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FASHION

Queer Fashion

Is there a dress code for the gay community? How is queer fashion different than fashion in general? Is there a difference at all? Is queer fashion about the clothes, or about the person wearing them? Is there a queer way to dress? or a recognizable queer aesthetic? Do queer designers make inherently queer clothes? Is rainbow the new black?

What is meant by queer fashion? In the media and at various public events, we are exposed to edgy clothing styles by such celebrities as RuPaul, Billy Porter, Lady Gaga, Harry Styles, Cara Delevingne, Troye Sivan, Ruby Rose, Todrick Hall, Janelle Monae, and others. Are these outfits exclusively queer?

Fashion, by definition, simply denotes the clothing styles and trends accepted by the majority of a culture at any given time. That said, style acceptation and expression can be different among smaller niche groups, whether it’s based on geographical location, age groups or other demographic segments. From a purely marketing perspective, queer fashion simply denotes fashion styles accepted and worn by the LGBTQ community at large. And certainly, within that community are smaller “fashion tribes” that subscribe to certain looks, or approaches to dress.

In terms of queer fashion, certain styles have emerged that have meaning beyond their functionality, or trends in general. Perhaps the most infamous is the pink triangle. Originally used by Nazis to identify queer people for the death camps, the pink triangle has now been adopted by queer people to represent queer identity. Additionally, the color pink has continued to be associated with gay culture, as well as lavender. After all, the color purple is the merging of blue and pink (typically associated with male and female), to suggest a more fluid gender and sexual identity. Other historical examples include suede shoes, shoelaces (rather than buckles), red neck ties and bleached hair. More recently, the idea of a queer haircut has emerged, especially for queer women.

Because queer people are typically forced to “come out” in a heteronormative society, part of this “coming out” process involves externalizing identity and eschewing clothing styles that previously felt constrictive. In a sense, queer people are subverting and/or rejecting the meaning of clothes given by a culture or community and investing clothes with new meaning. Subversion typically operates within accepted gender binaries. Examples might include a cis-female wearing a man’s suit, or a cis-male wearing makeup. Rejection predictably operates outside accepted gender binaries. Examples might include cis-males who keep a beard and wear makeup, or cis-females who wear a men’s suit and pair it with stiletto heels. These subversions and rejections can be evaluated in terms of societal norms on a whole, but can also be considered within the queer community itself. Certain styles of clothing, including butch or femme, denote the “tribe” a person considers themselves to be a part of, providing symbolic queer meaning that doesn’t exist in the greater fashion community.

Clearly, queer fashion operates as a subset of the larger fashion system. While queer style overlays with fashion trends in general, the queer community has historically adapted these trends to their own needs. While not as obvious, queer clothing can also be utilitarian, providing solutions to problems experienced primarily by queer people. And finally, clothes are given meaning by society in general, often with an intrinsic moral code built in. Queer people often must subvert or reject these meanings and find their own, often allowing for greater visibility, within subsets of the queer community.

[Source: Joshua Williams, Queer Cut, Nov 2018]

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Gay Fashion Icon André Leon Talley is Dead at Age 73

André Leon Talley, the towering former creative director and editor at large of Vogue magazine, has died. He was 73. Talley was an influential fashion journalist who worked at Women's Wear Daily and Vogue and was a regular in the front row of fashion shows in New York and Europe. At 6-feet-6 inches tall, Talley cut an imposing figure wherever he went, with his stature, his considerable influence on the fashion world, and his bold looks.

In a 2013 Vanity Fair spread titled "The Eyeful Tower," Talley was described as "perhaps the industry's most important link to the past." Designer Tom Ford told the magazine Talley was "one of the last great fashion editors who has an incredible sense of fashion history. ... He can see through everything you do to the original reference, predict what was on your inspiration board."

Designer Diane von Furstenberg praised Talley on Instagram, writing: "no one saw the world in a more glamorous way than you did ... no one was grander and more soulful than you were."

In his 2003 memoir, ALT: A Memoir, Talley focused on two of the most important women in his life: his maternal grandmother, Bennie Frances Davis and the late fashion editor Diana Vreeland. "Bennie Frances Davis may have looked like a typical, African American domestic worker to many of the people who saw her on an ordinary day, but I, who could see her soul, could also see her secret: that even while she wore a hair net and work clothes to scrub toilets and floors, she wore an invisible diadem," he wrote.

