Gay male style
The Caftan Chronicles
Hi Caftaners. Ugh, it’s a cold and rainy day in NYC! (I wrote this on Saturday…it’s actually MLK Time now.) And I have to move out in this mess later to see Pam Anderson in The Last Showgirl (postscript: I wasn’t crazy about it…didn’t think it was a wonderful script although Pam and Jamie Lee Curtis were great) and then to have a petite twirl with friends at the move party Harder. I’m glad I slept in this morning! As for the inauguration, I am taking my cue from Michelle Obama and squinching my eyes tightly closed, sticking my fingers in my ears and going “La la la la la!” (postscript: I spent exactly 10 minutes reading The New York Times coverage of the inauguration…and moved on.)
Recently, having wanted to do a Caftan fashion post for a while, I started wondering if there were any experts or historians of gay men’s fashion, and a little Googling brought me to Shaun Cole, 58, an associate professor of fashion at the Winchester School of Art in the UK. He actually published in a book called (and how could it not be called this?) Don We Now Our Homosexual App When J. Crew debuted their Liquor Store ten years ago, they transformed an after-hours watering hole into a menswear-only boutique laden with s-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 chief of menswear design at J. Crew. We talked about his design process, his love for vintage, and how he chooses which third-party brands obtain included in J. Crew&#;s much-revered &#;In Good Company&#; section, which is . .Straight Copying: How Gay Fashion Goes Mainstream