10 Fashion Icons in Music: Women Rocking Homosexy Style

5. Brody Dalle

BECKY: Brody Dalle makes me cream my pants maybe just a little. You may know her from The Distillers or maybe even her current project Spinnerette (btw, in this music collage thing, she’s totally wearing a top hat. Just sayin’). Her style is straight up (gay up) rocker sheek, and she loves wearing low-cut shirts, which I really appreciate for various reasons.

Often seen wearing Lolita-esque sun glasses and band t-shirts, she’s the girl-all-the-bad-guys-want kind of badass. Lots of hoodies, patterned pants, black leather, and tank tops — the majority of which you can find over at Karma Loop. Also, our friends there have a message for you:

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Complete the look with extra high high tops and tattoos. Sure, she’s not, you know, gay, but with lyrics like “Marilyn Monroe’s cum I’ll swallow,” it’s kinda easy to forget that, you know?

6. M.I.A.

BECKY: I was once told by a queer boy that I looked like a combination M.I.A. and Santigold. That was back when I had long hair (though less neon clothing). Anyway I took it as a compliment then, and I would take it as a compliment now. Regardless of how you feel about her music, this girl rocks what she wears — which is mostly extra large t-shirts and bright patterned leggings. Really, this girl was wearing awesome tights long before American Apparel caught on (and she’s been repping sneakers way before Taylor Swift sang about them and then didn’t wear them). Her Sunshowers video is a glimpse of what my life is going to be like when I move into the trees with my monkey.

7. Sia Furler

BECKY: Sia’s style is modern with a healthy dose of whimsical. She wears dirty sneakers and bright colors and one-piece outfits that she probably found on sale somewhere (everywhere) because not many people are brave enough to wear one piece outfits. This beautiful Aussie has such a soulful voice, she makes me want to go out and do something really random and artistic and cool.

KARMEN: Sia has sang most of us through some of our toughest breakups. She was right there next to us (/me) as we (/I) sat in the dark, crying, while eating pint after pint of Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia. Sia is as beautiful and talented as she is playful and quirky. She never apologizes for who she is, and that is why I love her style so much. She mixes thrift store finds with whatever else is lying around in her closet to create a look that she has dubbed “Original Bag Lady.” All I have to say is, homeless-chic or not, this is one girl I wouldn’t mind sitting next to on the bus.

8. The Kills

KARMEN: Even if you’ve never seen them, you can probably assume they’re hip just by listening to their music. And hey you’re right! They are. A friend of mine once described Alison Mosshart (of The Kills) as having “more coolness in one skin cell than I have in my whole body”. Having perfected the kind of “I don’t give a fuck” look, Alison Mosshart and Jamie Hince are comfortable smoking cigarettes in their leather jackets and black jeans as you look on and wonder “how the hell did you get to be so cool?” Lesbians, take note – this is probably what you’ll be wearing in 6 months.


BECKY: It’s true, Alison has perfected the illusion of dressing like she just kind of rolled out of bed and then rolled around on her closet floor for a while and then went on stage. How? We see pants and opened button-downs thrown over t-shirts and think “casual,” but those are actually some sick pieces she’s put together.

Wanna dress like her for cheaper? Here’s a zip sweater jacket from Amazon, Diesel colored pants, and hey remember when we did that great interview on Dani Campbell? You should probably get an intricately designed tee from pinkboybluegirl. Now just don’t brush your hair for awhile, and you’re golden!

9. Beth Ditto

Fact: More rock stars should wear hot dresses. Beth Ditto, lead singer of the Gossip, has a lot going for her beyond her super fun electro-pop rock ‘n’ roll sound. She’s got style, she’s got heart, and she isn’t afraid to be who she is. And she is one of Autostraddle’s Top Queer Fashion Icons.

Yes, it has long been known that Beth Ditto gives no fuck, and because a lot has already been said about her, feel free to take advantage of that and check out her gallery over at Vogue.co.uk and her video over at Style.com !

10. Feist

BECKY: Feist wears clothes that exude her famed sweetheart personality. She doesn’t need to do much, and is quite happy with her button downs, light sweaters, and simple black dresses. What makes her such a fashion icon in the music world is just that: simple, clean, accessible, and often tomboyish style. It’s like saying hey, you don’t have to wear designer clothes or have a mohawk to party like/be a rock star.


KARMEN: Lets face it. No matter how much we hope or how many stars we may wish upon, Feist will just never love the ladies in the same way we do. I know, I know, she did wear a vest and tie to her interview with Stephen Colbert (which, by the way, you have to see if you missed it. I swooned.), and she has repeatedly spoken out in favor of gay marriage. But that doesn’t make her gay – that just makes her awesome. Whether she’s in a tie and a button-down shirt or a loose sun dress, Feist always looks beautiful and dapper all at the same time. As Tyra would say, “work it, girl.”

