Through our discussions of Abdellah Taia's Salvation Army, we have begun to confront the ways in which Taia attempts to explore and explode the boundaries of identity, love, gender, and familial relationships. By re-defining the terms of sexuality for himself, Taia makes it possible to think and be outside of the acceptable norms for a young Moroccan man as he traverses the road towards self acceptance. In some form or another we all will have to define our own path towards selfhood. Whether it's through defying figures of authority in order to follow one's passion or filling the original goals we set out for ourselves, this path towards ourselves holds the many joys and pains that comes with living a fruitful life.
For this blog post, explore the queer website dapperQ. This site is dedicate to celebrating masculine lesbian identity primarily through fashion in order to, as Taia does in his novel, explore and explode female gender roles. Fashion has long been one of the way through which we express our identity and dapperQ uses this medium to redefine the accepted terms of feminity---how women should act, think, identify themselves and yes, how they should dress. As the dapperQ states on their site:
"dapperQ is a visibility project that celebrates the inner and outer beauty of masculine-presenting lesbians, gender-nonconformists and genderqueers, and transmasculine individuals of all colors, shapes, and sizes. dapperQ does have a fashion focus. But, more importantly, it serves as a vehicle to explore fashion as a social construct, providing our readers and writers with a safe space to document and discuss how gender role expectations, particularly with respect to gender identity and expression, shape who we are as individuals and as a community."
As you explore the site make sure you read some of the features, watch some of their original videos, and look at the fashion featured on the site. Below you will find some of my own suggestions, but do look over the site yourself, keeping in mind Taia's project of exploring and exploding boundaries. Once you have sufficiently explored the site, answer the following questions: What are the different ways that dapperQ transgress some of the boundaries of female gender roles? How can fashion help foster identity and how does dapperQ show use fashion for this purpose. Your answers should be 2-3 paragraphs long and must be posted on Tuesday, May 20th by 5:00 pm in order to get credit.
Some suggestions:
1) dapperQ's Vimeo page: http://vimeo.com/dapperq/videos
2) Message from the founder of dapperQ: http://www.dapperq.com/2010/01/why-dapperq/
3) Fashion of everyday folks: http://www.dapperq.com/category/video/streetfashion/
4) Features, interviews, etc.: http://www.dapperq.com/category/blog/
5) NOT from dapperQ, but here's a helpful link for LGBT terms and definitions: http://internationalspectrum.umich.edu/life/definitions
With female gender roles comes an expectation to dress a certain way to identify with that gender. DapperQ tells people that you don't have to dress a certain way to look and feel your best and you certainly don't need to alter your appearance to conform to certain gender roles. It does this by starting a dialogue about butch fashion and brings it out into the open as a category of style just like any other style. One of the best ways to transgress a boundary is to just talk about it regardless of how uncomfortable it is. This is something that Taia does as well. It gives viewers advice on current trends, gives updates on butch fashion in the media and provides a space for people to come together and share a love for fashion.
ReplyDeleteFashion allows people to express themselves and this can definitely contribute to a persons identity. However, society often adheres to heteronormativity and anything that deviates from the heterosexual identity tends to make people uncomfortable. In fashion, this is what we are used to so the either-or idea of gender is what we often believe. However, if the styles that are present within Fashion can be expanded to include masculine lesbian style, more people will be allowed to explore and express themselves in a way that fits their identity. One of the comments from Catherine Gornet in the article "Everyday Style with K. Soriano" summarizes this idea very well: "This outfit looks so naturally, perfectly you….people are so beautiful when they are in their own element." Fashion allows people to be the best version of themselves when they are able to do so in a way that stays true to their identity.
Through articles, videos, photos, and social media, dapperQ shows how fashion should not define your gender but it should define who you are. One prominent way that dapperQ transgress the boundaries of female gender roles is through butch style. This style is not like our traditional feminine style for women, but by introducing this style, dapperQ provides a new alternative for individuals who feel that they can better identify themselves. In addition, I think the tone of the dapperQ helps because it conveys a positive attitude towards defying female gender roles. DapperQ show how people live life while looking fashionable.
