Denim Does Not Butch Make

This is Rick and me on our front porch in Philly (Rick's the one in the middle and Mommy Lisa is taking the picture). I don't think this picture quite does justice to just how pregnant I look, especially for those of you who are used to seeing me with a big belly anyway. In fact, this may just look like I developed a chicken neck for no reason, but, alas, there is a baby in there.
As it is summer right now, I am getting away with wearing whatever fits. In a few weeks I will be teaching again and it will be time to dress normal--no, Mom, not normal-normal, but normal-for-me-normal. Hence the title of this blog. What will I wear.
I have very much appreciated all of the helpful suggestions on what to do for maternity wear and where to go to find it; however, folks, just because it is denim and doesn't have a floral print does not mean it is masculine--at least, not masculine by butch dyke standards. See, here's the thing with being a butch dyke (and, for those of you who don't know, I am not insulting myself by calling myself a butch dyke. I am quite proud of who I am and am perfectly comfortable with the label. But don't you dare call me that unless you say it with love... or total admiration, like Lisa does)... Anyhoo, the thing with being a butch dyke is this: we don't simply where masculine women's clothes, we wear--generally speaking--men's clothes. And we don't dress to look like men, we dress to look like ourselves, butch dykes (though sometimes we do dress to look like men, but then we typically refer to ourselves as something other than butch dykes in those moments). Now, a great disadvantage for many a butch dyke is that her body type does not easily fit the way men's clothes are cut. Hence, the fashionably wise butch dyke wears her clothes a little loose as opposed to wearing them too tight (Too tight has the decidedly negative effect of making pants bind at the hips and ride to high on the waist and at the ankle. You end up looking like you don't know how to dress yourself.) For years I was really over weight, so I was lucky to find clothes that fit at all. After I lost the weight, I had no hips, no breasts, and not much of an ass either. So once I figured out what size clothes to wear, I did okay. It just took me a bit to figure out why my pants needed to be considerably longer than I was used to (my stomach wasn't in the way anymore). I could wear what I wanted and find what I wanted just about anywhere I wanted. I could dress just like the butch dyke I love to be.
Now, that I am pregnant, however, I am in trouble. So far I have been wearing looser pants and not buttoning my shirts up with an undershirt underneath. As my belly grows, and grows, this will not be an option. My belly is already starting to push my pants down when I'm not looking. The other day, my hands were full as I was walking to the house and I had no choice but to let my pants drop to my ankles and hope no one saw. At least I didn't trip.
So, I need to figure out what to wear this fall semester while I am teaching. I do not want to wear women's clothes--though, I hear I may have no choice on this matter once I hit the 8th month. I never try to dress fancy to teach, so that isn't a concern, but I don't want to wear the same pair of overalls everyday--though, that idea does sound appealing. I've never been cool, so that's not a concern either. I just want to be dressed and remain ME while do it. Is that too much to ask? No, really, is it? I need to know.
I'm in a bind folks. Suggestions would be great. But, remember, Denim does not butch make. Please don't try and convince me that the loose cut jeans in Target's maternity department are manly. I checked. They aren't. At least, not by my standards. Besides, when I am in the maternity department, people stare at me and start looking around like Oprah's camera crew will appear at any moment.