Lecture 17: Gay Men's Fashion - A Historical Excursus Flashcards
(28 cards)
How was fashion used historically by homosexual people?
As a way to communicate their sexual orientation while living underground.
What were Molly Houses and when did they appear?
Proto-gay bars in 18th-century London where men wore women’s clothing.
Who was an important figure in gay fashion during the late 1800s?
Oscar Wilde.
What style did Oscar Wilde’s fashion reflect?
The Aesthetic movement – clean lines, fine fabrics, long hair, luxurious silk stockings.
What flower became a gay symbol thanks to Oscar Wilde?
The green carnation.
What was Ball Culture and when did it become significant?
Masquerade balls as a refuge for queer people; significant by the 1900s.
What accessories were gay men identified with in the early 1900s?
Red neckties and suede shoes.
Who was Tom of Finland and what did he create?
Touko Laaksonen, a Finnish artist who depicted muscular, masculine gay men.
Where were Tom of Finland’s drawings published?
In Physique Pictorial magazine in the 1950s.
What was Vince and why is it significant?
A Soho menswear shop opened in 1954 by Bill Green; sold “gay fashion” including sexy underwear.
What did John Stephen’s store “His Clothes” influence?
The boom of shops on Carnaby Street and the mod fashion phenomenon.
What sparked the rise of the Clone look?
A response to heterosexual men exploring style; gay men adopted a masculine “uniform”.
What were the staple items of the original Clone uniform?
Levi’s 501 jeans, tank undershirts, plaid work shirts, leather jackets, tan boots, and baseball caps.
What unique accessories did Clone fashion use?
Keys clipped to pants to indicate sexual preference; single pierced ear; handlebar moustache.
What did the Clone look signify?
Both a recognition signal among gay men and a sexualized, hypermasculine aesthetic.
What was the Mattachine Society?
One of the first U.S. homosexual organizations, founded in 1950 in LA.
What was the Daughters of Bilitis?
The first U.S. lesbian civil and political rights organization, founded in 1955 in San Francisco.
What sparked the Stonewall Riots?
A police raid on the Stonewall Inn in NYC on June 28, 1969.
What impact did the Stonewall Riots have?
A catalyst for the gay rights movement in the U.S. and globally.
What was ACT UP and who co-founded it?
A militant AIDS activist group co-founded by Larry Kramer in 1987.
What fashion element became central to ACT UP?
Graphic T-shirts with political messages like “Silence = Death”.
What symbol was featured on ACT UP shirts and what was its origin?
The pink triangle, referencing badges worn by gay men in Nazi camps.
What was the look of the new ACT UP Clone?
A mix of punk, biker, and skinhead styles – body conscious and political.
Why did some activists shave their heads?
In solidarity with people who lost hair due to AIDS or chemotherapy.