His relationship with Vogue started at Duke University, where his grandmother cleaned dorms; Talley would walk to campus in his youth to read the magazine. Talley was also a familiar figure to TV audiences, serving as a judge on America's Top Model and appearing on Sex and the City and Empire.

Raised in Durham, NC, Talley worked assorted jobs before arriving in New York in the 1970s, soon meeting Vreeland striking up a friendship that lasted until her death in 1989.

Talley worked as a park ranger in Washington, DC, and Maryland, where he told visitors about slaves who built Fort Washington and dressed up like a Civil War soldier, he told The Associated Press in 2003.

After stints with Interview magazine and Women's Wear Daily, Talley was hired at Vogue in 1983 by Editor in Chief Anna Wintour and was appointed its creative director in 1988. Talley released another memoir in 2020, The Chiffon Trenches, that included gossipy behind-the-scenes tales about Wintour and other fashion figures like the late designer Karl Lagerfeld.

Of all the elements of a person's apparel, Talley considered shoes to be most important. "You can tell everything about a person by what he puts on his feet," Talley told the AP. "If it's a man and you can see the reflection of his face on the top of his black shoes, it means they've been polished to perfection. ... If it's a woman and she's wearing shoes that hurt ... well, shoes that hurt are very fashionable!"

[Source: Associated Press, January 2022]

André Leon Talley, Fashion Industry Icon and Former Creative Director of Vogue, Dead at 73
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Ashley Biden Wears a Tuxedo on Inauguration Night

Ashley Biden rocked a tuxedo on inauguration night, and people on social media couldn't get over her bold, chic look. Inauguration Day was full of wonderful style moments, from Michelle Obama’s statement belt to Jill Biden’s ivory coat embroidered with US state flowers. But if there’s one inauguration look that’s really breaking the internet, it’s Ashley Biden’s unisex tuxedo.

The 39-year-old daughter of Joe and Jill Biden rocked a sleek tux on inauguration night, and onlookers were rightfully obsessed with the chic, unexpected look. Biden’s tuxedo is by Ralph Lauren, according to Harper’s Bazaar, and features a cropped cigarette pant and an open bow tie. The president’s daughter paired the effortlessly cool look with black stilettos and a high ponytail. By choosing Ralph Lauren, she subtly coordinated with her dad, who also wore a Ralph Lauren suit and overcoat on Inauguration Day.

While she may have had one of the breakout style moments of the inauguration, Biden generally keeps a low profile, rarely discussing her family in public. Biden confirmed that while she will not have a job within her dad’s administration, she will use her platform as first daughter to advocate for causes close to her heart, including social justice, mental health, education, and community development and revitalization.

[Source: Lindsay Lowe, Today, Jan 2021]

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Genderqueer Fashion

Genderqueer fashion is fashion among genderqueer people that goes beyond common style conventions that usually associate certain colors and shapes with one of the two binary genders. Genderqueer fashion aims to be perceived by consumers as a fashion style that focuses on experimenting garments based on people's different body shapes instead of following the restrictions given by gendered clothing categorization. Genderqueer style is characterized by the choice to not conform to gender norms assigned at birth. Its purpose is to redefine what is considered feminine and masculine.

This differentiation between gender norms through clothing became preponderant during the nineteenth century and it mainly involved different fabrics, trims and constructions for different genders. Those distinctions were meant to mirror gender roles in society as masculine clothing aimed to be practical while female fashion was perceived as purely aesthetic.

Therefore, there is a historical dimension to the association between fashion and gender identity. Nonetheless, gender expression today is recognized by the LGBTQ community as a very personal and subjective behavior. Genderqueer style is therefore intrinsically tied to identity, and as such, it includes a vast range of aesthetics.

According to contemporary criticism, gender becomes through fashion a form of body style which is a fundamental part of self-realization and presentation as it creates a bridge between individual identity and society. The genderqueer fashion style tries to recode this relation, although encountering several restrictions in the mass production of commonly binary goods.

There is an additional layer of risk for humans assigned male at birth who want to present feminine by wearing dresses and makeup, since the act itself is likely to attract unwanted attention. There's a material consequence to a male presenting feminine, and there's not a material consequence to a female presenting masculine. When a male wears lipstick, or puts on earrings, or wears a skirt, his entire reality shifts.

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Ariel Nicholson Makes History as First Transgender Model on Vogue Cover

Vogue’s September 2021 issue is making history. The US magazine chose eight models for the cover of the most anticipated issue of the year — including Ariel Nicholson, the glossy’s first openly transgender cover star.