ReplyDeleteFashion is a statement. Individuals are the ones that control what they wear and how they want to wear it. It serves as a form of self-expression. Individuals show who they are and what they believe in. It is a form of identity. Individuals can express their individuality and uniqueness through fashion. DapperQ serves those purposes for masculine-presenting lesbians, gender-nonconformists and genderqueers, and transmasculine. Fashion helps foster identity in that the clothes you wear can express you feelings and attitude. Those who feel comfortable will feel confident whereas those who are uncomfortable will feel uncertain. Through the pictures on the website, confidence is radiating from all the models of the butch style, from the famous people to the ordinary ones. Confidence is the key. Confidence shows that people understand who they are as an individual and how they see themselves. It also conveys that they are comfortable about who they are. Fashion can give a person confidence and additionally, give a person an identity.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteFashion allows many people to find a sense of culture. Queers have been able to find a sense of belonging through the ways they dress. In particular, butch womyn dresses in a recognizably different than the rest of the queer womyn. Being lesbian significantly challenges heteronormativity, but being a butch lesbian perpetuates it. They challenge female gender roles because it gives society another way to perceive womyn. From a young age, womyn are taught to be feminine. On the contrary, this site specifically suggests queer womyn to dress masculine. The “How-To” tab not only suggests how to dress masculine for summer and winter, it also suggest tips to mix instead of match our clothes. This site uses womyn with short hair who are well known, like Ellen the Generous. Rarely, any womyn have long beautiful hair. Men are taught to have short hair. This is how DapperQ challenges the female gender roles, by suggesting womyn to be male-like.
ReplyDeleteFashion fosters identity in particular in a society where heteronormativity is the norm. For instance, in a boyfriend girlfriend relationship, there are two individuals: male and female. Fashion allows queer women foster identity allowing seeing the dichotomy of a couple. Social expectations include having a male and a female in a relationship. A butch womyn plays the man role in the relationship while the feminine womyn plays the role of woman role. Dressing with masculine shoes, pants, button up shirts, ties/bowties help womyn identity as the Active/Top partner, whereas womyn wearing dresses are identify as the Passive/Bottom partner.
Butch womyn perpetuate Heteronormativity. Heternomativity in queer couples is problematic. Society wants us to accept the status quo, making people believe that the only acceptable way is to perpetuate the gender roles. Heternonormativity is exclusive, prolonging the dichotomy of genders. The division and contrast between masculinity and femininity sustains the gender roles and expectations of people in society. This website, however, empowers queer womyn to find a sense of self, through the use of fashion. Being queer, it means being non-conformist. Queerness confronts heteronormative. This site challenges and perpetuates heteronormativity.
Clothing in western society is highly gendered, and the website dapperQ helps to dismantle that concept. Gendered clothing dictates the clothing choices of all humans, male or female, telling them they cannot wear certain items of clothing because of their sex or gender identity. In providing females with access to "masculine" clothing that fits their bodies, the site shares valuable information that allows other females to break down rigid ideas of clothing styles as male or female. The site focuses on removing gender from clothing, but it also ventures to remove gender from other social spaces. As a proud female weightlifter, I found myself drawn to a single article in the sparse health and fitness section. Author EJ Middlemeyer points out the gendered nature of exercise, and its exclusion of "masculine" females: "there’s really only two kinds of people being marketed to from the industry—the uber-femme super-gal, or the uber-macho super-dude. And, we’re just not invited to the party." She discusses what she calls "swag", and interprets that as a non-gendered form of self-expression of our bodies. She seeks to remove labels of "male" or "female" from exercise.
ReplyDeleteNot only does the site share information, it does so in a public space. Its unashamed nature pushes the boundaries of casual internet surfers. They may come away confused or angered, but at least they have experienced something new that (hopefully) will spur reflection on their own views.
Fashion promotes self-identity in allowing individuals to choose what covers their bodies. Throughout history, people have chosen diverse ways to decorate themselves; it functions as a form of uniqueness and as a source of pride in one's self. When people have unlimited freedom to choose what they cover themselves with, they have freedom to present themselves to the world in the way they want to be seen, as opposed to the way society might view them. The women of dapperQ have claimed their freedom, and with it, their identity as "masculine" females. They do not submit to a rigid role for themselves, and instead move beyond arbitrary boundaries, challenging them.
Fashion can be used as a medium to express identity. In the same way that clothing can become a costume, fashion is also immensely tied to the personal expression of style. By having the independence to wear what you want, everyone has a means to showcase who they want to be in the daily life and how this influences how others may view them. The way we look physically is the first level of getting to know someone. Style is an indication and expression of personality and with fashion, we attain a small hint to how a person is. In this way, dapperQ fosters the exploration of LGBTQ identity through fashion. Personally, I feel like dapper is an empowering platform for everyone, not just people in the LGBTQ community. People from different backgrounds can be inspired by the style of others and instill a desire to showcase their own sense of style.
