( CNN ) -- All Katherine McMillan wanted in a shoe was style and comfort without the frilly bows or flowers . She 's a working mother who tends to buy men 's shirts in small sizes and prefers the kinds of casual shoes made for men -- desert boots , moccasins , chukkas . She 'll take a pair of shoes or a jacket in olive green or navy blue over lavender or aqua any day . `` I think a lot of my friends would agree that we do n't want to look like an Easter egg when we go out , '' said McMillan , who lives in Minneapolis , Minnesota . `` I 'm all for feeling like a girly-girl but there are ways to do it without being a French poodle . '' Do n't get her wrong , she likes high heels and dresses , but not in pink . So when she could n't find a pair of shoes she liked , she decided to make her own . Hers are desert boots , moccasins and chukkas made of leather and suede with a kelly green lining to distinguish them from what the guys wear . She launched her made-to-order collection in fall 2011 under the name Mrs. P. Hicks , a nod to Pierrepont Hicks , the successful menswear accessories brand she and her husband , Mark McMillan , created in 2009 . He runs the business while she is the creative force behind Pierrepont Hicks ' collection of neckties , pocket squares and bow ties , which has earned a devoted cult following among menswear bloggers and the people who read them . For Mrs. P. Hicks , McMillan is designing for women who blur the line between masculine and feminine , who gravitate toward styles traditionally associated with men : flat shoes with wide lasts , unembellished blouses and button-up shirts , unstructured sweaters and blazers , jeans and pants lacking unnecessary studs , embroidery or whiskering . `` It 's tomboy style , but that does n't mean it 's not feminine or sexy , '' McMillan said . `` I think you feel sexy and stylish when you 're wearing something you 're comfortable in . '' These looks have always been around , cycling in and out with the seasons , but the latest signs show they 're more than just a momentary fad . Women are looking for shoes , shirts , even neckties that fit them better than their boyfriend 's clothes . Also , brands are popping up to meet those demands , from the artisanal approach of Mrs. P. Hicks to mass-market retailers like Madewell and J . Crew , which have been widely credited with giving `` tomboy '' fashion broad appeal . It 's easy to forget the time before J . Crew or `` boyfriend shirts , '' times when `` nice girls '' did n't leave home in pants . Katharine Hepburn and Diane Keaton were trailblazers , female fashion icons whose neckties and pants drew stares . Modern style mavens Alexa Chung and Jenna Lyons show `` tomboy chic '' is more than a passing fashion , said Lizzie Garrett Mettler , creator of the popular `` Tomboy Style '' blog . Just as modern American women have won the right to vote and compete for the same jobs as men , it 's nothing special for them to dress up in jeans or don a blazer . A tomboy is more than a girl in boy 's clothing , Mettler says in her blog ; it 's someone with an `` inherent sense of confidence , rebelliousness and adventure . '' It 's part style , part substance . As brands continue to adapt traditionally masculine styles for the female form , `` the new statement on tomboy style is that it 's here to stay , '' said Mettler , author of the 2012 book `` Tomboy Style : Beyond the Boundaries of Fashion . '' Designer Sadie Beaudet was also drawn to menswear , but she did n't like the boxy fit on her body . She also did n't like how women 's fashion was pulled from the racks one season and tossed a few months later , while menswear often had a timeless quality that never fell out of season . With her fiance , she started Tradlands , a line of tailored women 's shirts that incorporate masculine features , she said . It 's a small collection of eight button-up shirts with a higher collar that does n't necessarily lend itself to an exposed collarbone ; the shirts have side gusset detail typically found in the workwear of the 1940s for reinforcement and brass snaps . All of their shirts are made in San Francisco , using denim and cotton sourced from the United States . `` We 're trying to walk that line with a dash of feminism in the fit but clearly masculine in the details , '' she said . Even the necktie is getting a feminine overhaul . What makes a lady tie ? The fabric and the width , naturally , said Nashville designer Otis James . His hand-stitched ties have earned him nods from publications like GQ and Garden and Gun . When the 29-year-old designer realized that many of his customers were women buying for their significant others , he decided to start creating products they might want for themselves . `` I 'm hoping maybe they 'll bring in more single women , '' James said , mostly joking , in an interview in his Marathon Village studio last month . `` I think there 's definitely a market for them . '' Not everybody is comfortable with the word `` tomboy . '' Some say the spirit of progressiveness has rendered the term archaic . When Carmela Spinelli hears the word `` tomboy , '' a particular look comes to mind : Strong , independent , rebellious . But the chairwoman of the fashion and accessories design department at the Savannah College of Art and Design said the description might need an update . `` To use a term that includes the word 'boy ' to describe a state of independence and free-thinking for women seems kind of backward , '' Spinelli said . `` The boundaries have changed . Women are strong and independent and have no sense of preciousness , so why would you use a term like tomboy to describe that ? '' Perhaps it 's because of the style 's close ties to menswear . McMillan 's Pierrepont Hicks is better-known , but Mrs. P. Hicks is her passion project . ( Plus , she gets to keep the samples , she said . ) From the start , McMillan and her husband decided to keep their products made in the United States . That was n't hard to do with neckties and pocket square , but it proved much more difficult for women 's shoes , because so few manufacturers were equipped to do what she had dreamed up . McMillan ultimately partnered with Maine-based mens ' shoe maker Rancourt and Co. , one of few shoemakers in the United States who specialize in classic men 's styles similar to the ones she wanted . For her moccasins , she found another family-owned business in rural Minnesota . With Mrs. P. Hicks approaching the two-year mark , McMillan said she has finally hit a groove and found a market . `` We even get orders from men now , '' she said . `` They say they like the green interior . '' Follow Emanuella Grinberg on Twitter .
Katherine McMillan wanted stylish shoes without the frills , so started making her own . She 's designing for women who blur the line between masculine and feminine . Tomboy style is no longer a passing fad , `` Tomboy Style '' blogger says . Some say the term tomboy is outdated .