Are you downloading some new music? Are you thinking of buying some cool tank tops? Great, I think our work here is done!

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Becky

I'm Becky. I write about style because I think anybody can look great and I think everybody usually does. I'm into self-expression. I'm into being expressive. When I'm not writing about style for Autostraddle I'm usually trying to make a film. I'm also a dancer, so I will Gahu with you anytime, anywhere.

Becky has written 23 articles for us.

35 Comments

    • thank you!! i feel that this is actually one of the best kept non-secret secrets ever.

      ladyhawke doesn’t get nearly enough love on AS, which makes me sad :/

    • yah… was just going to say that. though i just assumed, haven’t read the article. also according to my friend who interviewed her, there were definite ‘vibes’.

      gah, having read other comments it seems everyone knows!

    • Slightly unrelated, and irrelevant to anyone who isn’t a kiwi (or aussie?) but Anika Moa is gay!? That is totally cool. And she married a burlesque artist. Even more cool. I love that article.

      • Back when everyone didn’t know Anika Moa was gay, I used to enjoy “shocking” people by revealing The Dreaded Truth (and then they’d be like, whoa, how did you know that, and I would be like, the lesbian mafia. Which is impressive considering at the time I was in Christchurch and more or less cut off from the lesbos, but w/e). In retrospect this was maybe a bad naughty thing to do but obvs she’s come to terms with it anyway. (Also, total distraction, what did you think about the language of the article wrt: talking about AM’s marriage, wife, etc & only mentioning civil unions once. On the one hand yay it’s super mainstream and adorable. on the other hand I kind of feel like every time we gloss over civil unions as being exactly like marriage we miss a trick. On the *other* other hand by the time you’ve been going out with someone for, what is it? four years? there’s basically no difference so you may as well call it a wedding, I guess. I was really hoping “we got civilised” would catch on, but w/e.)

  2. Whenever I read one of your articles on style, I go through all the pictures first. I don’t even mean to, it just happens. Then I go back and read the article, because I love words, especially yours, but they all look so good! I can’t help it. I love pictures. Also, Brody Dale.

  3. Janelle Monae is a doll!!!! I love her funky and futuristic sound and style! :-) Oh and her album “The ArchAndroid” drops May 18th! Def. a MUST-HAVE!

  4. I was just coming on here to comment that Ladyhawke isn’t straight but someone already beat me to it!!

    Also where is Robyn on this list?! So sad… she was named Elle Sweden’s style icon of the decade last month! Either way, nice list ladies!

  5. Great list. I would second Robyn and put forward Natasha Khan from Bat for Lashes and Alison Goldfrapp from, um, Goldfrapp

    • Hells yes. Natasha Khan is the SEX.

      And I wouldn’t mind Tegan or Sara Quin on there either. They’re like the Canadian hotness equivalent of Ladyhawke + Nat x 572385. In my opinion anyway.

  7. Alison Mosshart is my style icon. She is so bad ass I wish I could pull off the chain smoking hotness.

  8. I feel like I’m missing some totally obvious reason why this list is Quinless. *confused*

    It’s Brody DaLLe, yo. That’s why it’s pronounced doll-ee and not dayle. Please fix.

    Very cool about Ladyhawke.

    And I think I’ll be using that discount code to pick up some OBEY merch!!

  10. I love these style posts, hopefully I can absorb some style through reading them. Sia’s voice good god in heaven so much emotion totally heartbroken music.

  11. “Get out of your fucking box!!” sounds like something the ‘rents would say if they caught me…ahem, well, you know…

  12. Great article (lots of eye candy!) but please, use your spellcheck! It’s embarrassing how many spelling and grammar errors there are in this piece.

  14. What? no lady gaga?! anyone for a kermit the frog body suit or some red vinyl? If we were lady gaga, we could kiss lady prisoners and weeee’d neeverr have to wear paaannnntsss!!

  16. 1. I am seriously loving you for introducing me to this Janelle Monae character. LOVE
    2. I thought JD from Le Tigre was trans, but maybe I’m wrong? I can’t find any corroborating evidence for this…

  17. I think JD is more genderqueer than trans, or somewhere in between those two. I don’t think it’s really public what he/she identifies as. But yeah, I probably wouldn’t call Le Tigre a group of girls. Also JD is dating Sia. Hot.

  18. Love this list! I definitely will be checking out the ladies I haven’t heard yet.
    Brody Dalle has had my affection since I was 15. That raspy voice kills me.

  23. I loved the ‘3. Uh Huh Her’. She is hot. But everyone here is really good looking and fashionable. Nice post.

  24. Great list!
    For myself I would add Joan Jett to my personal musician style list. She’s still got it and she’s in her 50’s!
    Plus, Kristen Stewart was hot in the Runaways movie.

  27. I was at the Uh Huh Her concert where that pick of Leisha Hailey was taken. She was looking super adorable that day.

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