Everyone knows that butches love boots.  It's one of those iconic accouterments that make us feel kickass.  So today, I'm giving you a quick guide to casual boots (e.g., boots that can be worn with jeans, khakis, Kuhls...  basically anything besides dress pants). 

There are several types of casual boots.  I'll list some, and then you should check out my favorite picks from my new casual boots section in the Butch Store.  My choices were mostly about style, but in part about size, since I know that many butches have trouble finding men's styles in small sizes.  (If that's a problem for you, you might also check out this site.)

Work Boots
It's been a long time since work boots were just used for work.  Work boots look great with jeans, and can even be worn to most non-physical-labor workplaces on casual days.  Many come with steel toes, which are super cool, but not really necessary (and actually pretty heavy) unless you work in construction or in a machine shop or something.  I especially like Frye Dakotas (pictured), but there are tons of great work boot options from many other brands, including Caterpillar, Thorogood (often made in the USA), and Wolverine. 

Chelsea Boots
I'm going to lump Australian work boots in with Chelseas, since they look so similar.  The basic point is that they fit like a glove and are easy to pull on and off because of the elastic sides.  For the quality, it's hard to beat these Blundstones (pictured)--but if you want something dressier, get a pair that looks more like these (the big differences are the polish/shininess and what the sole looks like viewed from the side).  Fun fact: according to Wikipedia (which is never wrong), the Stormtroopers' boots in Star Wars were plain ol' black Chelsea boots, painted white.

Chukka Boots
I used to hate chukkas, but I have to admit that they've grown on me.  They're stylish, come in great colors, and work in all seasons. Chukkas are ankle-height (the equivalent of mid-tops in tennis shoe terms) and usually have just 2-3 eyelets.  I like this To Boot New York pair (pictured, also comes in a dark chocolate brown), and Timberland and Johnston & Murphy make nice ones, too, including these and these.

Harness/Engineer/Motorcycle Boots
I don't usually think of engineers and motorcyclists as heavily overlapping categories, but boot names are the exception.  Made of heavy leather, these are usually taller than average boots and have a strap at the ankle and/or the calf for adjusting the fit.  Unsurprisingly, Harley-Davidson has some cool styles.

brown or black rubber ones.  There are bunches of great-looking ones to suit every butch's personality, including these "Culture Boots" (eh?) by BED:STU (the blue ones, pictured above), and these Wolverine 1883 Mayall DGs (pictured right).

It probably goes without saying that all of the boots I've written about here, as well as most of the ones in The Butch Store, are "men's," so it may be harder for you to find the right fit; if you're like most women, your feet are smaller and/or narrower than the average man's.  But with patience, you'll find brands that work for you.  (And here's a hint: using these insoles will increase your shoe size by a half to a full size!).  Hope you enjoy the new Butch Store additions.

(1) Today's outfit is a black shirt with a grey, navy, and black-striped tie that I borrowed from my DGF's wardrobe (hey, it was hanging on my tie rack, so it seemed like fair game).  A good choice for a heretofore blustery day.  I'm wearing grey cords with this, as well as my trusty Skagen watch.

(2) I'm revamping the Butch Store.  (Yeah, I know it wasn't even fully "vamped" yet, but I'm stoked about the new look/feel/format and think it will be way easier for you to shop.)  What would you like to see in it?  Dress shoes?  Watches?  Jewelry? Casual shoes?  Books?  Comment below and let me know what you'd like to see the new, improved Butch Store offer. 

(3) This weekend, my mom and I went to a junkyard/thrift store.  One gem we found was this book, Newer Knowledge of Cheese (copyright 1968, I think) which would be tremendously handy to have around if your knowledge of cheese is outdated... and isn't it always?  No sooner do I learn something about cheese than there is something even newer to learn about cheese.  Our thirst for cheese knowledge can never be quenched, so this book is a necessity. 

_If you're interested in sporting cufflinks, but aren't even sure where to start (and maybe don't even have more than 1-2 French cuff shirts yet), you're in luck--I have a whole new section of the Butch Store devoted to cufflinks.  I recommend starting with three pairs, in three separate categories:

1. Basic silver or gold.  These may not be exciting, but they're highly functional and work for any occasion.  They can have a geometric design (like the ones in the photo at right), but shouldn't incorporate other colors.   If you can't decide between gold and silver, just choose whichever you wear most often, since you'll want to match your cufflinks to the metal of your earrings, watch, and/or belt buckle.

2. Understated but distinctive.  This is my personal favorite category of cufflink.  It works for all but the most formal (think: tux) occasions, and expresses your style.  Choose something with just one main accent color.  I love these purple ones (pictured left), as well as these  banded African jade ones by

 Ike Behar (pictured right).  You can even find good-looking cufflinks that incorporate leather.  This category of cufflink should be matched to whatever shirt you're wearing.  The purple ones above would look great with grey, white, black, purple, or lavender, but not with, say, orange or red.  They're fine for the office, a date, clubbing, or dinner out.

