Queer Fashion’s Shift into the Mainstream
Fashion is a rite of passage for Queer people.
Fashion is a rite of passage for Queer people.
Fashion has a huge presence in the Queer community. Despite a long history of marginalization in the fashion world, the Queer community's ideas and perspectives have a big stake in developing and preserving the category of camp. It has always been bold and daring and there has been an uphill rise in recent decades. When it comes to mainstream fashion, the Queer community is not always thought of as mainstream, even though they have developed some of the most notable trends and designs that have allowed queer expression to be celebrated. But as Queer spaces continue to impact the fashion industry, cisgender straight people have started to infiltrate the space.
Fashion is a rite of passage for Queer people. It is a tool commonly used for one’s self-expression. Different groups within the Queer community have their own sense of style and trends that make them identifiable to each other. People of varying identities within the community will often gravitate towards these defining styles. For example, many young transgender women will choose to dress with a Y2K style. Not being able to live out the childhood they wanted, they can emulate the style they loved as a kid but were not able to take on for lack of support or security. Another example is the big lesbian presence and influence in both the skater girl look and cottage core aesthetic. The majority of women skaters in the Queer community are lesbians, and they have incorporated their culture into shaping the skater look. Skating is also a great opportunity for the Queer community to meet new people. With the cottage core lesbian aesthetic that has become highly popularized by TikTok, it has been able to reestablish and modernize elements of its past clothing styles. The cottage core aesthetic takes influence from the European countryside lifestyle and takes comfort in the idea of having a
“simple life.”
Queer identity has made a significant impact on mainstream fashion. Through the years, many influential designers identify as being Queer, such as Marc Jacobs, John Galliano, Gianni Versace, and Thierry Mugler. Queer people, especially gay men, have been dictating fashion for decades. A recent example of Queer influence is the Heaven clothing line by Marc Jacobs. The influences of queer style and thinking can be seen in clothing designs. Various fashion campaigns feature Queer models. It’s a way of acknowledging the influences of the Queer community within the fashion industry. Each fashion collection involving Queer influence is over the top, trendy, and overall stylish. This is a reason why Queer fashion has become so popular among consumers, especially Gen Z ones.
Within the Queer community, there are some mainstream fashion items that serve as statement pieces of expression. Pit Vipers sunglasses are an example of one Queer coded look gone mainstream. They are big and flamboyant, which would usually be associated with Queerness, due to the exaggerated quality of them. However, in recent years, straight frat boys and camo-wearing hunters have been observed wearing them. When thinking of a pair of big fluorescent chromatic sunglasses, I typically picture them being worn at a Lady Gaga concert, paired with a bodysuit and torn fishnets. These sunglasses are typically associated with a boy dressed in cargo shorts in a cishet dominated space. In instances like this, the Queer community is not being credited for fashion contributions and that poses a problem. When trends within the Queer community become mainstream, it makes it harder to identify who is Queer and who isn’t. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It can just be more difficult to find your people. Cishet straight people are increasingly taking from Queer fashion,
while discrediting its influence. There is also the issue of intentionally Queer-fishing. It makes it harder for people to decipher whether someone they are attracted to is also part of their community, or simply partaking in its trends and forms of expression. This can cause issues when it comes to dating and relationships. One example is when a straight man wears more feminine clothing pieces and accessories, such as pearl necklaces and painted nails, to make themselves seem more approachable and possibly bisexual to girls. This is problematic because they appear to be part of the Queer community when they intentionally use it for their own personal benefit.
Finding and identifying those within your community is very important for Queer people, especially young ones. Being queer can be difficult and not everyone feels accepted. Exclusion within the fashion community only worsens that feeling. Being able to find solace in other Queer people is vital to the community. Queerness and its influences should be recognized and celebrated, as this is needed to improve the treatment of such an important community on a wider scale, and not just on a superficial level.
Jolie Vega — October 24th, 2022
