@JessicaOutOfTheCloset: Intersections of Vintage Styles, Gender, Queerness, and Disability in Online Spaces

Abstract

Jessica Kellgren-Fozard is a British internet and television personality who creates digital content for various social media platforms. Her content focuses on vintage dressing and a variety of other intersecting subjects. In consideration of the recent rise in popularity of vintage dressing and the need for continued research about people with historically marginalized identities, she is a notable subject for sartorial study. We utilized netnography to examine 3 months of Facebook posts and 1 month of YouTube posts until we reached saturation. After analyzing the online sources using the coding and the constant comparison method, we identified celebrating deafness, disability, and chronic illness through dress and challenging stereotypes of dress surrounding her queer label as prominent themes. Feminist queer crip and the (k)notty model guided our interpretation, with close attention paid to Kellgren-Fozard’s privileged identities and space within a capitalist system. Broader shifts toward inclusivity and intersectionality in the fashion industry and society overall are demonstrated through the study’s examination of Kellgren-Fozard’s online presence, yet with critical attention to capitalism and commodity activism.

Keywords:

• Vintage
• gender
• queerness
• deafness
• disability
• chronic illness
• social media
• internet

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Joshua D. Simon

Joshua D. Simon is the assistant curator of exhibits at the Tri-Cities Historical Museum in Grand Haven, Michigan, United States. He graduated with a Bachelor of Applied Arts degree from Central Michigan University and a Master of Science degree from Iowa State University. His research focus is the history of Western fashion, with specific topics including recurrences of the Gibson Girl aesthetic throughout the 20th century, former First Lady Betty Ford, and the role of dress in depicting Saint Sebastian as both a Catholic saint and a queer icon.

Kelly L. Reddy-Best

Kelly L. Reddy-Best is a professor in the Apparel, Merchandising, and Design program at Iowa State University (ISU) and the chief curator and director of ISU’s Textiles and Clothing Museum. In her research, she examines the interrelationships of fashion, consumption, regulation, distribution, and the fashion system. All her work is rooted in social justice. She has taught courses across the fashion curriculum in design, product development, merchandizing, textile science, culture, and history.