fitforafemme.com

Meet one of Brooklyn’s finest femmes, kittens! Here’s the delightful Bevin Branlandingham of FemmeCast and Queer Fat Femme. She and I ran a little workshop at the Femme2010: No Restrictions conference last Friday morning. We met for the first time in June at her incredible Re/Dress & Size Queen event in Oakland, after becoming fast internet friends through our mutual love of fashion, all things femme, and involvement on our respective committees with the Femme Collective earlier this year.

Also, her tomboy friends have the cutest puppies, don’t you think?

Of course, her outfit rules. This is one LBD that refuses to be outdone, and the little tart hair clip was quite the cherry on top of her ensemble. Here’s her really impressive bio, since it says it way better than I could:

Bevin Branlandingham is the Host and Producer of FemmeCast: The Queer Fat Femme Podcast Guide to Life. She is a flamboyant femmecee, writer, drag king, burlesque and comedy performer. She is Co-Head Madam of the Femme Family, the New York Chapter of the Femme Mafia, on the steering committee for the Fat and Queer conference and the media committee for the Femme Conference. In 2008 Bevin received a Commendation from the Mayor of Jersey City for her work with the LGBT community. Her writing has been published in numerous periodicals and she has performed throughout North America. Her mission is to make the world a safe place for people to love themselves, regardless of their marginalizations. Her website (including blog, calendar of events and workshops) is found at QueerFatFemme.Com.

She also blogs at Butch-Femme.com and The Femme’s Guide to Absolutely Everything and performs throughout North America.

This has to be one of my most favorite collages ever. Adorable puppy? Check. Pretty, multi-talented femmes? Check. Dildo? Check. Fancy hair ornaments? Check. DONE AND DONE.

I need Bevin to chime in on her outfit particulars, but here are mine:

Dress: Calvin Klein
Shoes: MaxStudio
Bag: Betsey Johnson
Earrings: Vintage
Necklace: Culp Baubles
Feathered Hair Clip: Buffalo Exchange

Waiting for Rufus Wainwright. After the closing remarks at the conference, M fetched me from the hotel and we set out for Napa. It couldn’t have been a more perfect evening. The temperature was perfect, the light falling softly at sundown was perfect, dinner was outstanding and Rufus Wainwright was absolutely wonderful, as always. At one point during the show, M whispered to me “How is he even a real person? His albums sound so good, but then you hear him live up there and he’s somehow much, much better than all that!” and I nodded with my tear-streaked face.

He made corny Napa jokes and told a few stories between songs, and he played La Complainte de la butte and Memphis Skyline (two of my favorites). Zebulon undid me completely. His sister brought the petite onstage and they all sang together (well, the petite cooed), and it was really lovely. I cannot wait until he’s back in November with the SF Symphony for Five Shakespeare Sonnets.

I am going to go every single day of the 3-day series, come hell or high water.

Sunbathing on a delightful Saturday, we watched little boys chasing around birds like wee tyrants while the little girls did the smart thing and frolicked in the fountains nearby. We could have dozed here forever.

Femme: H&M dress, Franco Sarto patent leather wingtip pumps, Alice + Olivia for Payless clutch, Elle sunglasses.

Tomboy: Seven for All Mankind jeans, Ben Sherman belt, Penguin tie, Macbeth shoes.

Petite: I LOVE her flats. I bought them for her and wish we could share ‘em. They’re a brand called Me Too. She’s wearing them with Zara jeans she inherited from me. She’s also inherited some old pairs of Blue Cult, H&M and Miss Me denim from me – lucky petite!

Look at all of that vivid, glorious blue! I’m beat after spending a happy morning and afternoon helping a dear friend get settled in her new Oakland flat. It’s gorgeous. Flooded with warm sunlight through windows on nearly every wall of every room (which her two adorable cats love), tray ceilings with crown molding, hardwood floors with pretty inlays and those charming old touches all over, and French doors separating the huge master bedroom from the even larger living room. Just lovely. I AM SO JEALOUS, but incredibly happy for them (her beau arrives in two short weeks, she’s a carpenter and can play a mean banjo).

I was also mere blocks from our old loft today, and I felt pangs, y’all. Pangs of yesterday. Pangs of concrete-sandwiched-between-multiple-layers-of-drywall “party walls.” Pangs of walk-in closets and his ‘n her sinks and well-lit showers and a DISHWASHER and stacked washer/dryer sets, le sigh. Of course, living in San Francisco has its perks and advantages over Oakland, but bang for your buck where square footage and amenities are concerned ain’t one of them.

Laundry by Shelli Segal pants, Chicks On Speed for H&M racerback tank, thrifted vest, vintage shoes and Gucci scarf.

Another day, another outfit. This was my “laundry day” outfit. Far more interesting is that Karen Elson was pretty incredible last night at Cafe Du Nord. Her voice is much prettier onstage than it is on her solo album, which already sounds lovely, but still. Live her voice is haunting, taut, taunting. She chatters on between songs and apologizes profusely for her incessant need to “explain everything,” and then she half-giggles, half-chuckles in an awkward, nerdy way I really loved.