ReplyDeleteSimilarly, dapperQ has taken a powerful stance on transgressing boundaries regarding traditional gender roles. One article in particular stood out to me. Entitled “Masculine Spring Florals” the article depicts a series of photographs of various outfits featuring floral patterns. In general, floral has always been considered a feminine design, often featuring soft light colors and characterized as whimsical. However, this article presents a myriad of floral options and designs that deviate from what is stereotypically “feminine”. This blending of gender roles associated with the floral pattern is one example of how fashion is progressively colliding gender categorization with clothing. Furthermore, another article featured Topman’s ‘Kate and Johnny’ Unisex Collection that dissociates male and female from articles of clothing. At times, the fit of the clothes themselves discriminate against gender and identity through pre-established definitions of normal through sizing and design. By redefining what is “normal” and fashionable, dapperQ promotes style as a tool fight strict gender categorization.
Zhiqiao Dong
dapperQ brings up the idea of Bodes once again being a large portion of the way in which people perceive the world around them. Because clothes are basically used to highlight areas of the body, hide them or perpetuate certain idea about the body that the wearer wants to be seen. This site does a great job of providing a venue through which more masculine lesbians can find people with similar dress and see support as well as ideas for future fashion choices. In addition, the site also boasts that it is for all members of the GLBTQ community.
ReplyDeleteBut in addition to what Christian said, to promote the idea of a butch lesbian promotes the idea of heteronormativity. It promotes the idea that in a relationship there must be a dominant masculine figure as well as a reserved feminine figure. It's interesting that the members of this community would follow along in the lines of what society has set forth for them, but at the same time, society has known gender roles for so long it makes sense why there was an imposed Lipstick Lesbian and Butch Lesbian title. However, if in heterosexual couples we are at a point where as females we wish to have more power and relationships seem to become more equal then our clothing could change to suit that without having it tied to our sexuality. For instance without the heteronormative rules that we as a society have become used to, we would be able to see a female dressed with pants, shirt, tie and not assume she was a lesbian.
However, there are pieces of the website that promote neutral dress without it having to be strictly tied to masculinity or femininity. This shows us the part of the community pulling for a neutrality in gender dress.
"Dapper" typically isn't a word one associates with the female sense of dressing, however, with the creation of their site DapperQ, the founders aim to break the norm of gendered distinction in fashion. In a world today where what you wear is inexplicably linked with your identity, breaking the stereotypes of female dressing is a bold move. The site, according to the founder, aims to provide a forum for inspiration and contribution for anyone who wants to dress dapper. Through their "Street Fashion" series they aim to showcase the fashion of women who incorporate a fair share of what society would typically deem "male" accents in their day-to-day fashion. The site also features popular queer female icons like Ellen DeGeneres and Ellen Page who have successfully broken stereotypes by incorporating a masculine sense of stye in their daily wardrobe and are not afraid to break the boundaries when it come to the gender norms that our society imposes so rigidly on women.
ReplyDeleteFashion is inexplicably linked with self acceptance of ones identity and body image and by challenging women to fight the societal norms that ascribe certain styles of clothing and certain behaviors to women they are encouraging them to accept their identity and not be afraid to proudly showcase who they are. The site is its own form of silent rebellion against the status quo. Looking dapper has historically been associated with men because they were the sex that was in power, but as more and more women claim their positions in society as successful leaders and trend setters, dressing dapper can no longer be restricted only to males.
DapperQ transgresses some of the boundaries of female gender roles by making traditionally masculine clothing work on anyone and everyone. With tutorials on where to find the best clothes for different body types in this masculine fashion style dapperQ helps break down gender roles by making it easier to find masculine clothes that fit. DapperQ makes masculine fashion celebrated and appear of the norm for women to wear by presenting famous celebrities and everyday people wearing it. As women are generally supposed to be all frilly and feminine, this website creates a community where it is okay to be outside that norm which works to help abolish this norm.
ReplyDeleteFashion is one of the easiest ways to express oneself as everyone has to wear clothes. By presenting yourself in a certain way or style, you are showing everyone you see something about how you identify or how you want to be perceived. As much as we wish people didn’t make judgments based on appearances, how you present yourself says a lot about you to other people. Fashion can be used to help foster identity as it one way you can explore your identity. DapperQ uses fashion for this purpose by making it easier for people to explore the traditionally “masculine” side of their identity through fashion. Menswear often trends in women’s high fashion, but dapperQ makes masculine clothes fashionable regardless of season. Fashion helps foster identity by allowing you to express your identity and learn to be comfortable with your identity. Fashion allows you to be your individual as only you can decide what to wear. DapperQ supports that freedom by showing people that there are other people like you out there, that those who are more comfortable in “masculine” type clothes or identify in a non-traditional way can be comfortable to express their identity through fashion too.
The female gender role has been very stereotyped and deviance from the norm leads to prejudice on sexual identity. The typical, heteronormative, female is imagined as a very feminine figure. We many times imagine that females are supposed to dress in dresses, skirts and make up. DapperQ changes the ideas of the gender role for females because the women do not dress as we expect they should. They don’t conform to the heteronormative ideas society has for women and thus are able to contravene the boundaries society has set for fashion of women.
