACKS, NO ASIANS, NO DARK-SKINNED LATINAS, AND A TRANSMAN DEPICTED AS A BUTCH WOMAN.
You guys are soooooo behind the times (and myopic).
How could you have left off Skyler Cooper!
[img]http://www.outtv.ca/images/enews/skylercooper.jpg[/img]
How could you have left off Jenny Shimizu!
[img]http://thebosh.com/upload/2009/03/05/jenny_shimizu_the_return_of_the_supermodel/Jenny%20Shimizu.jpg[/img]
Mike K
Sorry but Chaz looks so encased in fat he can barely turn his head. I would have thought some weight loss would have been necessary for the surgery, (or at least for anyone to notice any difference).
Jeffreee
The Voice of the Infra-red, Ulra-Violet, Invisible parts of the Rainbow Flag need to be heard and SEEN NOW!
And I am sure hopeful that Queerty will soon start up a blog called “Transty” so that we gender-queer, intersex, hemi-sex, post-gay, re-transitioning, de-transitioning, people have a SENSIBLE place to post! The LGBAs just do not *get us* and our identity fluidity.
I have nothing personally in common with the Asexuals, but I welcome them under our snugglly blanket of inclusiveness. No sex is still GOOD sex!
May the Rainbow Flag include under-appreciated and invisible spectra of light!
Jadis
@Jeffreee: Keep on trollin’
missanthrope
@Daniel:
Well Dainel, Chaz isn’t a women. You’ve screwed up. Are you going to do something about or just let stand with a weak excuse that someone else wrote it and Chaz was assumed to be woman?
missanthrope
Daniel @ 15:
“Riddle me this: tell me how you would edit page 8. Any other transfolk, feel free to weigh in on on proper editing for this piece. I regularly tackle trans issues for Queerty and want to learn how to do it correctly. Thanks.”
I apologize for my last message, I didn’t see this message before hand. Thank you for taking steps to correct this and you’re willingness to engage, it was wrong of me to post that message without reading the whole thread.
Anyway would you best edit it? If possible I’d just take all references to Chaz out. It was wrong of Chaz Riley to include him.
So there are three options as I see it.
Best: Edit out Chaz on the list.
Second best: Failing that, scrap the story. But I figure that this is impossible.
Third best: Put a note as a post script saying that Chaz identifies as a man and Riley’s inclusion of him on the list is inappropriate at best.
Again, I personally apologize for my angry post and recognize you’re making a effort. Sorry.
Dee
CHAZ???????????? This is so fucked up. Queerty you are joke
Jennifer
Shaz Riley is a completely repulsive piece of shit and SHE has no tailor skills so wtf.
ridiculous business
@Jennifer:
Jennifer you are spot on. Shaz is also a sanctimonious and sloppy business owner who has no idea how to talk to clients. She’s a know-it-all who thinks everyone is a fucking idiot and needs a lecture. They will go out of business.