Gay fashion 80s
Pride and Style: Tracing Same-sex attracted Fashion in Menswear History
Have you noticed that some fashion trends are only perceived as &#;outdated&#; because it&#;s proclaimed by someone else? Menswear fads manage to dip in and out of fashion as fast as the wind blows. However, that doesn&#;t mean you should cease wearing your favorite shirt or jeans because it&#;s not &#;in &#; fashion. Thanks to the Gay community, we&#;re constantly reminded that social stigmas shouldn&#;t dictate the way we dress, either. Instead, menswear should be a celebration of your own personality, whether that be with gay outfits, crop tops, or wide-leg pants.
More importantly, queer influences have played a significant role in shaping men&#;s fashion trends over the decades. From the flamboyant styles of the s to the gender-fluid looks of today, gay clothing trends are constantly challenging how we define masculine style. We&#;re already noticing Gen Z embracing more gender-fluid styles commonly found at gay fashion stores like Differio, such as the &#;femboys&#; on Tiktok rocking nail polish and pleated skirts
Gay in the 80s
For as extended as I can remember &#; and long before I even thought of myself as male lover &#; I&#;ve heard tales about how people signal their sexual preferences. In my &#;pre-gay&#; being these were very mild; for example, wearing an earring in your left ear or a ring on your little finger meant you were gay.
But then as I entered the scene I began to learn about &#;the hanky code&#;. I really can&#;t recall too many details of what each one meant: my self-esteem was already so low I didn&#;t want to reduce my chances of getting laid even further by specifying what type of sex I preferred! Having said that, I did wear a security pin from adorable early on to signal that I was into guarded sex. Indeed, at one point I had a six inch long red safety pin stuck through a button hole in my denim jacket!
Anyway, I recently came across this explanation of the various sexual signals, courtesy of the Pleasure Chest in West Hollywood. For someone who only got as far as &#;Right means passive and Left means active&#; this is some extraordinary menu. For example, who would have kno
Straight Copying: How Gay Fashion Goes Mainstream
When J. Crew debuted their Liquor Store ten years ago, they transformed an after-hours watering hole into a menswear-only boutique laden with s-era references to traditional masculinity. Dimly lit rooms were covered in plush leather chairs, oriental rugs, and wood paneling. In the corner of one area, a bookshelf was stacked with Strand-issued classics &#; Kerouac, Hemingway, and Cheever among them. Thick cashmere cardigans were draped over Globetrotter suitcases; striped rep ties rolled into lowball glasses. In another area, J. Crew showcased their collection of Red Wing heritage work boots. Once made for loggers, carpenters, and longshoreman, the preppy clothier has since helped mainstream these blue-collar styles into white-collar offices.
A limited years ago, I had the chance to interview Frank Muytjens, then the head of menswear design at J. Crew. We talked about his design process, his love for vintage, and how he chooses which third-party brands get included in J. Crew&#;s much-revered &#;In Good Company&#; section, which is
These Photos Capture the “Gay Paradises” of s America
Art & PhotographyIn Their Words
As his new book is released, Nicholas Blair talks about capturing the heat and hedonism of the queer communities in s San Francisco and Recent York
TextMadeleine Pollard
In the slow 70s, gay life began to spill out onto the streets of San Francisco’s Castro District, rapidly eclipsing the hippies as the most visible counter-culture movement of the afternoon. People came to notice and be seen, tease, cruise, and congregate in public as a group. “It was this outburst of pent-up celebration,” says Nicholas Blair, who was living in a free-love arts commune across town at the time. “It felt like the door of tolerance was opening and people were leaning in, hard, to stay as their true selves.”
With a Leica rangefinder camera loaned to him by a childhood friend, Blair walked through this so-called “gay paradise”, capturing everything from the mundane to the profane. He photographed individuals dressed head-to-toe in fetish gear, others who preferred to communicate in more subtle codes and