Fund This: Ready-to-Wear Suits For Butch Women

Photo: Ammo Photography

As the LGBTQ community gains visibility and accrues rights, the social landscape is in an unprecedented state of flux. Huge legal advances have been made, but progress still needs to be made on many fronts. One such field is that of fashion --at least according to designer Leon Wu. "LGBT weddings are booming," Wu says. "Queer filmmakers are on the red carpet. Professional athletes are coming out of the closet. Everyone needs high-quality dresswear for these special occasions, and many in our community don't feel comfortable buying a suit from conventional stores."

Through personal experience, Wu realized that people who identify as butch, trans, genderqueer, androgynous, and anything else masculine-of-center had nowhere to turn for body-appropriate dresswear -- suits tailored to a female body, but with a masculine cut. From this void, Sharpe Suiting was born.

Based in Los Angeles, Wu began creating custom-made clothing to cater to this overlooked clientele. One year later, and after more than a hundred custom jobs, Sharpe Suiting has amassed enough measurements to develop a global ready-to-wear line.

Using a trademarked "andropometrics" system, meant to create a better silhouette for androgynous bodies, the company aims to raise $60,000 by November 19th in order to enhance e-commerce capabilities, carry out an international marketing campaign, and hopefully inspire department stores to get in on this blossoming market.

At the core of Sharpe Suiting is the belief that everyone deserves the chance to not only be comfortable in their own clothes, but to feel sharp. Head over to their Kickstarter page to learn more and donate (they also offer some incredible rewards).

Watch the Kickstarter pitch below: