New visions of streetwear at LN-CC
Hello my name is Madge of Honor. I am a performer and writer in Boston, MA. I love boldly contoured cheeks, buttoning the top button, and giving major body in Levis legging cut jeans. I do not love wine colored lipstick, flip flops, or employing racist tropes to sell clothes. I am still unsure about stilettos. I’m here to talk fashion, which to me is a conversation about what’s on trend, beyond trend, behind trends, post-trend, and possible tactics to navigate the act of dressing in queer and unusual ways.
I am passionate about wearing streetwear inspired gear, but shopping for it, on the other hand, leaves a lot to be desired for a self-respecting grown ass queer person. In my experience, most online shops have vastly disparate “men” and “womens” sections. I have to wade through frills, floral print, ruffles, empire waists, and cap sleeves to find anything rough and tough enough. Most labels are still well behind the gender curve, and womenswear is taking the L. While men have graduated to handsome button ups, utilitarian jackets, fitted sweaters and collaborations with classic brands, girls haven’t seen much progress beyond cute alliterated slogans on cotton. I’M A BOSS BITCH, LOOK IT SAYS SO RIGHT HERE ON MY BREASTS.
While I’m counting the minutes until my check is directly deposited into my bank account, why not fantasy shop on the internet? I can’t even afford the accessories when they’re on sale at LN-CC, but it’s a constant source of stimulating styling. The site features young and hungry labels as well as more major houses that split the seams of “wearable” at fashion week. Let me name names: sometimes I go onto LN-CC just to zoom in on all the Margiela clothes and get in touch with my emotions.
LN-CC offers a curated shopping experience, often stocking exclusive items. Of course, by “shopping” I mean “browsing” and by “exclusive” I also mean “insanely expensive.” There is extensive visual and written detail about the shape, material, care, source, and label. Sharp but not executive. Bold without being noisy. Clothes are sold like pieces worth investing in—which is why I feel like I can fuck with the site despite it being way beyond my pay grade. LN-CC seems to be committed not only to showcasing dope designers I might not otherwise know about, but they are also exposing the concept and art of these outfits so I can seek out said silhouettes and textures in a lower tax bracket. Although there is no substitute for good tailoring and flawless animal skin, is there?
But what I really love the most about LN-CC is the consistency between the men and women’s department. One of the most exciting brands I’ve seen on LN-CC is Sunsea, who’s A/W11 line is unisex. All of the garments are photographed on both the male and female model, and the shapes look incredible on both bodies. (Full disclosure: both bodies are very thin.) Fancy that. It’s beyond good; beyond-drogenous; the clothes look as though they were designed beyond the limitation of a gendered customer. It’s something entirely different than “menswear for women” or “men in skirts.” From what I can see, Sunsea clothes don’t require a departure from one’s own gender to arrive at the label’s sophisticated and still street look.
Being unisex only gives the clothes a more practical and modern appeal to young people navigating cities. It’s definitely updated street wear at its best: the main forms are the tee shirt and the hoodie. Clothing that challenges the gender binary doesn’t have to be sequined and spandex and sexual—unisex glamour can be quieter and come in navy. It’s as though the Sunsea designers trust its wearer enough to dress themselves; to layer and accessorize the clothes as one likes rather than designing anyone into narrow roles. Perhaps this is descriptive versus prescriptive designing, and both the aesthetic and possibility of that is pleasing to the eye/mind/body.
And even though I cannot afford the clothes—I am moved by them, in the way I am moved by other art I can’t afford and leer at on the internet. So what I take from Sunsea that I can look for is in real life is: oversized rectangle shapes, large round neckline (I have been afraid this was too feminine until I saw it in the context of an exaggerated silhouette), and thick monochrome cable knits. I mean, I still want that leather tee shirt so bad I would slaughter the cow myself. IT HAS CONCEALED POCKETS PEOPLE. I also see an emerging standard of what I expect from a shopping experience: one which is on trend and concept, if not price point. And one in which women’s clothes are not on a completely different planet than the men’s, especially if that planet is populated by open mouth pouts, exposed midriffs, and catchphrases about somebody’s boyfriend.
