Joan Jett, 48
Jett's unique don't-fuck-with me rock 'n roll style -- and her hip-hugging vintage t-shirt wearing 70s getup -- is getting a revival with the filming of a new movie about her 70's all-girl band "The Runaways" starring Kristen Stewart. Joan's jet-black hair crop, spandex fetish-wear, leather pants and diesel-arm-bearing streetstyle tanks have defined a kind of glam-goth punk for generations of runaway dreamers.
JOAN JETT'S STYLE: Black. Tight. Leather. Rock n' Roll.
Joan Says: "I find fashion sometimes to be a little overwhelming ... I have to really focus and hone my vision to find things that will work for me ... I don’t wear dresses which really cuts out a lot of stuff! And it’s too bad cause I can really appreciate the styles, and the beautiful clothes. I kinda wish I did wear dresses, but it’s just not in my thing. I’m not comfortable ... so what that means is just pants, shirts, and jackets. like using a high fashion piece and just some jeans ... black and white ... leather."
Favorite Designers/ Brands: Prada, Roberto Cavalli, Marc Jacobs, Balenciaga, Versace, and "street stuff from St.Mark's" (a neighborhood/street in NYC legendary for punk vintage second-hand stores)++
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Leisha Hailey, 38
Leisha's had her finger on the pulse of lesbian fashion since she first burst onto the scene in the early 90's; rocking hot pink dreadlocks with her band The Murmurs and doing the girly-grunge thing in coming-of-age flick All Over Me. Leisha regularly sported men's blazers and playful pantsuits in the late 90's while dating the iconic kd Lang, but by the time she hit the mainstream with The L Word in 2004, her style had officially evolved.
LEISHA HAILEY'S STYLE: Downtowny romantic, with a side of "Dark Glam" refined rock star.
Leisha's style evolved oddly at pace with her character's over the course of The L Word's six-season run; in the start Leisha's piecey alternative lifestyle haircut complimented her lacy flirty cleavage-enhancing tanks just as well as it did her peter-pan shirts & skinny ties (with pearls). By Seasons Four, Five and Six, her hair was fully grown out and her look went classically femme with drapey A-line dresses & high-necked parochial schoolgirl pieces both on and off-screen. Fan favorite? Leisha's clingy t-shirts, hoodies and tank tops (often from girlfriend's Free City line), the epitome of lazy-Sunday effortless cool.
Now, devoted primarily to her band with Camila Grey, Uh Huh Her, Leisha's cheeky bright t-shirts, bold jewelery and punk-ballerina skirts are like gothic bohos on acid. In lady-heels and occasional native headbands, the clothes loat with her while she performs her most stylish signature of all; the whirly-trippy hair-tossingly moody Leisha Hailey Dance.
Leisha says: "In my 20s I was punk-slash-feminist-slash-clubkid. It was really important to look as weird as possible. I wanted to look like I was from a different planet to set myself apart from other people. I was one giant identity crisis ... When I'm playing a different character I get a chance to be someone else and change myself on a daily basis. Before, the only outlet I had was through my clothes."
L Word Stylist Cynthia Summers said: "Of all our girlie-girls, Leisha is the most likely to wear a dress. She's the girliest -- a clotheshorse, she will dress up for an occasion. So Leisha is wearing a vintage A-line dress. I had the purse for her. Leisha tells me .. "Cynthia, lesbians don't carry purses."
The Los Angeles Times says about Uh Hh Her: "Spiky shoes -- along with skinny jeans and loads of black eyeliner -- are part of what defines the slinky, dark-glam look of new L.A. band Uh Huh Her.
Favorite designers: Rick Owen, Isabel Marant, dating Free City fashion designer Nina Garduno and has "a huge collection at home." She told the LA Times: "Also, I would love to be in head-to-toe Miu Miu. It's colorful and girlie and fantasy -- all the things I love."
Samantha Ronson, 32
Yes, if there is blame to be placed, you can blame British DJ Samantha Ronson for that sarcastic fedora-skinny-jeans-giant-high-top-sneakers epidemic sweeping gaunt lesbians bicoastally and abroad. The epitome of West Hollywood lesbian hipster cool, Ronson comes from a fashionable family (sister Charlotte is a fashion designer, brother Mark is a DJ), and has the scantily clad girly bad-girl girlfriend to match (or does she? We haven't checked twitter yet today). The Samantha Ronson look is almost the anti-sex, but somehow that goes all the way past bla and back again, to comforting-sexy. She's even designed her own line of signature sneaks for SUPRA.
SAMANTHA RONSON'S STYLE: The very definition of a Modern WeHo Andro Lesbian Hipster.
Samantha's Favorite Brands/Designers: Dior Homme, Filth Mart LA, Blue & Cream, Charlotte Ronson, SUPRA sneakers, Converse.
Charlene, 27 and the 'Gimme Sugar' Girls
Charlene Borja from Logo's 'Gimme Sugar' and the cast of both seasons of Logo's reality show is the most visible group of actual female lesbian friends on TV. For better or for worse ...
Charlene shows that the Next Generation of lesbian style works on diverse body types as well; matching trendy pieces with timelessly flattering combos like motorcycle boots & shorts. She loves v-necks, as do we, and has mastered edgy club-style Girl Power comfort-chic. Oh and there's that Alternative Lifestyle Haircut with a capital "A." The rest of the cast is one of television's most racially diverse and in Season Two featured Angel, a drag king, along with small boish "player" Devonee who sports the shows's most definitive big attitude. Season Two's Gaby is an aspiring fashion designer and someone wears this weird gold hood thing.
Go Magazine Says: "The castmembers recognize the fact that the show’s power lies with the exploration of range in expressions of masculinity and femininity within the lesbian community.
“I think some of us are an example of the different kind of lesbians that you can find, and you don’t necessarily have to look like a lesbian,” says Maisi. “I love the way obvious lesbians look, but I am a good example of a non-lesbian looking person. I love boi-looking girls. I love bois. I love teh short hair, and the baggy clohtes. But there are many different types."
We hope to have more fashion & style coverage eventually on Autostraddle. Perhaps figuring out how to actually buy these clothes on a smaller budget would be a good place to start, and Carly & Alex have a lot of feelings about menswear for girls.
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