3. Novelty cufflinks.  By "novelty," I don't mean cufflinks that turn into yo-yos or feature blinking lights.  I just mean cufflinks that are wacky and different enough that you probably wouldn't wear them on a first date.  Take, for instance, these Ed Hardy koi fish cufflinks (pictured left), which I do not own and happen to 

love.  Or what about the ones to the right, which are not only versatile cufflinks, but double as working levels.   Just in case you need to like, um, put up a shelf or something while you're wearing French cuffs (hey, it could totally happen).  Some cufflinks are absolute works of art.  Others allow you to proclaim your support for gay marriage, or double as 4G USB drives.  Whatever the case, these novelty cufflinks should only be worn out dancing, or to not-that-fancy restaurants, or to work on a day that you're not meeting with a client or a CEO or anything.

I hope you'll think about adding some cufflinks to your butch jewelry collection.  I'm curious: how many of you are cufflink veterans?  Take the poll below!

_I've heard some of you say that compared to our more traditionally feminine counterparts, there aren't many ways for butches to show off our style.  That's why one of my many missions is to debunk this myth and show you how awesome butch fashion can be.

Cufflinks are a fun, underused part of men's "jewelry" that butches can totally rock.  Like watches, they can add a bit of class, a splash of color, or a touch of whimsy to your outfit. 

It helps, of course, to know what you're doing, which is where I come in.  Follow a few easy guidelines and you'll be sporting cufflinks like a pro.

_First, only wear cufflinks with French cuff shirts--aka "double cuff" shirts.  Instead of buttoning normally, they have cuffs that fold back and are secured by your cufflinks (as pictured, right).

Historically, French cuffs were only worn with suits.  This rule is a relic, and no longer holds true.  Sure, you can wear French cuffs and cufflinks with a suit.  But you can also wear them with jeans and no jacket for a night of dancing.  The key is to match the formality of the cufflinks to the rest of your outfit.  Fuzzy dice cufflinks + a tuxedo is a no-no (unless it's Halloween and you're going as Irony).

Cufflinks are supposed to add a touch of style, not function like a neon sign.  There's no need to be flashy or gimmicky.  That said, have fun with them.  Assuming that you are a non-male-presenting butch, it will take a truly huge fashion offense to make you look like an arrogant tool.  Guys have less leeway.  Unfair, maybe, but a fact nonetheless.

Finally, wear your cufflinks with confidence!  Yeah, some people say that you shouldn't wear French cuffs if you're under the age of 40.  But I say: critics be damned!  And Frank Sinatra and the Sartorial Butch both agree with me.

_Check out this excellent GQ video, in which the "Style Guy" shows off his cufflink collection and says a little more about how to wear them.  Tomorrow I'll write Part 2, in which I'll tell you some great places to buy cufflinks.  For a preview, check out my new Butch Store Cufflink page!)

_So you got a some perfectly-sized Calvin Klein button-ups from your DGF for the holidays, eh?  Now you just need the right undershirts to wear with them. (I'm assuming you already have some decent metal collar stays.)  In this entry, I'll review your T-shirt options.  In all cases, I'm talking about "men's" T-shirts, since for many of us, "women's" or "ladies" shirts tend to be too short or cutesy or have tiny sleeves.

Undershirts come in three basic varieties: V-neck tee, regular crew-neck tee, or tank top (for now, I'm not considering long-sleeved undershirts).  I heavily favor crew necks.  Tank tops don't prevent sweat or deodorant from staining button-ups.  And not only do v-necks irritate my lower neck area, but they look dopey when you can see the texture of the v-neck collar under the shirt).  Most of the butches I know favor crews as well, so for now, that's what I'll focus on.  (A summary of my findings is at the end.)

_
Before we go any further, a note on printed tees: In general, I have zero objection to printed tees.  In fact, I own a whole bevy of 'em.  But there's a place for printed tees, and that place is NOT beneath your collared shirts.  We can see the print showing through your button-up shirt and peeking out your collar.  And though admittedly we are vaguely intrigued that you ran the Boston Marathon in 2001 and attended a k.d. concert in 1992, this is not how we wanted to learn about it.  

Anyhow, I rate and discuss five kinds of shirts along the following criteria:

• Thickness: This is more about personal preference than quality.  You may want thicker shirts in winter and thinner ones in summer.  Thicker shirts can conceal your shape, and thinner shirts to be less bulky underneath tighter button-ups.
• Collar: Collars that roll or stretch look bad when you unbutton the top button of your shirt.  I prefer medium-to-thin collars, but thin collars have a hard time staying flat.  I also like collars that fall slightly lower on the neck, so that it doesn't look like I'm wearing a dickie under my button-up. 
• Durability: This refers to how well a shirt holds its shape, thickness, etc., through lots of wearings and washings.  I've tested all these shirts through months and months of wear.  Some hold up great, others not so much. 
• Colors: The official butch uniform is a button-up shirt with a T-shirt under it.  While some butches favor white shirts, I prefer to match the color of my undershirt to the color of my button-up (e.g., a black tees with a dark grey button-up or an orange tee with an orange-and-white striped button-up).  Matching serves two purposes: (1) It looks like you put some thought into your outfit; (2) At the end of the day (or even at the grocery store on the way home from work) you can untuck and unbutton your button-up shirt and look casual rather than sloppy.
• Procurement: What the shirt costs and where to get it.

