If you are in, you will understand: A new ‘dress code’ on TikTok is reframing lesbian teens’ safe space

Abstract

I intend to offer in this article a visualized research of teenager lesbian style on TikTok and a discourse of queer safe spaces in networked contexts. Due to the influence of the queer feminist movement, the social acceptance of queerness has increased in most countries. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning groups are no longer limited by the gay ‘dress code’, which is historically used to protect queer identity from discrimination and violence. During my personal nomadic experience moving from China to the Netherlands, I noticed that it is hard to pick out someone who ‘looks gay’ in the street. The freedom of dressing and self-expression has gradually become universal in western countries. Whereas, without legalized same-sex marriage in mainland China, visibility in style is still a signification of sexuality and a way of communication. Beyond the diversity of style, a new form of lesbian ‘dress code’ on TikTok has triggered me to examine safe spaces for teenagers. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the fashion industry finds itself in a challenging condition, which is accelerating its digital transformation. An increasing number of fashion labels see potential in TikTok as a new public territory to practise self-exploration for numerous teens. By analysing the visual content and interviewing four TikTok creators, this article addresses the gap between public and insider prejudice around codes of dressing. It proposes not only to rethink the relation between fashion and identity but also to ruminate on queer safe space through researching ways of dressing.