I think it's definitely harder to tell sometimes with younger groups of lesbians, partly because the butch/femme style isn't as pronounced, and styles change depending on city or region, class, social group, etc. Also the concept of "bi-curious" and "experimenting" means there are a lot of girls who might be bi, or questioning, or straight but with a lot of lesbian friends, or just really affectionate/horny when tipsy, or gay but still in the closet...definitely screws with the gaydar :)

For style and dress, I find the presence of piercings or tattoos, especially if the girl isn't particularly punk or Goth, tend to correlate, especially lip piercings and ear-rings in the upper cartilage; maybe because a girl who's "out" in her sexuality is probably also less concerned by societal disapproval of body art. Even if she's not butch, the tendency to wear hats (I love my fedora), ties, slightly baggy pants, or suspenders are a good signal.

I agree that body language is the best way to go. I often look at the way a woman walks: does she use her hips more or her shoulders and upper body? does she have a confident stride? There's actually been a scientific study on this factor, although the results weren't as strong for gay women as for gay men. Here's the link: (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070911102649.htm)
After that, the way she interacts with people, especially around guys, then of course eye contact is crucial!

Parisa, in the tradition of Cawfee Tawk, I'll give you yet another topic - my mom wears a fanny pack on vacation and sporting events... Does that make her a dyke? Or has she just crossed the threshold into "older lady-dom"? I'll bring over my hairy legs, a bottle of Kahlua, and discuss.

and hit it all right. guess where i am from ;)?
but honestly, the pics are pretty old. germans may still look a bit fashion-backwards sometimes, but generally they tend to look better now.
although its still not a must for women to wear make-up - its not like in other countries, where a women without make up is making a statement (i.e. "I am a dyke" or "i am esotheric-natural") - i appreciate that. but it makes it harder for all you foreign dykes to have a clue with germans, hehe..

"The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it." Oscar Wilde

Every German instructor at my university has my gaydar flying off the ringer. Which is it? Are you gay, or are you just German? Turns out I did pretty good on the quiz. Hint: if they look like a dead-sure butch, but are wearing strappy sandals, it's usually a giveaway that they are German. Makes me wonder, though, about the acceptance of "female masculinity" in Germany, for both heterosexuals and queers... they come over here, and must think that most of the women are barbie dolls.

I think the quiz judges were wrong! The first woman is gay and totally in denial whereas the second one, they just took the pic and never asked her. She is such a German housewife!

I still don't know if I should feel offended by that quiz. Should I? Well, I don't. So there.

I got quite a few right, looks like my gaydar isn't as bad as I thought. Anyway, personally I find it difficult to spot lesbians because I like really femme girls but usually I just get this feeling and if they look back then I know for sure lol

Fauxhawks and fedoras.

Also, the way she stands can sometimes give it away.

...that I always second-guess, which is somewhat counterproductive to having a functioning 'dar.

Skate merchandise from Volcom, Hurley, Quicksilver, etc. Is a pretty diehard giveaway around here. Emo hair falls in that category, too. Better yet, just forget all of that. All you really need to know is whether or not she plays softball, XD.

www.fonfreaka.blogspot.com

the shoes and pants on the brunette was a dead give away...I don't know how I guessed the second one on you blog...it must have been a good guess...I did get that one and most of the others correct...but if they had just had images of their heads...I don't think I would have done very well...

What I don't notice is when they look at me...I was in New York several 13 years ago....and I was maybe 8 month pregnant...I was with this male friend walking in Chelsea...and he was freaking out at all the women at where looking at me...I was totally oblivious...perhaps it's becaue I'm bi-curious living a straight life...I blush and get palpitations when I see a cute butch girl...but...I've had women pinch my butt and make flirty remarks over the years...and it just totally goes over my head. Right now I have a terrible crush on a woman...( I feel like my brother..he once bought a painting so she would sleep with him...I own that now...I love it and the story..) But I am wanting to buy a piece of her work...because it is so amazing...but I can't get my brother's story out of my head...she keeps asking me to come to New York and stay with her and her partner...as she has a show coming up...and it's way too much for me to deal with...I'm a total loon.

I'm not totally femme. I think I'm a bit androgynous - sometimes I shop in the mens department and pair mens with women's clothing. Other times, I wear skirts and dresses but almost never wear heels unless they are boots with heels. Yet most mistake me for straight.

