Mel Martinez\u2019s dad had an unusual (and very much unofficial) title in the Air Force: stitch bitch. Decades later, that title \u2014 given to the many men whose duties included sewing \u2014 has now become something of a rallying cry for queer sewists like Martinez, who put gender affirmation at the center of their creations. Martinez and many others are updating their craft to subvert status quo designs that don\u2019t quite fit, building, instead, a world of underwear, lingerie, and intimates in which everybody (and body) is welcome. <\/p>\n

\u201cI have always been really particular about the way clothes fit; I have very sensitive skin and some skin allergies and some sensory stuff,\u201d says Martinez, who uses both they and she pronouns. In the realm of underwear, this means that it often takes her months to find the perfect<\/em> pair. So, knowing how to use a sewing machine, they eventually just decided to make their own.<\/p>\n

When it comes to getting dressed, gender affirmation can mean a myriad of things: a celebration of oneself and one\u2019s body, functional \u2014 and perhaps unconventional \u2014 tailoring, and, of course, comfort. But there\u2019s not a lot of accessible information on the topic out there, Martinez says. <\/p>\n