Queer Women’s Experiences Purchasing Clothing and Looking for Clothing Styles

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to understand queer women's experiences when shopping for clothing, looking for style inspiration, and if they experience minority distress or discrimination during these processes. Three research questions guided our study: (a) Where do queer women look for fashion style inspiration? (b) What are queer women's experiences with shopping in brick-and-mortar stores for clothing and accessories? and (c) Do queer women experience minority distress or discrimination while shopping or looking for fashion style inspiration? Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 32 queer-identifying females with two follow-up interviews. Four themes surfaced from the data: (a) awareness of or attention to queer styles, (b) frustration with or feelings of alienation with the current apparel marketplace and media, (c) minority distress or subtle acts of heterosexism related to queer visibility and crossing gender boundaries, and (d) interest in an LGBTQ-friendly shopping environment.