Gay fashion codes

The hanky code has most often been associated with gay and bisexual men, though it doesn’t belong to just them. Flagging is a way of communicating basic information without needing to speak. The versatile bandana can be found in all the colours of the rainbow and years before Gilbert Baker designed the rainbow flag, the most recognised symbol of the queer community, some were already flagging.

This was a universal recognition signal. Femme invisibility is the term for what feminine-looking queer women experience when they try to convince other lesbians that they are, in fact, queer. The one potentially fatal flaw of the finger-flagging system is the two-toned approach to nails has become a larger, mainstream trend among straight women as well.

Femme invisibility is the term for what feminine-looking queer women experience when they try to convince other lesbians that they are, in fact, queer. Queer fashion, then, is a secret conversation carried in the details, a map of belonging drawn in stitches and hues.

When worn on the left side you were recognised as a top, and right side, bottom. Gray, for bondage. These codes are more than style — they are survival, solidarity, and celebration all at once. She adds, “Freed from the rigors of dress codes, these women worked as custodians, postal workers, or mechanics, and needed easily accessible keys.” 3.

Black, blue, red, purple, and many other colors of. In a time where a discreet means of finding other queers and a means of quickly identifying interests was needed, bandanas or hankies which were readily available in a variety of colours and prints. They are self-labelling devices, material imbued with meaning, intended to provide enough information for cruising parties to determine the likelihood of an erotic match.

While it initially started with only a few colours, an expanded array of specialty colours and coded objects were developed to convey, what are in many cases equally obscure sexual practises. This was when Mr. S Leather was still based in London UK, well before there was a retail outlet in San Francisco.

Selby described the circumstances that led up to the publication of an initial list of coded colours:. In this blog, we will explore the importance of understanding coded fashion and its significance in queer culture. Delve into the origins, meanings, and vibrant colors of the gay leather code, uncovering its rich history and cultural significance in the LGBTQ community.

In more recent years, femmes in the queer community have developed their own form of flagging in response to femme invisibility. Bandanas are soft introductions. In many cases, they provide a way of making an initial connection. Light blue for oral sex.

They worked together at this time, developing many of the products that are today considered classics of leather style. Another way of flagging in the community, specifically the Asexual community in this case is by the use of a ring. Meanings traditionally parallel the traditional hanky code colors —- i.

This code followed the hanky code rules with keys hanging on the left indicating top, or keys on the right, bottom. I am a femme lesbian who prefers to date other femme lesbians. Coded fashion, semiotic dress, and fashion hacking techniques have all been used in queer culture to express identity and create a sense of belonging.

One oft-repeated theory says a Village Voice writer once jokingly suggested that gay men should dispense with this binary key system and develop a more complex system to reflect a broader taxonomy of sexual desire, thus sparking the creation of the hanky code. First popularized in the '70s, the Hanky Code began as a sly way to showcase sexual preferences for a community still largely in the closet.

Here are a few examples of a more modern take on the Hanky Code. In more recent years, femmes in the queer community have developed their own form of flagging in response to femme invisibility. Cuffing jeans or pants is another recognizable queer fashion trend, especially among bisexual people.

For most femmes, bandanas or keys hanging from pockets would stand out rather than be discreet. The handkerchief Black indicates an interest in sadomasochistic practices. There are many many different colours and meanings behind the hanky code as it has evolved.

They create a hidden world where the whispered and the worn meet, where identity is both shield and signal, both armour and invitation. Queer coding in media originated largely due to the restrictive Hays Code, introduced in the s, which banned explicit representations of homosexuality in film.

In addition to gay and bi men, lesbians would also wear their keys hanging on a chain from their pockets to indicate top or bottom.