Empowerment Through Personal Queer Style

Peter Minkoff is a lifestyle writer at Queer Voices magazine, living between Australia and Europe. Besides writing, he also worked as a freelance fashion stylist for many magazines. A true craft beer and soy latte aficionado, he loves spending his days at the beach and visiting second-hand stores on a daily basis. Follow Peter on Twitter for more tips.

Clothes do not make a person, but they certainly tell a lot about who you are and what kind of message you want to send out into the world. Paying more attention to your clothes can give your queer identity a chance to shy and allow you to express your views and even make a political stand. But how can you do all those things when you’re not exactly fashion-conscious? Here are a few tips to help you find your queer style.

Find your queer-icon inspiration

Do you often see your fave celebrity and think “Damn, I wish I could look that good”? Find your queer-icon inspiration and learn from them. Are you into Ellen’s playful and casual-elegance style? Or do you prefer her wife’s classic femme look? Maybe you’re leaning more towards the naughty Tom of Finland bad boy look or bold JVN open queerness representation? No matter what it is, use these icons for inspiration, and incorporate their look into your style. You’ll instantly feel more powerful and proud.

Make a statement with your hair

If you want to automatically be read as queer, go wild with your hair. A girl sporting a shirt cut or a boy flaunting his locks is one of the closest things you can do to outing yourself, right after saying “Hi, I’m queer”. And since we’re all in quarantine and spending a lot of time at home, now is the perfect time to experiment with different cuts. Cutting your hair is easy, but what if you want to grow out your hair? Order some quality hair extensions online and see how you feel with them. There are plenty of YT tutorials that can help you with installation and all you have to do is whip your new hair around and feel your oats!

Experiment the house down

Sure, you might feel most comfortable in jeans and a t-shirt, but now is the right time to experiment with your queer look. For instance, an adult shop is a perfect place to start with your fashion adventure. It can be affordable, easy to pull off for all body types, and made very queer. Once you start trying new things fashion-wise, you’ll come to realize where your true style lies and after that, there’s no stopping you!

Go wild with colors

Since the rainbow is the symbol of the LGBTQ+ community, you might want to incorporate some of those colors into your look. In the past, LGBTQ people used bright colors to express their queerness in a safe way, so now we have a rainbow flag that united all queer identities into one community. Show your love by adding some color to your wardrobe. There’s nothing wrong with classic black and white combos, but try grabbing a yellow shirt or buy those pride Converse kicks and you’ll hit that sweet spot that will show off your queerness AND keep you nice and comfortable.

Turn to accessories

If you prefer to keep your look simple, you can show off your queer identity in small and subtle ways that still count big time. Accessories are perfect for all those tricky events with a more conservative dress-code or a subtle way to transition from a “straight” look to a more “queer” look. Offset your business attire with a pair of haute shoes or add a rainbow bracelet to your look when you’re in the mood to be your true authentic self.

Dress for yourself, not for others

This is probably the most valuable piece of fashion advice you can get—forget about what others think and make sure you feel fabulous in your clothing. If you often see a piece of clothing you like yet just keep walking because you want to avoid stares and eye-roles, think of it this way: Normal is overrated anyway. Plus, what is normal, and who sets those norms? If you feel sexy, powerful, and proud in a purple jacket or a pair of combat boots, go for it!

It takes a lot of courage to live your authentic life and show your true colors to the world, so don’t hide your power and pride. Use your style to express your queerness and make sure to enjoy every single piece of clothing you have in your closet, even now when you’re officially out of it!