Gay men dress
What kind of clothes say I'm gay?
I don’t think there’s any particular brands of clothing that shout Hey, I’m gay!, but there are ways of wearing clothes that can get you tagged as organism gay, even if you aren’t.
Some examples:
An izod shirt (especially a pink one) worn with a sweater around your shoulders, knotted at the neck. Love this
This type of Austing Powers approach suit would probably say it.
Shoes worn with long pants, but no socks. Like this or This
Any kind of Italian Dress Sandals, especially if they’re worn with no socks.
Mesh Shirts
Daisy Duke Shorts, especially if they’re worn with work boots or hiking boots. Especially if the perform boots are steep heeled and lace up really high.
Capris pants on men (unless the human is from Germany, Holland or Denmark)
Dolphin shorts on men
Wearing an overly retro styled suit with super narrow legs (and huge pointy or squared off super shiny shoes) or wearing a suit that is slightly too small
Certain types of vests won in this manner especially if you are carrying a man bag that looks nothing like a napsack or backpack. Carrying your sack on the side of your shoulder, rather than over
Gay Men's Dress in the 1950s
For most gay men, the 1950s were characterised by the very real fear of exposure, blackmail and arrest. The police were conducting a virtual witch-hunt of gay men, exemplified by cases such as the Montagu trials. The legal position was such that dressing to announce one’s sexual preference could lead to the loss of job or home, and could even conduct to imprisonment. Therefore, most gay men followed the accepted dress rules of the day wearing "dark suits, three pieces, very quiet shirts." To the majority of gay men it was important to remain invisible. Clothes were conventional and only tiny signals were given to indicated sexuality, for example the wearing of a pinkie (little finger) ring or suede shoes (143).
Dudley Cave remembers the clothes he was wearing when he met his partner in 1952: "I was wearing grey flannels, a sport coat and an extremely butch belt, an ex-army belt, a tie. I wouldn’t own dreamt of going into town in those days without wearing a tie and usually a sports jacket. Bernard was wearing a suit. Generally speaking we kept our heads down and tried to avoid being seen as what we were." John Ha
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 1960s-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 few years ago, I had the chance to interview Frank Muytjens, then the top of menswear design at J. Crew. We talked about his design process, his love for vintage, and how he chooses which third-party brands acquire included in J. Crew’s much-revered “In Good Company” section, which is where many American men first get introduced to storied names such as Barbour a