The 20-year-old model posed alongside Anok Yai, Bella Hadid, Precious Lee, Kaia Gerber, Yumi Nu, Lourdes “Lola” Leon and Sherry Shi. Shot in Vogue’s World Trade Center office, the diverse array of models were selected to represent “Generation America” on the historic cover, ahead of September’s America-themed Met Gala.

Ariel Nicholson cheers along with the other catwalkers in the cover shot, wearing a bright green Christopher John Rogers sweater and matching polka-dot skirt by the same designer. And for her solo shot inside the mag, Nicholson sports a white floor-length Rick Owens gown covered in sequins, posing against one of Vogue’s floor-to-ceiling windows with the Oculus visible below and real Vogue staffers working around her.

“I’ve been put in this box, ‘trans model’,” Nicholson told Vogue. “Which is what I am — but that’s not all that I am.” She continues, “Obviously it’s a big deal being the first trans woman on the cover of Vogue. But it’s also hard to say exactly what kind of big deal it is when the effects are so intangible.”

Nicholson follows in the footsteps of Valentina Sampaio and Laverne Cox — the first trans models to cover Vogue Paris and British Vogue, respectively. At 13 years old, Nicholson starred in the PBS documentary “Growing Up Trans,” and she signed to DNA Models while in high school. Since then, she has posed for the covers of Italian Vogue and Love and walked for Marc Jacobs, Miu Miu and Calvin Klein — the latter after being handpicked by then-creative director Raf Simons for the honor, making Nicholson the first trans woman to walk for the American fashion house.

[Source: Nya Étienne, Page Six, August 2021]

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Harry Styles Did Not Invent Queer Fashion

Harry Styles made history as the first non-woman to appear on the cover of American Vogue, sparking a larger discourse on the nature of androgyny, masculinity, and gender fluidity in fashion. The popular opinion seems to be that he’s somehow revolutionized or “invented” gender-nonconforming fashion.

While I applaud him for defying gendered fashion norms, he is not the first to do so. Queer Black people (specifically trans-femmes) have been doing so for decades, Harry Styles is simply the most recent white man to do it — a.k.a. the most palatable. Centering whiteness in gender-nonconforming fashion is ahistorical and dismissive of the Black creatives who’ve spent decades being marginalized and dismissed for resisting gendered fashion norms in the same way that Harry Styles is being praised for.

There is a long, storied history of Black queer creatives pushing gendered boundaries in art, music, and fashion, only to have their legacies co-opted and popularized by white people. This leaves Black creatives to suffer the disenfranchisement that comes with queerness, without the mainstream recognition that their white counterparts get from co-opting the styles that come from Black queer culture. “Centering whiteness in gender non-conforming fashion is ahistorical and dismissive of the Black creatives who’ve spent decades being marginalized and dismissed for resisting gendered fashion norms in the same way that Harry Styles is being praised for.”

This is not to say that Harry Styles has done anything wrong — he’s brought unprecedented, mainstream attention to androgynous fashion; but with that attention, we should recognize the Black queer folk who originated and continue to innovate contemporary gender non-conforming fashion.

Modern queer fashion (specifically in America and Europe) was pioneered in ball culture as far back as the late 1800s. Balls are spaces where Black and Latine trans-femmes, nonbinary folk, and other queer people design original pieces to walk, pose, and perform in — one of the only spaces where they’ve been historically guaranteed acceptance, safety, and community. Ball culture is home to themed fashion runways, dance competitions, lip syncs, and a variety of other performances that bring queer communities together through creative expression.

In the ‘80s and ‘90s, ball culture became especially important to queer Black and Latine communities as they were disproportionately impacted by the HIV/AIDS epidemic, which further stigmatized queerness. During this time, maybe because of this hardship that made balls so necessary, ball culture as we know it today took shape.

Ballroom performers handcrafted extravagant, opulent designs as a way of exploring Black & Latine aesthetics imaginatively in a space that actually celebrated their queerness — escaping from a heteronormative world that stigmatized and criminalized them. Throughout its history, Black ballroom culture influenced popular Black performers through costuming and choreography including Prince, Little Richard, Janet Jackson, and many others — all of whom incorporated and celebrated the queer design and performance styles that come directly from ball culture. “Too often, when white celebrities wear androgynous fashion, they’re turned into the faces of gender-neutral fashion; whereas when Black people do the same, they’re critiqued fo being ‘too much’ or ‘too queer.'”