It goes without saying that she looked stunning, but real. I didn’t expect real, approachable. She was wearing a very long peach dress that fit her poorly in some places, but it kind of only made it that much more fetching, and there she was, oscillating between an ethereal, singing (and guitar-playing) angel and a bashful geek! The crowd favorite seemed to be The Truth Is in the Dirt, but I found myself singing along to The Birds They Circle the most today.

I’d write more, my friends, but it’s my turn to make cocktails and I cannot think up ways to use this unopened bottle of Lillet Blanc, can you? Let me know in the comments.

PS. Yes, Jen, my jeggings had faux pockets. In some circles jeggings aren’t considered the real deal unless they have the faux pockets. I’m just torn between shame and comfort on the subject.

PPS. Here’s where you’ll find us this weekend. This time, baby, I’ll be Bieber-proof! (I know, you hate me, you can’t get it out of your head. Oop! Kylie! Sorry about that.)

Remember when I was pouting nearly two weeks ago about not being able to wear summer dresses willy-nilly? Here’s the Kensie number! Glorious cotton and silk blend, lovely sorbet shades, and of course there’s the ruffled neckline. Searing temperatures in the high 80s yesterday finally gave me the perfect excuse to wear it to my little brother’s high school graduation. Alas, we were wholly unprepared for the direct, relentless sunlight that scorched us from 9:30AM-noon during the ceremony. So bad. I know. We just had no idea what it was going to be like! (Next year, when my other little brother graduates, we’ll be far better prepared). It was a wonderful ceremony, though, very All-American, Norman Rockwell.

Here’s me goofing around in my mom’s weirdo barnyard shed thing in the backyard. If you think this is bad, you should see their garage. I didn’t really have time to accessorize because the tomboy was bossing me and we, of course, were running late. (It’s so rare that we get up early on the weekend, and we had to be out of the door by 8AM. I barely had time to throw on these nude patent leather pumps (Madden Girl).

When we climbed into the car I exclaimed, “Oh no! I forgot my necklace!” and M said (tersely, I might add) “Oh, you’re right, your brother TOTALLY can’t graduate from high school without your necklace.” I sulked until I got my triple shot mocha, and then: BYGONES.

We had all sorts of notions about what today would be like. Champagne-soaked croquet in Dolores Park. Perusing the DIY wares and glutting ourselves with tater tots at IndieMart over at Thee Parkside. Having succumbed to what can only be heat exhaustion compounded by an unending meat parade of happiness at the post-graduation BBQ yesterday, we slept in until noon, brunched at 2PM and are now enjoying an Ally McBeal marathon from the comfort of our sofabed. C’est la vie!

I’ll make up for it with the following this week – Monday night shopping with my BFF:

I just got tickets to see Karen Elson on Tuesday night at Cafe Du Nord!

You didn’t think I was going to keep the tomboy all to myself, did you?

She’s wearing an emergency pair of $16.99 JCP shorts we had to run and fetch her at the mall near my mom’s house before she DIED in her pants, a classic wifebeater, RVCA shirt and one of her many pairs of flip-flops. She is as tasty as she looks sunbathing all hot and salty and smelling of sweet tea tomboy.

I AM SO EXCITED. Why am I so excited? The delightfully lovely new posters / flyers for August’s Femme 2010: No Restrictions in Oakland have arrived and they are made of awesome. Of course they are, because they were designed by the talented Cristy Road. Curious about this magical sounding femme conference? Click on the image below to go straight to the Femme Collective website to learn more. I want to see as many of your amazing faces there as I can. You wouldn’t want to miss my special workshop, would you? That’s right, yours truly is presenting a workshop called TechFemme.

Without further ado, here’s your first look! Soak in the PRETTY.

God, I love these Levi’s. They’re as soft as a baby’s downy little cheek and quite flattering and they are so very comfortable. You’ll hate me less for saying that all matter-of-factly when I tell you that I got them at Costco for approximately $17.  All I need is a freaking pony. OK, and these boots:

Much better. I feel strongly that you’re not taking me seriously as a moody cowgirl. I’ll show you!

I’ve been informed by a dear, chic of mine that I absolutely cannot permit one more ray of sunshine to permeate my wardrobe without first securing a classic blue chambray shirt. The hunt has begun, my friends. Since Laia (also: buy her stuff!) immediately agreed and said she’s in need of one, too, I decided to see what y’all thought.

Clockwise from top left:

Juicy Couture Chambray Shrunken Western Shirt, $138
Rachel Comey “Agronomist” Chambray Dress, $260
Tory Burch Chambray Blouse, $210
J. Crew Japanese Selvedge Chambray Shirt, $78
Lauren by Ralph Lauren Nadelle Chambray Shirt, $48.65

Yeah, I know one of those is a dress and doesn’t count, but I got distracted and I’m a sucker for a playful twist on a keyhole back. For me, the clear winner is J. Crew, which shocks me. It just looks all kinds of soft and dreamy, and the perfect balance of structure and slouchy. Effortless! What’s your favorite – or better yet, have you got any links or pics to share of your own?!