‘Dressing like a lesbian’ is fashionably sexy for straight women

Lesbi-honest, queer fashion is totally in!

And from the ritzy red carpet to the streets of the Big Apple, straight-identifying women are swapping out their 6-inch heels and rib-crushing corsets for Dr. Martens boots and knitted sweater vests. 

But why is women’s wear leaning toward the stereotypical lesbian look? Because Hollywood hot girls such as Kristen Stewart, 31, Bella Hadid, 25, Zendaya, 25, and Dakota Johnson, 32, have made the anti-glam raiment “mainstream cool,” per author Jill Gutowitz. 

“Outfits that were once the domain of queer women have been popularized on red carpets and in street fashion,” said Gutowitz, 30, in a trending article for Harper’s Bazaar. “Seeing lesbian fashion mainstreamed feels validating, like we were right this whole time,” she continued. 

The author of “Girls Can Kiss Now” — who, in her article, vowed to revamp her wardrobe by adding more suits and baggy jeans in order to become “the most lesbian lesbian who has ever lesbianed” — went on to celebrate Stewart for “boosting” queer visibility through her causal couture. 


Gutowitz praise Stewart for sporting suits and loose-fitting shirts during her "Spencer" press tour.
Gutowitz praised Stewart for sporting suits and loose-fitting shirts during her “Spencer” press tour.
Amy Sussman

“Kristen Stewart’s ‘Spencer’ press tour, clad with tweed jackets, wide-leg pants and two-piece skirt suits, was basically an organized gay recruitment effort,” said Gutowitz. She also applauded Johnson for fearlessly rocking oversized suede jackets last fall, and actresses Zendaya and Cate Blanchet, 52, for shamelessly slaying in stylish suits. 

Their fellow “It” girls, Hadid and Kendall Jenner, 26, have also stunned in sapphic swag.

Earlier this year, Jenner stomped through New York City wearing a striped sleeveless knit, loose slacks and mahogany loafers. Hadid donned a pair of dark culottes with a matching jacket, a red tie and sunglasses while in Paris.

“I dress like a little boy,” Hadid explained in a recent interview with Vogue. “You couldn’t catch me in a dress willingly at this point in my life. ” I look outside and I see a hundred people dressed exactly like me, just because of what Instagram is.”

And the “dressing like a lesbian” trend has taken over straight women on TikTok, too. But for the non-celeb girls, hoodies and loose-fitting sweats, rather than high-end suits and boots, seem to be the garb of choice. 


Hadid wowed in sapphic style during her recent trip to Paris.
Hadid wowed in sapphic style during her recent trip to Paris.
Marc Piasecki

“Why do I wear guy clothes and look like this all the time?” said TikToker @Bodmonzaid in response to an off-color comment reading: “Why do you dress like a lesbian?”

The social media star, while wearing a baggy sweatsuit, continued answering to her clothing critic, cheekily saying, “If I turn you on, just say that. It’s OK to like girls. Also, if I was wearing tight, fitted clothes, I’m sure you’d have some s – – t to say to that too.”

TikTok user @Emma_Thornblad also shared a video post dedicated to her preferred dressed-down getup. 

“Thinking about how I got my [boyfriend] in my ‘dressing like a [masculine] lesbian & getting hit on by every woman’ era,” she wrote in the closed-captions of the clip, which featured her sporting gray sweats and a plaid shirt. 

However, while the lesbian chic craze is receiving mass praise, Gutowitz said she’s “resentful” of the adulation straight women are receiving for adopting the style for which gay women were once condemned. 

“While I feel joyful that lesbian fashion is so beloved today, part of me also feels resentful,” she penned in Harper’s. “Androgynous looks that lesbians were once shamed for, that were once visual identifiers among our own community, are now Urban Outfitters staples.”


Emma Watson also rocked a lesbian look at a posh party this year.
Emma Watson also rocked a lesbian look at a posh party this year.
David M. Benett

Her bitterness notwithstanding, Gutowitz said, “It brings me great joy to see women across the board choosing comfort and efficiency over dictatorial, gendered sartorial traditions.”

She predicted that this summer’s hottest fashion must-haves will include: a baggy black T-shirt to wear in the pool and Croakies — sunglasses with a neck chain. And Gutowitz said this fall, the famed accessory will be: “A very small pocket wallet on a chain with just three sleeves for your license, credit card and insurance card.”