Despite this, the gender-neutral fashion that Black & Latine people pioneered continues to be whitewashed in an attempt to make queerness more palatable, marketable, and mainstream. Too often, when white celebrities wear androgynous fashion, they’re turned into the faces of gender-neutral fashion; whereas when Black people do the same, they’re critiqued for being “too much” or “too queer.”

Again, this isn’t to say that Harry Styles has done anything wrong or that he shouldn’t be celebrated, but we have to demand equal visibility for his Black contemporaries that are just as important to the fashion world. Queer Black celebrities and designers like Lil Nas X, Indya Moore, Telfar Clemens, Billy Porter, Angelica Ross, and many others are all revolutionizing and challenging the gender binary in fashion, and they deserve the same mainstream recognition that white celebrities like Styles are now getting. The fashion world owes a creative debt to nonbinary, queer, and trans-femme people of color who have always pushed gendered boundaries — and they deserve editorials, covers, and recognition for their hard-fought innovation.

[Source: Raymond Matthews, November 2020]

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Sandy Powell: Costume Designer

Sandy Powell, is a British costume designer who has been nominated for an Academy Award for a total of five times so far and is the winner of three of them. For her appearances at the 2020 Oscars, Sandy Powell showed up in a white suit and collected over 100 signatures, turning the suit into a work of art. After the signatures were collected and Oscar night had ended, the suit was put up for auction with the proceeds going to a good cause. Money earned for the suit was given to the Art Fund Initiative. The goal of the fundraiser was to raise £3.5 million. The suit itself sold for £16,000, which is certainly a lot.

She is an extremely talented designer. This can be seen in her extensive works in Caravaggio in 1986, The Last of England in 1988, Edward II in 1991, Orlando in 1992, The Crying Game in 1992, Wittgenstein in 1993, Being Human in 1994, and Interview with the Vampire in 1994. She also was the Executive Producer (and costume designer) for Wonderstruck in 2017.

Rob Roy (1995)
Michael Collins (1996)
The Butcher Boy (1997)
The Wings of the Dove (1997)
Velvet Goldmine (1998)
Hilary and Jackie (1998)
Shakespeare in Love (1998)
Felicia’s Journey (1999)
Miss Julie (1999)
The End of the Affair (1999)

Far from Heaven (2002)
Gangs of New York (2002)
Sylvia (2003)
The Aviator (2004)
Mrs. Henderson Presents (2005)

The Departed (2006)

The Other Boleyn Girl (2008)

The Young Victoria (2009)
Shutter Island (2010)

The Tempest (2010)
Hugo (2011)
Suspension of Disbelief (2012)
The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
Cinderella (2015)
Carol (2015)
How to Talk to Girls at Parties (2017)
Wonderstruck (2017)
The Favourite (2018)
Mary Poppins Returns (2018)

In 2009, she won three Academy Awards, two for Best Costume design and the other for Excellence in Period Film, for her work in The Young Victoria. In 2004, she won another Academy Award for Best Costume design for her work in The Aviator. In 1998, she won an Academy Award for Best Costume Design for her work in Shakespeare In Love. Still, in 1998, she won a British Academy Film Award for Best Costume following her work on The Velvet Goldmine.

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Gender Neutral Fashion Brands

There are a growing number of indie retailers offering a wide range of gender-neutral clothing. So where you can shop judgement-free, ethically and responsibly when it comes to gender-neutral clothing and are a good place to shop for androgynous clothes which fit female and male bodies. Among the more popular brands are Tomboy Toes, Agender, Skirtcraft, Dapper Boi, Flannel Foxes, and Gender Free World.

In the last few years designers like Gucci, Guess, and Zara announced their own gender-neutral clothing ranges. But it isn’t just a mere fashion statement. Gender-free clothing works in harmony with our own individual lifestyles.

Just because a woman is buying clothing in the men’s section, it doesn’t always mean she’s buying for her male partner or relative. You’d be surprised at how many women shop in that section for themselves simply because they like the styles, patterns or both. But the fit isn’t designed for those of us with hips or bigger busts.

How many times have you worn a ‘mens’ shirt, only to have the chest almost burst at the buttons because your bust was too big? How many times has the shirt been the perfect fit for your bust, only to not fasten at the bottom because your hips are apparently too wide?

Gender-free clothing isn’t a disposable trend like skinny jeans or Ugg boots. It’s an answer for people who don’t want to wear overly feminine patterns and cuts, because they just don’t express the wearer’s view of themselves. It’s more of a question of ‘fit’ rather than ‘fashion.’ The most important aspect of our clothes is that they fit men and women from all backgrounds. Call it ‘inclusive clothing,’ if you like, gender-free clothes are a way for us to express ourselves without fear of not fitting in, physically and mentally.

