DRESSCODES 21

This lecture is about lesbian fashion over the last 200 years. This is a complex history, and one that can’t be easily pinned down: so much of lesbian history has been deliberately forgotten or misremembered, but studying clothing and self-expression can help bring it back into the light. We’ll travel from Anne Lister, a lesbian heiress in early 19th century Britain, to 1970s American lesbian activist group, the Lavender Menace, with many stops afterwards and in-between. This lecture sets the scene for lesbian fashion history, considering lesbian clothing in paintings, photographs, letters and diaries, and reflects on why they are important – both in their own time and in ours.