Look of the Day: LA Style

Lezsquire readers!  I am happy to report that I am back from my extended business trip to Ohio.  Although some excitingly gay events coincidentally happened while I was in town, I have to say... damn, it's good to be back. 

(And before you ask regarding my trip: No, I sadly did not see one fashionable outfit [besides those in the mirror] the entire month I was away.  Better luck next time.)

In honor of my triumphant return, here is a slice of quintessential LA lesbian style for you.

Note the artfully slicked back, sun-kissed hair, dark aviators, and double breasted black suit.  The perfect look for effortlessly doing justice on the idyllic palm-lined streets of LA. 

Pic of the Day: Studious Lesbian 2.0

Here is another take on the "studious lesbian" look featured on Lezsquire last Thursday.  I really love the jacket here (from Katherine Hooker).  It's casual yet well-structured - perfect for a day of informal research or hitting the books.

(Source)

I think this is an overall androgynous look that could go in either a masculine or feminine direction.  The jacket is made for women and definitely tailored to a woman's body, but because of the clean lines and sharp structure, it gives a crisp look that definitely treads into the masculine end of the style spectrum.  With the brass buttons and stand-up collar, it is reminiscent of a more sophisticated take on the baseball jacket.

Style this with a button-down and a nice pair of slacks and belt, and you'll be an academic all-star in no time.

Pic of the Day: Dykes and Bikes

(Source: Fonseca del Sur)

So much is right with this picture.  Just look at that dapper pair of ladies!  The tweed jackets.  The cute shoes.  The shy yet yearning (pre-makeout) gazes.  The glasses.  The sweaters, ties, and button-downs.  The dutch townbikes.  The flask. 

It is with a sad twinge that this picture reminds me how much I miss riding my bike to law school every day.  (Yes, Lezsquire is incredibly nostalgic about law school.) 

(Ladies pictured, if you are reading please contact me to claim your Lezsquire first-place ribbon for whatever competition this was.)

Weekend Wear: The Biker Jacket

Here in balmy 85 degree LA, I tend to forget what season it is supposed to be.  Then we get a one or two day cold snap (a chilly 56 degrees!) and I remember that it's winter!  So for some seasonally-appropriate weekend wear that is Lezsquire approved, let's take a look at a Lezsquire favorite: the biker jacket.

Joan Jett in Lewis Leathers (source)

A brief history on the leather biker jacket:  Did you know that the original bikers who wore leather jackets were former fighter pilots?  After retiring a need for speed and dangerous activity still pulsed in their blood, so they donned their leather flight jackets and took to the highways on motorcycles - perhaps the closest grounded approximation to hurdling through the air at hundreds of miles per hour.  How cool is that?  

I have a deep and abiding love of the biker jacket.  Though I am a professional Lezsquire by day, I have been known to occasionally moonlight as lead singer/guitarist for an all-female rock band (a calling which has sadly been put on hold since moving to LA).  I also have a slight motorcycle fixation.  The leather jacket works double duty as pure rock and roll and a wink and a nod at our lesbian leatherdyke foremothers. 

The classic American biker jacket is the Schott Perfecto.  This is the black leather jacket that was worn by the likes of Marlon Brando and James Dean.  I have to admit, I'm not as big of a fan of the Schott Perfecto as one might guess.  Reason being the wraparound waist belt and the tiny front pocket that diverts my attention from any of the other magnificence of the jacket (seriously, that tiny front pocket is bothersome).  On the bright side, the stars on the epaulets are awesome and the jacket is an American classic.  

Schott Perfecto - Available at http://www.schottnyc.com/

In my opinion, the ultimate biker jacket is unequivocally the Lewis Leathers Lightning.  The Lightning is a British take on the classic American leather biker jacket.  It's a more streamlined while still classic "biker" look because it eliminates the weird tiny front pocket and replaces the large wraparound belt with 2 smaller side belts on each side. This allows for adjusting the fit around the waist without any awkward dangling.  Also, one of my favorite features about the Lewis Leathers jackets is the red inner lining and it's contrast with the black leather.  Pure sex.  Worn by members of The Clash and the Sex Pistols, this jacket also appeases Lezsquire's love of British punk.  (Leather non-wearers take note, Lewis makes a canvas version.)

Lewis Leather Lightning - available at http://www.lewisleathers.com/

Also - how awesome is this - if you visit their London store or send in your measurements, Lewis Leathers will literally create a made-to-measure leather jacket just for you!  Sadly, I am not yet at the point in life where I can in good conscience spend over $1,000 on a leather jacket.  My biker jacket is a vintage (and probably knock-off - the brand labels are missing) take on the Lightning from the late 70s that I got off of ebay.

Kate Moss in Lewis Leathers (via)

I suppose I'll know I've really made it in life when I book a flight to London to be measured for the jacket of my dreams.  It's good to have ambition.

Looking for the perfect leather jacket for you and want Lezsquire's advice?  Curious to learn more about the history of the motorcycle jacket?  (I seriously know an absurd amount about this stuff.)  Submit your verdict below!