Emma Watson, the incredible actress and UN Women global ambassador, launched the HeForShe campaign and recently called for gender equality in the fashion industry. She spoke with world-class designers, including Stella McCartney and Bella Freud, on how they can help. Ms Watson commented, “I’ve seen some very positives steps towards equality, but I’d really love to see a more diverse representation of women and men, in any way that makes them feel empowered.”

This statement is of the utmost importance. If people don’t feel empowered and they’re not represented in the world then it can be so damaging. It’s so vital that the fashion industry produces role models for people who prefer gender-free clothing. People need to express themselves so they can be their true selves. GFW Clothing director, Lisa says "I wouldn’t feel like my true self in a pretty floral dress. This is nothing to do with sexuality, it’s to do with self-expression. I feel at my most confident wearing a well-fitting 'non-feminine cut' shirt. I feel like ‘me.'" People who shop for gender-free clothing tend to hold certain values. This includes demonstrating their individuality, breaking society’s stereotypes (not all women like pink and fluffy things!) and loving their own body. People from all over the LGBTQ spectrum, including heterosexual people, don’t want to conform to gender stereotypes - and they shouldn’t have to.

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Queer Fashion Changing Society

Queer style is systemically rooted in gender nonconformity and intrinsically tied to our identities. It dismantles limiting style rules that have been methodically employed as a means of symbolically and literally perpetuating restrictive binaries and oppressing freedom of expression. Queer style is a fashion revolution, one of the most stylish forms of protest of our generation. Fashion has historically been political, particularly for marginalized groups. From the flapper dress to the Zoot suit to Laverne Cox and Caitlyn Jenner gracing the covers of mainstream glossies, how communities and individuals express themselves through clothing can be a form of visual activism, even when that may not have been the original intent.

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The LGBTQ community is at the forefront of revolutionizing the way in which we look at garments in relation to our gender performance and expression. Queer style exemplifies the basic principle that style is a personal, curated, artistic reflection of who we are on the inside, and by fearlessly breaking norms, we have created a social movement that enables every member of our society to benefit from less restrictive, less oppressive ways of expressing ourselves.

Of course, the fashion industry is always looking for new markets and trends from which to generate profits, so queer style is "in" right now from an economic perspective. Fashion designers and media are feverishly trying to capitalize on the “gender neutral” and “gender ambiguous” trend. As noted in many fashion articles, “gender lines are blurring.”

This fashion trend features designers with gender-free labels capitalizing on fashion’s gender blur, the narrowing of the sexual divide bent on eroding the once rigid demarcation between conventionally feminine and masculine clothes. Some fashion experts attribute this phenomenon to a revival of ’60s and ’70s unisex trends, and give some credit to the growing visibility and success, both socio-politically and economically, of queer style.

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Queer-Led Fashion Brands

Though androgyny is a hot trend in mainstream fashion, and though the majority of start-up “queer style” brands are focusing on producing masculine attire, it must be noted that androgyny and masculinity do not fully represent queer style. Feminine queer fashion is radical and deserves space in the queer style narrative too, because it challenges the gender, racial, ethnic, cultural, age, and size beauty norms set forth by the fashion industry. Feminine queer style is all about reclaiming and redefining femininity. In some contexts, feminine queer style is being unapologetically feminine in response to pressures from queer-normativity and heteronormativity to present more masculine. In other contexts, it is about dressing how you feel inside and walking with pride in spite of potentially experiencing street harassment or violence.

Irrespective of whether the fashion industry recognizes queer style as profitable, legitimate, or trendy, queer style will remain political and will continue to flourish as a social movement.

[Source: Anita Dolce Vita, Advocate]

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Gender Fluid Fashion at the Oscars

Gender-fluid fashion was the real winner at the 2019 Academy Awards event. Stars like Billy Porter, Amy Poehler, Jason Momoa, Elsie Fisher, Awkwafina, Stephen James, and Sandy Powell were their authentic selves on the Red Carpet.

For years we got used to men’s red carpet looks as often boring. Everyone wears the same black tux. Women, on the other hand, bring glamour and beauty to award ceremonies but are often reduced to just those attributes.

These discrepancies bring to light the central problem of fashion: why are men and women’s clothing choices so different? Fashion is political. Feminist critiques of clothes would point out that women’s dresses put aesthetics above function or mobility, while men’s clothing is designed with purpose and not ‘prettiness’ in mind. These questions (of gendered clothing, sexual politics, and the like) have existed in fashion for a long time.