I think my gaydar is off. Most times I really can't tell. I flirt and hope for the best when someone catches my eye. Or I go to the local gay coffee shop, then I may have a chance of guessing right.

namaste

Parisa, you KILL me!!! I unfortunately missed the initial wave of Lesbian/German lady. I did follow your instructions and took the test before the read. I tanked a few, much to my dismay. I think you should interview the "butch sneer" chick. I am SURE she is a lesbian!!! Poor baby, maybe someone needs to set her free Parisa. I do not think it is necessarily a style issue. A butch is easy to spot. For the rest, I think body language is the best clue. A walk, posture a glance.... lesbians are trickier than gay men. Harder for us to do street scouting. It is easier when the ambiguous lesbians travel in groups. Park slope lesbians are easy targets, even when they leave their natural habitat as is the SF Les Bean....

xo

i'm a twenty something lesbian and i've noticed that my generation of dykes has a whole new uniform. if you go out to the club in rochester NY (where i live) you'll see a few different types of lesbians. first you'll notice the typical dykie girls with their clothes straight out of the men's department and their short cropped hair cuts. you'll also see a few of your traditional femmes with their mini dresses and heels. you'll def see a few of these types of ladies, but they def aren't the norm any more. i'd say the normal "hey i'm gay" uniform in my area is the girl who appears to be femme but wears guys clothes. like for example she's got long hair and wears modest makeup but then her straightened locks are topped off with some kinda hat. usually a fitted flat brim or an atheletic team hat or one that would be found in AE A&F or hollister. as for actual clothing she'd probably be found in stylish baggy jeans that hung just off her hips with boxer breifs on under them. then she'd be sporting some kind of trendy t-shirt usually with a thermal or something of the like underneath it. well depending on what time of year it is. if it was summer she'd be wearing guys shorts (most likely the plaid variety) skip the thermal and a t-shirt. these lesbians are a mix of butch and femme. they're girls that you could definitely identify as women, yet they wear styles that were produced for men.

oh and PS: if any of you ladies can identify this as your style don't be afraid to stop by my page and say hi ;)

i find that with most people gay legibility tends to be limited to more butch or androgynous women. from afar anyway, that's all my gaydar can really account for.

how to spot a gay femme? that's the tricky part.

and i maintain that the distinction between homo and hipster is getting harder to define. and that suits me just fine.

but there are def things that lezs wear that make them more "noticeable"
-biker jackets
-straight leg jeans..as opposed 2 the ones that hug ur thighs
-blazers, vests, suspenders
-hats....almost every butchy girl i kno wears a hat..fedora, cap, trucker hat, thoes (heath ledger-y(rip)knit hats.

Ok so the pretty red head in the middle of the Pulp play between the boobs, well she is straight. How do I know, well I used to work with her. Ha Ha.

Anyway, for me ah there are days that yes you could tell that i'm a lezzie, yet others I like my Michael Kors, Ann Taylor, Lauren, Donna Karen & such! Though being in the Cosmo industry I am around every possible woman, and usually I can tell with my gaydar; yet there are those that defy the lesbian code which I find fabulous! Fashion,Flair & Style....thats the kicker for me!

As with short hairstyles being fashionable for all women right now, the old give away is no longer. Yet mainly your FauxHawks and short cropped fades are still a facet of lesbian culture; yet with the "Shane" Hair otherwise known as the interpretation of Sally Hershberger's Shag Haircut. Whether or not they have some sort of wrist cuff, and usually some sort of tennis shoes like skater shoes or converse. Thats just what I have noticed

Be a Hair God!

I tend to notice hair and body modifications (tattoos/piercings) the most.. even though they're not fool-proof identifiers, there's a relatively high rate of accuracy. Brightly colored shoes that don't necessarily match the rest of their wardrobe (not in a bad way), spunky haircuts, or even just relaxed, low/no-maintanence hair, tomboyish/andro style in clothing. But then again, I usually notice a very specific type; kinda punkish, edgy people who don't necessarily adhere to the gendercasting of hetero society.

Clothes that look fresh from AE/Abercrombie/etc tend to leave me assuming that someone's straight, though I'm proven wrong time and time again.

Honestly, you can't really be sure just from appearances. "It's in the eyes!" thing is pretty much true. Eye contact and how they interact with you overall is a much better indication. In terms of body language, there seems to be a lack in some of the girlish daintiness, like you know they'd be okay if you shake them around a bit.

This is a really disjointed post. I'm pretty lame at organizing thoughts into words.

I feel that my "gaydar" is pretty reliable. Every so often I'm wrong, but that's OK. It is getting harder to tell anymore, especially with the youngsters. Even before I realized who I really was, I was a tomboy and thus dressed the part. I'm a country lesbian, who grew up on a ranch and have always had a rather androgenous look. With the young ones now, that is changing.