MOSSIMO CREW NECK, ATHLETIC CUT
Thickness: Medium to thin.  Soft, tagless.  I often wear one of these + a pair of boxers to sleep.  There's been recent speculation that the quality has recently suffered.
Collar: Medium-thickness.  Perfect cut.  Starts out great.  Then...
Durability: So-so.  Wonderful for the first few months, then the collar begins to stretch and get thin and not lay flat.  For some reason, the durability of the heathered colors is much better than the others.
Colors: Come in a 10-15 different colors, including dark heathered grey, navy blue, teal, orange, a heathered forest green, and more.  Their colors tend to match my dress shirts more than any other brands do.
Procurement: $7.99 each at Target or $7.99-$9.99 each at Target.com.  Many of the Target.com links (like this one) claim that the shirt is not available in stores, which is untrue.


HANES COMFORTSOFT CREW NECKS
Thickness: Medium.  Nice soft feel, and tagless, which I love.  Also good for sleeping in.  (Don't confuse these with Hanes Heavyweights, which are not nearly as nice)
Collar: Starts large, shrinks to medium in the dryer.  Lands slightly higher on the neck than the Mossimo shirts.
Durability: Excellent.  Becomes a little thinner over time, and seems to stain easily, but holds up well.  I've been impressed that the collar doesn't seem to stretch, roll, or have trouble laying flat, even after many washings.
Colors: Black and white are easy to find.  They also come in grey, navy blue, denim blue, forest green, and washed black heather.  Others are hard to find.
Procurement: White and black are often available in department stores.  The price and selection is better online: where I can find them in white (3-pack for $12.99 or $11.80, depending on sizes), and four-packs of various colors and prices here. 

_LL BEAN CAREFREE UNSHRINKABLE TEE (Note: at the time of this writing, the LL Bean website was down, so I'm not including any links yet.)
Thickness: Very thick, though not unpleasantly so.  Not as soft as Mossimo or Hanes Comfortsoft.  Stiffer, but definitely not scratchy.
Collar: Thick.  Fairly wide.
Durability:  Pretty solid.  I've had several for years, and they keep their shape and never get holes.  Same with the collar: retains its thickness.  The big downside is that the collar eventually starts to pucker.
Colors: 15-20 available: yellow, orange, heather green, white, black, dark blue, light blue, maroon, and more.  (See pic at left.)
Procurement: Normally $14.95 each on the LL Bean website, occasionally on sale for around $9.99.  Also, these seem to run large; I advise ordering one size smaller than usual.

_AMERICAN APPAREL (FYI, this company has had some serious problems.  On the other hand, their shirts are made in the USA, which the others aren't.  So, your call.  This is also worth reading.)
Thickness: These aren't very thick, but the weave keeps me just as warm as thicker shirts do.  If you have sweating issues or don't like to wear antiperspirant, look elsewhere.  Also, the sleeves are a tad shorter than other brands' sleeves.
Collar: Definitely on the thin side.  Within the limits of acceptability, though.
Durability: Good for at least six months.  After that, the collar will begin to stretch out of shape.  And while the color won't fade, the shirt will shrink quite a bit, even if you wash it in cold water.
Colors: These come in literally 40 different colors.  They have yet to come out with a nice rust orange, but everything else seems to be covered.
Procurement: You can get these online for $5.99 each.  They're more expensive in stores.  Also, these run small, so order up if you're on the cusp.


GILDAN
Thickness: Very thick.  Kind of bulky under shirts.  Also, the sleeves are longer than the other shirts--fine for most guys, but not for most women, since we tend to have shorter arms than men do.  (I wear a 32" sleeve.)
Collar: The largest collar of all the shirts I've reviewed here.  Not unacceptabe, though.  Collar falls higher on my neck than I would prefer.
Durability: These seem to get a little scratchy with regular wear.  And then at some point, they lose the scratchiness and get soft again as they're wearing out.  It's weird.
Colors: Like American Apparel, comes in about 40 different colors.
Procurement: Can be bought online for $4.54-$14.99 (but most of the nicest colors seem to be $14.99).


SUMMARY: My rankings from best to worst:

1. Overall, my favorite is Hanes ComfortSoft, which seems the best value for the money, boiling down to about $4/shirt for white and a dollar or two more for other colors.
   
2. American Apparel comes in second for its combination of comfort, color selection, and price.
   
3. I'd rank Mossimo as a very close third.  They have the best colors and are soft from the start, but will become your PJ's in 6-12 months when the collars get stretched out.
   
4. Much as I love LL Bean, their shirts come in fourth for me.  They'd probably be #2 if the price was lower and the collars didn't pucker.
5. GILDAN comes in last.  Too stiff and scratchy for this butch.

Any other opinions about these brands?  Any additional brands that butches might especially want to check out?