In the 1960s-1970s, as gender relations in the first world shifted, gender-fluid or androgynous fashion made its mark on the runway. ‘Modern’ women preferred practical clothing but the neutral fashion produced during this era often just put women in masculine clothes without changing men’s fashion. Now (after many decades) gender-fluid clothing has made a fierce comeback in the past few years. Recently, designers at prominent fashion shows have made clothing that can fit either sex and both male and female designs have evolved.

We live in an era with shifting ideas of gender expression, identity, and equality and fashion are changing dramatically. And the fashion statements on the red carpet are no exception.

[Source: Saira Mahmood, Tempest, March 2019]

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Andrja Pejic
Rain Dove
Katherine Moennig
Casey Legler
Agynes Deyn
Stav Strashko
Willy Cartier
Bradley Soileau
Feja Beha Erichsen

Miles McMillan
Tamy Glauser
Jaco van den Hoven
Cory Wade Hindorff
AzMarie Livingston
Teddy Quinlivan
Jaye Davidson
Jenny Shimizu
Omahyra Mota

Short History of Queer Fashion

1700s - Homosexuality was illegal in Europe, which led to the emergence of small and secret homosexual subcultures. Its members, known as mollies, would cross-dress in private to self-identify and attract partners. In public, though, there were secret dress codes that allowed gay men and lesbians to identify each other.

1890s - One of the century’s most influential writers, Oscar Wilde’s flamboyant sense of style was as much of an influence as his seminal works. His flowing hair, floral accessories, loosely tied collars, breeches and fur-trimmed overcoats spoke of his self-expression of dandyism, evolving with his personal and public image.

1920s - Women adopted menswear in rebellion against patriarchy. Movie stars like Marlene Dietrich played a major role in popularizing androgynous dressing styles. The Harlem “Drag" Balls also offered a space where people could privately wear clothing of the opposite gender.

1930s - As closeted gay couturiers such as Christian Dior, Pierre Balmain and Cristóbal Balenciaga rose in the fashion industry, they experimented with both idealized and transgressive styles. For example, Dior’s 1947 “New Look" was an exaggerated presentation of the idealized female form.

1950s - Women increasingly began to wear trousers, traditionally worn by men. Until the 1970s, the trouser also served as an identifier for lesbians, though not everyone adopted it. Some women preferred feminine clothing, playing a role in the emergence of the “butch" and “femme" identities.

1960s - Queer subcultures became more visible, especially in London’s Carnaby Street. Mod and hippie styles gained fame and men became more interested in fashion. Androgyny became part of the counterculture’s style language.

1970s - The Stonewall Riots of 1969 paved the way for a change in gay men’s fashion sensibilities. While the riots were started by transgender “street queens" such as Marsha P. Johnson, who opted for feminine styles, men opted for hypermasculine styles. Feminist politics also saw women moving towards “anti-fashion".

1980s - The AIDS crisis changed the way gay men consumed fashion, swapping hypermasculinity for subversive styles. Lesbians gradually shed their “butch" and “femme" binaries for new ways of dressing, influenced by different cultures.

1990s - Queer fashion extended its influence on the runway, especially when it came to subjects perceived as social taboos. French designer Jean Paul Gaultier, who had created his campy cone-bustier dress in 1984, went on to make skirts for men. Gianni Versace explored BDSM in his 1992 collection, Miss S&M

2000 Onwards - The new millennium looks beyond gender binaries. Principles of diversity and inclusivity have redefined LGBTQ style while also changing the contours of mainstream fashion. The idea of genderless clothing has prospered, starting with designers like Rick Owens, who has implemented it in his brand since 2002.

[Source: Shubham Ladha, Live Mint, Jun 2019]

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Meet Fran Dunaway and Naomi Gonzalez

From women's boxer briefs and loungewear, to comfy bras and bikinis, TomboyX is changing the game for good. Targeting queer, non-binary, and transgender customers, this lingerie company is nothing like Victoria's Secret. In fact, TomboyX has found success by going in the opposite direction. The queer, female-owned, gender-neutral underwear company tripled its income after introducing a boxer brief for women.