ReplyDeleteFashion is a form of expression and can be a form of identity. People dress they way they are comfortable and confident. For the women in DapperQ, they have found their identity and they express this through the clothes they wear. The women chose not to conform to the ideas that society has on how women should dress, they are confident with who they are and what they wear and thus confront societies perception of women. These transmasculine individuals dissolve the boundaries of heteronormativity by showing us that they are just as comfortable with their identity as any other person.
Gender roles are typically outlined in society based on the way people dress. Based on your gender, as well as wealth, education, job, etc, you are pressured into dressing certain ways. But, fashion outlines a person's style and not everyone likes to dress in a way that society defines them to. Society is based upon heteronormativity and anything that diverts from this in any way is frowned upon. Dapper Q celebrates the change in style among both men and women, accepting that some like to dress opposite of what society makes of them.
ReplyDeleteDapper Q challenges the gender roles of women by presenting this idea of being butch as a masculine gender identity of women. The term butch strays from the heteronormative views of society and Dapper Q finds this to be a good thing, unlike the majority of society. Society sees relationships with a male dominating figure and a reserved feminine figure; this veers away from butch women or fashionable men. Through the videos on Dapper Q's website, image is presented in a way in which you feel comfortable about yourself, not based on the norm of society. Fashion allows people to express who they are individually without some sort of boundary restricting them to the fashion trend of their gender.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteClothing is incredibly gendered and there are certain ways that men and women are supposed to dress and look. Women are usually expected to wear makeup, heels, clothing that is more fitted, etc. Our gender system is based on the idea that men and women are opposites and clothes perpetuate that idea. By adopting a more “masculine” style, these women are challenging the traditional definitions of masculinity and femininity. They are taking masculine styles and reframing them. DapperQ provides an outlet for women who do not fit into hegemonic definitions of femininity because these women do not “do gender” in the way that people are accustomed to, which challenges the notion of the gender binary system. Gendering” is something we do every day, all day; we assign genders to people, animals, and objects. Their acts reveal that gender is a social construct and provides a different viewpoint.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, people often make judgements about others based on their appearance and the way we dress plays a huge role in the way that we are perceived. Furthermore, that affects the way that others treat us and it can have real consequence like getting/not getting a job. Female politicians are an especially good example because too often we are concerned with what they are wearing and not with what they are saying; I’ve seen too many headlines about Angela Merkel’s cleavage and Hillary Clinton’s bangs. Recently, there was controversy over a female student who wore a tux for her yearbook page and was told that she could not appear in it because her attire violated female dress code. Fashion can be a powerful tool to express individuality and transcend learned definitions of masculinity/femininity.
Fashion is used as a form of expression and it is used to express more than what the “norm” is. In the same way high fashion designers use fashion as an art form that pushes the boundaries of what is “attractive”, DapperQ pushes the boundaries of the expectation of clothing that females “should” wear. DapperQ features women who wear clothing that would normally be seen as masculine. In this way, these women are expressing their personal fashion taste and also making a statement of their sexual orientation. I think this website is pretty powerful because it allows people of the LGBT community to express themselves in a way that makes them most comfortable and it’s trendy at the same time.
ReplyDeleteFashion is a significant part of our identity. It if wasn’t, people wouldn’t spend hundreds of dollars on clothing and shoes. Fashion is a silent indicator of people’s interests. We shouldn’t have to hide our personality beneath our clothes and DapperQ showcases this by empowering women in wearing clothes that do not “fit their gender”.
In this way, the idea of gender roles are diminished and people can wear clothes that reveal their identity whether or not it is the social norm.
Fashion can be seen as a means to express what you as an individual stand for in society. It sets an immediate impression as people can bring style to how they wear clothes to convey their mood as well. Fashion industries are aware of this and thus all clothes are designed to be marketed to a specific group of people. In addition, people wear what they want to feel a certain way that fits the occasions for their day. We only feel certain feelings for given clothing because of the social standards we've been ingrained with. DapperQ recognizes these social standards and therefore markets their clothing to people who share their view on such social standards to foster identity in their own way.
ReplyDeleteThrough this DapperQ has also developed their own way to transgress some of the boundaries of the female gender role. It uses fashion as a tool to shift the bounds of social identity. It even goes beyond that by trying to go beyond the bounds of what society has deemed moral principle. DapperQ bestows the lesbian community with an additional channel for self expression; a means of self expressions that can serve as empowerment. Individuals interpret fashion how they wish but through the filter that society has accustomed us to. DapperQ may extend it's influence to people and gradually redefine those borders that set standards for societal identity.