7 minute read
LGBTQ + Fashion
from Fall 2022
LGBTQ +
FASHION
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According to Satorial Magazine’s A History of Queer Fashion, Oscar Wilde wore a green carnation on his lapel to symbolize his queerness in the 1890s. Once this was known, the green carnation became a secret symbol to identify oneself to others and is something that would eventually spread through Queer fashion. Fashion has been used not only for people in the community to express themselves, but to separate themselves from others.
Sartorial magazine also talks about members of the LGBTQ+ community using certain accessories or style to communicate to one another of their sexuality; it is a way for the in-crowd to signal one another without the rest of the world knowing. According to Queer Cafe, a website about Queer history, individuals in the 1970s used different colored bandanas to signal sexual preference. Hope Pringle, a Theater major with a focus in costume design and a minor in Apparel Design, has known since she was a child that she wanted to become a fashion designer, being introduced to the industry through her grandmother teaching her how to sew quilts. Pringle says cosplay sparked her interest even more and is how she got into creating costumes. She talks about coming into her own identity and how fashion played a huge role in it. “I realized I tend to prefer femininity in a masculine way, so think fashion icons of the past like Marlene Deietrich, where you have very feminine, very beautiful traditional Hollywood Starlit but she’s wearing a well fitted tail coat and suit,” Pringle says . Pringle explains that she uses fashion as an outlet to help herself stand out. “I have bright red lipstick on, I know I’m hot, keep your eyes over here. It’s also kind of a way to signal to others,” Pringle says. Attaci Herbert is a junior majoring in Art with a focus in photography who recently began to use fashion as a form of identity and expression, mentioning how growing up they were not able to explore their identity as much as they could. Herbert remembers their style being more tomboy-like and stealing their dad’s flannels to feel more comfortable, it was until after Herbert moved out that they were able to find their sense of style. “I recently realized that I am gender queer, which just means I dont really conform to the binary of male or female, there is many different genders and I’m also a demi girl which also means I identify partially as female,” Herbert says. After getting a sense of who they were, Herbert was then able to wear clothing that more accurately aligned with that identity. Herbert uses their fashion to defy traditionally gendered clothing by wearing rings, eclectic earrings, chokers and other things people would associate with being more masculine like a button up suit, or a blazer.
story by Milenne Quinonez photos by Jakob Burnham design by Makayla Zayic
HOPE PRINGLE
- MATTHEW SOLOMON
IMPORTANT, IT’S LIKE REALLY “The chokers came a lot recently after I got my first choker it had the lesbian flag in it, wearing that made me feel super valid in my identity, it was like a small thing but to me it AN UNDERRATED TOOL IN meant the world,” Herbert says. According to Matthew Solomon, a writer for the human rights organization Outright International, “Flags have always been an integral part of the LGBTIQ community. FITTING IN OR STANDING They are a visible representation of identity that people use in celebration, in protest, or even as a casual adornment.” Currently, Outright International recognizes that there are a total of 12 different official OUT- IT WILL INFORM SO pride flags. Jessica Berkey, a sophomore majoring in Physics, describes her sense of style as being very gender neutral. Berkey says she enjoys wearing things that don’t match and MUCH ABOUT HOW SOMEONE have bold patterns. But no matter what she wears, she always includes the same hat and bow tie. These two pieces of clothing have become a part of her everyday style since middle INTERACTS WITH YOU,” school, and anyone who has known her for a long time can identify her from her accessories. Berkey occasionally enjoys wearing more masculine clothing by pairing a suit with her bow tie, and enjoys when - JESSICA BERKEY others perceive her more masculine since she is gender fluid and depending on her mood her clothes represent that. “I think that fashion is so important, it’s like really an underrated tool in fitting in or standing out- it will inform so much about how someone interacts with you,” Berkey says. Isaac Olson, a junior double majoring in Musical Theatre and Sociology, struggled with body positivity and now uses clothes to reclaim his body and his confidence. Olson grew up in a small conservative town and didn’t have the space to fully express himself. He finally began to feel comfortable in his body and sense of style when he attended CWU.
“While I am male presenting, I do typically wear feminine clothes IMPORTANT, IT’S LIKE REALLY or I shop in the feminine section. A lot of my clothing I wear a lot of crop tops or I really enjoy mesh shirts,” says Olson. Olson usually enjoys wearing makeup like eyeshadow and false lashes. When he goes out, he enjoys dressing up and showing people that gender is fluid, that people can dress how they want. AN UNDERRATED TOOL IN “A lot of what I’ve been doing with my style and a lot of what I’ve been doing with my social media presence is just breaking down gender boundaries and showing how much of a social construct gender is.”
Defining your sense of style is an important part of who we are, our styles are constantly changing to fit our identity and how we want others to perceive us, which is why fashion plays a key role in the LGBTQ+ community. Their style is a way to show the world they are comfortable in their own identity.