Founders Fran Dunaway and Naomi Gonzalez began their Seattle-based company in 2013 knowing little about the fashion industry, but wanted to make clothes that suited them as, well, tomboys. "I just wanted to find a cool button up shirt that would fit me," Dunaway says. "Store after store, rack after rack, there just wasn’t anything for me. At first, it was frustrating. Then it occurred to me. We had to make clothes for us, and, by extension, everyone that the fashion industry wasn’t serving."

A Kickstarter campaign brought in $76,000, allowing the women to start producing fitted polos and button up shirts. But it wasn't until the women’s boxer briefs blew up the following year that Dunaway and Gonzalez knew they found an untapped market. They soon shifted exclusively to underwear, loungewear, and sleepwear, producing super-comfy bras, bikinis, thongs, boy briefs, boxer briefs, hoodies, and pajamas. The clothing is for women, men, and those who identify as neither.

"Our customers are the reason we are here," Dunaway says. "Everything we do is with them in mind. From them, we hear how we’ve changed people’s lives, how they feel more confident and comfortable in their own skin than they ever have. We hear from teens who are trans and we hear from 70-year-old women."

With its growing success, which includes nearly three-dozen employees and $25 million in funding, Dunaway and Gonzalez hope to expand on TomboyX's inclusive credo. TomboyX is currently available in a huge variety of sizes, from XS to 4X. Dunaway and Gonzalez are working to expand that, and make their products available in 5X to 6X. The boxers and briefs work for both those with penises and those without. The company is also planning “packer” underwear specifically for trans guys.

The most important thing about the company, says Dunaway, is that its items are for everybody, or to be exact, every BODY: big, small, those with breasts, those without, boy, girl, or somewhere in between. This belief system is ingrained in the founders. “To be honest, we’ve never thought of ourselves as so-called 'women entrepreneurs,’” Dunaway adds. “We just happen to be entrepreneurs who are women, and it’s up to us to show the world that there is so much more to gender than say, pink and black, or belonging in this box or that.”

[Source: Neal Broverman, Advocate Magazine, May 2020]

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Femme One Day, Stud the Next Day

The more queer women recover from the femme/stud dichotomy, we are discovering a love for more fluid presentations in fashion.

A lot of lesbians and bi women have been categorized as “lipstick lesbians,” “femmes,” “studs,” or “stems” based largely on their fashion choices. Some people take pride in their labels, while others believe labels should be left for clothes. Either way, style isn’t necessarily always about dressing girly or butch. You can be girly or butch if you want to, but you don’t have to be. Some people find comfort in switching back and forth between traditionally masculine and feminine clothing. It can be a freeing and fun way to experiment with your wardrobe.

A dash of dapper. Buttoned shirt and tapered pants/shorts. This is a classic tomboy outfit that’s perfect for any time of year, especially in the summer with short sleeved cotton shirts. If you’re feeling a bit bolder, definitely go for vibrant prints in your buttoned shirts. Buttoning the shirt up all the way up (top-button swag) can also help elevate your look. White chucks or any other sneakers pair perfectly with this outfit too.

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Colorful/Patterned suits. Fitted suits are already a popular dapper trend, but reaching for a brighter color like red can definitely make you stand out. Different patterns like tartan or plaid can help you change up your style too. Bralettes and suits both match really well and are a different way to dress up. Three-piece suits are another classic.

A Touch of Femme. Midi-dresses and oversized shirts are comfortable in length and have a certain street style look when worn with sneakers. These outfits are simple, because the dress or shirt is the whole look. There’s also a large variety in the kinds of prints, patterns, and colors you can choose. If you have white sneakers especially, any dress can easily match with them.

Comfy Rompers or Jumpsuits. A summertime favorite for a reason, rompers and jumpsuits are also cohesive outfits that don’t require a lot of effort. If you stick to cotton or linen fabrics, you’ll be both stylish and comfortable. Feel free to play around with textures and patterns like chambray or stripes to fit your specific look too. These outfits can be paired with sneakers or sandals.

Keeping it Casual. Ripped Jeans and T-shirt. When it comes to casual outfits, ripped jeans and a T-shirt are a staple. Not only are they comfortable, but they’re also edgy in a subtle way. They’re super versatile too. You can dress them up with a formal top or formal shoes like oxfords, or you can keep it more casual with a baseball tee or simple colors. Any kind of shoes work with this outfit, but if you’re looking for a style upgrade, go for boat shoes or patterned slip-ons

Athleisure. When all else fails and you’re staring at your closet like you have nothing to wear, athleisure is the perfect go-to. Not only is it a popular trend, but you can wear this kind of clothing in any way you want. You can make it your own by choosing bright or neutral color schemes. Aside from color, you can mix patterns and go for a baggier or looser fit too. It’s a really stylish way to be comfortable.

