70s gay fashion
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In particular, we see queer women in 1910-1930 challenging expectations of femininity by incorporating traditionally masculine clothing into their style—sporting trousers, tailored suits, and short haircuts.
This movement was later popularized in more mainstream circles by designers such as Coco Chanel, who took inspiration from menswear by incorporating blazers, pants, and loose-fitting garments that allowed women to move more freely.
In particular, he mentions the 19th century idea of a virile individual in communion with nature that is expressed in literature by Henry David Thoreau, Walt Whitman, and Mark Twain, and in figurative art by Thomas Eakins.
Following a similar intention, some pictures illustrate the gay street fashion of men hanging out in Castro, revealing a great deal about gay subculture.
It became less about gay men’s clothing stereotypes and more about what you wanted to wear as an individual. Who could forget Elton John’s colorful sunglasses, or Freddie Mercury’s outrageous jackets? The obviously bored reply is a very detailed one: “A light blue hanky in your left back pocket means you want a blow job; right pocket means you give one.
From Kurt Cobain to RuPaul, there was a wide range of menswear icons that brought edge and attitude to everyday streetwear. Adopting the rigorous documentary approach of the New Objectivity, the German photographer famously spent decades, from the early 1920s to his death in 1964, taking an exhaustive visual record of German people, from beggars to industrialists.
If the origins of some of these are almost cliché, like the “cowboy prototype,” some others are less immediate. Thus began the introduction of "camp," a style characterized by its boldness and over-the-top flair, which came to define queer aesthetics T the time. This was the era when Queer Eye for the Straight Guy debuted, which ultimately changed the landscape of men’s fashion for the better.
For instance, Fischer links a “natural prototype,” illustrated by an attractive naked man surrounded by conifer, with the American folk tradition. Thanks to the LGBTQ+ community, we’re constantly reminded that social stigmas shouldn’t dictate the way we dress, either. The green one: left side says you’re a hustler; right side you’re a buyer.
Thanks to such pop culture references, there was a greater acceptance of non-conformity in men’s fashion.
100 Years of Queer Fashion
Queer fashion is more out in the open today than it ever was before. A further sign of a resurgence of interest in Fischer’s work is the recent music video for the song House of Air by Australian musician Brendan Maclean, which went viral on YouTube before it got removed. (Please note this video is NSFW.) The clip unapologetically borrows Fischer’s aesthetics, adding color — both literally and metaphorically — to it.
A series of portraits of men exemplifying what Fischer calls “archetypal gay images” is also included in the show.
Many of us have seen the iconic makeup sported by queer celebrities such as RuPaul and have seen popular artists such as Chappel Roan publicly paying tribute to the historical queer figures that have inspired her drag apparel, so it is hard not to wonder: How did these looks originate?
In this article, we review the history of queer fashion over the past century, and how this has led to the world of queer-inspired looks that we see today.
1910-1930: The Rise of Androgynous Fashion
At the start of the 20th century, androgynous fashion rose to popularity in queer circles as a bold statement against the traditional gender norms that surrounded them at the time.
There are even gender-fluid stars like Bad Bunny and Harry Styles that are inspiring a new wave of self-expression and male empowerment. Puzzled by a display of colored handkerchiefs, he asks a sales assistant what they are for. Using these looks as symbols of an anti-establishment resistance, this movement was intended to be unapologetically gritty–rejecting capitalism and its role in the mainstreaming of their culture.
At the same time, the Club Kid movement rose to fame in the nightlife scene in urban areas such as New York City.
Cabarets became havens for this aesthetic expression, further cementing its place in queer fashion history.
1940-1960: The Camp Revolution and the Beginning of Drag
By the mid-20th century, amid the increased repression that queer communities faced during the post-war years, fashion evolved into a much stronger form of resistance.
We just can’t get enough of queer celebrities like Billy Porter and Jaden Smith. Menswear was an overload of bold colors, tight-fitting silhouettes, and extravagant accessories. Club Kids used fashion as a form of extreme self-expression, with wild makeup, stand-out costumes, and gender-bending attire that blurred the lines between fantasy and reality.
Instead, menswear should be a celebration of your own individuality, 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.