Whichever queer scene I’ve been in, I’ve often felt self-conscious about my femininity. It’s only recently that I’ve found myself in a queer community that centres itself around challenging masculinity as the queer default, and celebrates femme identities. I’m feeling super empowered by my fat femme image at the moment, and deriving a lot of power from ‘femininity’. It’s not just about being ‘girly’, it’s about saying that your queer identity can’t be reduced or erased. As a femme who’s also specifically attracted to femmes, it’s powerful to me to know I’m not alone in that. Someone who’s always stood out to me as a shining beacon of fat queer femme energy is Nicolette Mason, whose style I’ve always revered in its own right, but also in relation to the fact she’s queer. People have written reams of interesting stuff on image and fashion in relation to queer identities and presentation so I’m not going to say too much about that, but I just wanted to tip my metaphorical fedora to someone who inspires me in how she lives her femme ID.
This is why Nicolette’s collection with ModCloth is so exciting to me. According to the size chart, the 4X which the styles go up to works out as a size 32-34, which is higher than I’ve seen pretty much any plus size range go (assuming it’s accurate).
Obviously the swishy, pretty prom dresses are super inspiring but this jumper just warmed my heart in a deep and meaningful way. I don’t know if it’s meant to be a pun, but I’m reading it thus.
This dress is such a showstopper. I absolutely adore the twisted-bow front and the length of the sleeves and feel like it’s those kind of details that elevate this dress beyond your average plus-size prom dress. That’s what happens when you get a fashion femme to help design your clothes [insert sassy lady emoji here].
This piece is genius because it speaks to the chic femme and the stylish butch. I’m particularly enthused by how the inimitable and decidedly non-femme Dannielle from Everyone Is Gay is wearing it in that outfit photo on the page.
My final fave is this teal prom dress, which, like the polka dot creation, is firmly in the list of ‘things I would love to own if only I had someone to wear it’. The sheer décolletage, the shape of the bodice, the bow, the colour of the material, the shape of the skirt are just divine. I want to wear this dress to stroll the streets hand in hand with a beautiful babe, swishing my skirt as I go.