[Source: Qwear, DNA Co.]

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Gender Fluid Fashion Trends

If two of the planet's biggest pop stars sign up for a fashion trend, you know there must be something going on. Rihanna posted a photo of herself on Instagram wearing a T-shirt by London-based fashion label Art School to her 76.8 million followers. Harry Styles released his video for Lights Up in which he wears a blue silk moire suit designed by Harris Reed, a long-time collaborator.

Art School and Harris Reed all classify as non-binary tags. Art School describes itself as "a non-binary queer luxury brand," while Harris Reed is "fighting for fluidity elegance." While there's a long tradition of trendy LGBTQ designers (McQueen and Lagerfeld among the most famous), they've been cis-identifying white men in particular. The fashion label of "non-binary" is new and relevant to a younger generation where more than one in ten millennials identifies as transgender or gender nonconforming. There is a handful of new fashion brands, ranging from One DNA to Riley Studio, offering everyone the same clothing, and where it feels out of date to split the style into gendered lines.

"Fashion used to be very linear. It was men's or women's, and you could never cross between the two," Preston Souza, chief of staff and buyer at The Phluid Project, the first gender-free clothing shop in New York, explained. "And what's nice is that these brands are being dismissed by Generation Z. Sixty percent of Generation Z will shop across gendered areas, evidence that these patriarchal constructs are slowly phasing out. "Younger stars like Billie Eilish, Yungblud and Lil Uzi Vert dress androgynously and talk openly about shopping between genders." "The women's section is way better than the men's section," Lil Uzi Vert said in an interview with GQ.

Mainstream fashion is a catch-up game. New York fashion week included 36 models identifying as transgender or gender nonconforming, while Pose actress Indya Moore was the first non-binary individual to be the Louis Vuitton campaign's head.

"It's not about a girl wearing a suit or a guy wearing a shoe, it's about feeling yourself and experiencing the vision and look," said Fader designer Christopher John Rogers, who dressed Michelle Obama, Lizzo and whose label won the coveted CFDA / Vogue Fashion Fund award. "It's about queerness when you completely reflect your unique complexities when you dress up."

"The next move is to avoid seeing gender fluidity as a phenomenon," says fashion and lifestyle blogger Ben Pechey, "but to see us as real people and to ensure more equality, protection and respect for the queer community."

[Source: Industry Global News, Nov 2019]

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Autostraddle: Queer Fashion Articles

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Info: Gender Expression

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Queer Fashion: More Than Just a Trend

Androgynous looks are being embraced by the mainstream fashion world, from male-inspired clothing for women to gender-bending models on the runway. But queer fashion isn’t just for looks. It’s a much larger social movement.

Anita Dolce Vita (DapperQ’s editor-in-chief) said that, while queer fashion is indefinable because it is specific to the individual, it is “systemically rooted in gender non-conformity. It is all about breaking gender binaries and redefining femininity, masculinity and everything in between and outside of."

Leon Wu (founder and CEO of Sharpe Suiting) also joined the conversation and said queer fashion is not a niche market. “In being queer designers, we have a specific look or a specific way we want our clothes to fit,” Wu said. “But I’m hearing also from cisgender folks as well as heteronormative folks that they like our clothes and they want to be able to embody masculinity and femininity on their own terms as well.”

Vita also pinpointed a subcategory of queer fashion for femme-identifying women who are “reclaiming and redefining femininity” in an attempt to challenge society’s constricting praise of masculinity. “Femme fashion to me is just unapologetically femme in its response to pressures from queer-normativity and heteronormativity to present more masculine and more androgynous,” Vita said.

While androgynous styles have been embraced by mainstream culture in the past, Vita hopes this time around it’s also reflecting people’s changing attitudes about gender identity and expression. “Queer fashion is not just a trend, but it is a lasting social movement and it’s a social movement that benefits everyone,” she said.

[Source: Kira Brekke, Huffington Post, Feb 2016]

Classic LGBTQ Fashion Designers

Giorgio Armani
Pierre Cardin
Christian Dior
Domenico Dolce
Stefano Gabbana
Perry Ellis
Karl Lagerfeld
Halston
Isaac Mizrahi

Yves Saint Laurent
André Leon Talley

Kenneth Nicholson

Alessandro Trincone

Ludovic de Saint Sernin

Patrick Church

Gianni Versace

Prabal Gurung

Michael Kors