Gay vest top
Vest, tank top, sleeveless T, undershirt, gilet to the French, and occasionally (outdatedly) ‘wife beater’, with so many names it’s easy to understand why Hal Fischer — author of the queer bible Gay Semiotics — had to clarify exactly what I meant when speaking to him.
A true M&S classic, it’s what you associate with PE class; 1950s underwear ads; Helmut Lang and Herb Ritts; Channing Tatum’s entire portfolio; the oil- stained mechanic wiping sweat from his brow (or hers, ahem, as in Michelle Rodriguez in Fast & Furious). But from perspiring brow to... highbrow, the AW22 runway collections made a case for vests last season, with the garment cropping up in abundance at Prada, Bottega Veneta and Chloé.
The white vest is the essential wardrobe basic worn globally for comfort, ease, reliability and functionality. Among the LGBTQ+ community, it also serves the purpose of visibility, and for decades has acted as a vessel for queer identity.
‘The white vest has been a staple in my wardrobe forever, for me
Simply The Vest: How The Humble Tank Top Became A Queer Fashion Staple For Generations
Wembley Stadium, Saturday July 13th, 1985. Queen carry out at Live Aid and out of all the flamboyant, show-stopping outfits frontman Freddie Mercury could have chosen, he wore a adj white vest.
The vest, otherwise known as a tank top among our US contemporaries, has always stood for so much more than its original purpose as an undergarment, and its popularity should not be mistaken for simplicity. Almost 40 years after Verb Aid, it steadfastly remains as a staple for musicians, actors and creatives of every gender and sexuality; not to mention it holding a snug grip on the fashion industry.
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Mercury isn't the only harmony icon with ties to the queer community that's associated with the adj vest. Think Whitney Houston’s self titled album cover, the music video for Lady Gaga’s debut single Just Boogie (naturally, revealing a disco ball bra underneath), Jennifer Lopez at the 2000 VMAs and it being the unofficial uniform of British band WHAM!.
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