Part V: Heteronormativity in Men's Fashion

When you tell someone you’re passionate about fashion, especially as a straight, Midwestern bro-ey-looking-dude, people look at you funny.  As someone who’s been surrounded by this subculture for a long time (by internet standards, that is), I feel as though I’m a bit biased in saying this, but here it goes: I, Zane R. Anderson, truly believe there is no such thing as heteronormativity in the world of men’s fashion. Within the community, I have witnessed zero incidences of blatant heteronormative behavior or even homophobia, but I feel as if the looking screen between fashion-conscious individuals and their opposites is not a one-way glass. I believe that, to an outsider looking in (and I think I’m making up a word here), men’s fashion is just the opposite: Homonominative. (Say that ten times fast.)

You see, as someone that is even remotely versed in the current fashion climate, it’s easy to spot someone else that’s in the same headspace. Spotting and striking up a conversation with a dude I don’t know in a garment I align with on an aesthetic level is one of the coolest conversations I could have, and just as luck has it, that happens to me about once a week. Often, it starts with me being all weird and in their face: “Hey man, that jacket looks really sick, those soft shoudlers are beautiful.” Etc. etc… but one thing that’s never once come up organically is the subject of sexual orientation.  One of the most intriguing parts of menswear subculture is this: Nobody really gives a shit if you’re gay, dude. Nobody in this community is going to call you (a gay male) a hateful, uncalled-for name... unless your outfit is struggling! The second one of my friends catches me slipping in something even I don't have confidence in, that dude will make sure I don't hear the end of it until I learn to hate the garment that unknowingly stepped into the red-headed-stepchild role of this family:outfit analogy. The most important tid-bit of menswear culture is this: your race, creed, color, ethnicity or upbringing are never things that will be maliciously brought into the conversation. Those things will be ignored; think less Fashion Week Backstage, more dive bar mixed with hockey locker room.  This brings us to the idea of Masculine Elegance, and the differentiation between it and femininity.