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I’ve been dying to post this little t-shirt dress since I picked it up at Old Spitalfields market in London. It’s got lots of wee kittens and mice all over it, and it’s the nicest shade of blue. The print is what snagged me, of course, but it turns out to be a versatile little daytime number, great on a sunny day or over thick leggings with a cardigan or lightweight jacket for cooler weather.

These were taken in a little corner of our massive living room, beside a little window outside of which is our persnickety little lemon tree. The typewriter has been on here before, but the wonderful glass cabinet it sits upon hasn’t, I don’t think. It’s antique, along with the lovely green lamp – we found a pair of them and outfitted them with some simple, neutral lampshades (which are a hair too small I think, to be honest). I love this cabinet. We bought it from a dear translady in Noe Valley, she had piles and piles of gorgeous clothes and knick-knacks and accessories, but we ended up with a pile of queer books and two pieces of furniture!

Oh, Bird. He gets so very curious whenever there’s a FFAF in progress and he’s nearby. Nosy adorable bastard! As with many outfits, the accessories are really what make it: vintage Dooney & Bourke bag and slip-on dress shoes, a necklace by House of Harlow 1960, piles of bracelets and a braided leather belt to give the dress a bit of shape.

Let’s not forget the bold pink pout, courtesy of OCC’s magical lip tar in Strumpet! (I also have Grandma and Strutter and it’s definitely sweet, fancy love.)

We’ve got quite the three-day weekend ahead of us (and it’s only Wednesday). Somebody dapper from Can I Help You, Sir? is coming to town and good times will be had. There’s Mango for daytime dancing and margaritas, weather and earthquakes willing, dinner at Asia SF, a leisurely day trip into the wine country and it would be remiss of me to leave out UFC 134: Silva vs. Okami, which we’ll be postponing to Sunday for a little fight party get-together.

What have y’all got planned? East Coasters, be safe with that nasty mistress, Irene, on your tails – I know there are a lot of you out there, and we’re sending our love and well wishes.

Love,

FFAF

In this extra-exclusive FFAF post, a few dapper tomboys reveal their secrets to smelling good. Read on for two rather different takes on the world of men’s cologne and how to wear it well.

Our first portion is from G of the awesome Can I Help You, Sir? (Seriously, if you’re not reading this, you should be! It’s the adventures of G, with hot lists of swoon-worthy femmes and discussion on all things butch. RAD.)

G says: My preference is for clean, fresh or in some cases, woodsy scents with an underlying masculine feel. I tend to stay away from the spicy colognes, as they’re too heavy. I don’t want my scent to be noticed as soon as I walk in the room; I’d rather it be noticed because someone had to lean in closely to talk to me.

My top 3:

• Armani Code for Men: I think it’s the combination of the lemon and the wood that really does it for me with this scent. One of the things I like best about it is that it’s definitely masculine without being overwhelming, which is an elusive quality with all the macho colognes out there.

• Burberry Classic for Men: I really love what Burberry does with their fragrances, especially this one. It just smells great on my skin. It’s been around for a while, but it’s still one of the first ones I grab as I’m getting ready. The top notes of bergamot, cedar and amber really do it for me. I also own Burberry London, Brit and Beat, and I love them all.

• Banana Republic Slate: I love the fresh scent of this cologne, which relies basically on a blend of ginger and citrus notes. Those two together give it the a quality that is tough for me to find, which is clean AND inviting. It also just feels like a simple, easy-to-wear cologne, which I really like.

My choices also vary a bit depending on the season. These ones are all good fall/winter selections. I have different standbys in the summer that are a little lighter with more prominent citrus undertones (Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue is a favorite).

Next up is our very own M, who needs no introduction.

M says: OK! This is about colognes!

First, much like G, I treat most colognes like seasons. Summer scents are not okay in the winter, unless there’s some sort of obscene heat wave that drives all the sea lions from Pier 39 all the way to Oregon. There are a few that are transcendental, though, and can be enjoyed year round, not unlike peach cobbler (Team Pie! Niiiiiiiiiice. – SBJ).

• I like spicy  (but earthy) colognes in the fall and winter. Serge Lutens Borneo 1834 and John Varvatos Vintage are good examples. The Varvatos in particular smells like you just made an emergency landing with your prop plane in a mossy forest, survived, and so did your flask. It is quiet-handsome-action-hero-ruggedness! Tobacco, dirt, woods, gasoline, smoke!

• I am loathe to admit this, because Tom Ford is a giant dickbag, and most of his colognes reek like urinal cakes, but I really liked his Black Orchid cologne for Men. Fuck you, Tom Ford (but also: good job)! I plan to steal some from a department store so Mr Ford doesn’t profit. This makes me feel better. Anyway, why I liked it- even though he is like an attention-whorey-Vegas-casino, the cologne is more like an Olympic fencer: surprisingly subtle.

• Summer and Spring call for lighter, cleaner/fresher scents, to go with lighter clothing. Although I am all out, Creed Silver Mountain Water is my favorite. It is light and clean and not FRUITY! I don’t want to smell like food. Only food should smell like food! In fact, I have a household ban on any non-food product that smells like food (candles, soaps, cleaning products, etc). Okay, okay, I made one exception for a fig candle.

Tomboy Out!

I hope y’all enjoyed this! I sure as hell did. Now you have a whole roll call of fancy men’s cologne to get your tomboys or boy toys! (Or to try yourselves – I know I have some tough guys lurking out there!) In other news, M just smoothed a palmful of Lacoste all over the puppies. Sigh. As a bonus gift from me to you, take a peek at some covert butch stuff below – we femmes aren’t the only hoarders! – SBJ