How Do You Describe Your Style?

I was recently asked this question.  Here’s my answer; what’s yours?
I am a queer femme professor who likes to mix trendy and classic looks and aspires to be polished and stylish 24-7.  Unfortunately, I have to admit that right now I’m wearing jeans and an oversized university T-shirt.  My nails, however, look fabulous.

Couldn’t Resist

Shhh…Van is very jealous so please don’t tell her I was out on the town with a cute butch last night!

Butch Diva

Yes, that’s really Paula Patton in The New York Times’  TMagazine!  Check out the article and all the images here.   Photos by Maciek Kobielski.  In addition to the always welcome dose of butch sexiness, the article got me excited about seeing the new film Precious (based on Sapphire’s novel Push) starring Mo’nique, Patton, Mariah Carey, Lenny Kravitz and [...]

A Sublime Blogiversary

Hello darlings, I’m back from my vacay just in time for my one-year blogiversary!   Van and I had a great time on our cruise and also enjoyed ourselves at the gorgeous Mayfair Hotel in Miami, which was wonderful despite the heat.  
Just how much fun did we have?  On the cruise I discovered that minibar bottles of Absolut are an excellent remedy for puffy eyes.  Chilled bottles should be applied [...]

On Your Knees! It’s Miss Grace Jones

Who else could pull off gold eyebrows with so much ferocity but the incomparable Grace Jones?  I know, I know.  She scares you, right?  Frankly, I hope so. 
While I have not been blessed with Miss Jones’s gift for provocation, l have nothing but admiration for her willingness to embody extremity of all kinds.  To me, her sculptural beauty [...]

Irresistible Summer Beauty

The eternal principles of summer are as follows:  barbeque, bright colors, and light makeup.   For me, this translates into an irresistible urge for baby back ribs, a penchant for splashly hues, and my surrender to the siren call of the fashionably nude look–or my version of it, which is beachy and luminous rather than bare.  The nude look basically [...]

Andro-Butch Style

Thought it was time to butch things up around here. 
No, not me, silly!  I’m thinking more like Jenny Shimizu. But wait, I know what you’re thinking. She’s looking femmey as a judge on Bravo’s series Make Me a Supermodel, right? I can understand why she wouldn’t want to get stuck in one look. (I’m lying, [...]

The Cointreau Teese

I’m fiercely loyal in love and cocktails. 
OK, that’s a lie.  But don’t fret, my pretties.  My beloved Van has nothing to worry about; my indiscretions are strictly mixological. 
Since Manhattans are more of a fall/winter cocktail, when the weather warms up I always start thinking about new potions to add to my usual summer cocktail fare of gimlets and [...]

Philosophy of Primpology

Etiquette divas and beauty bloggers have grappled with The Great Primping Question forever:  just how much primping can a girl do in public before crossing the bounds of decency?  This post offers my own thoughts on the matter, which of course any femme may reserve the right to ignore, revise, and/or reinvent to suit her own style.   But first, check [...]

More High Fashion Androgyny

Because you can’t get enough!  Here are some of my favorite photos of the stunning Dominican model Omahara Mota.   I like these images because they highlight her gender fluidity.  Because she’s so edgy, she doesn’t really read as androgynous to me–I see her as more genderqueer or tomboy femme. 
The first 2  photographs are by Ellen von Unwerth.  Sorry I don’t [...]