Transgender fashion: The queering of the apparel industry

Audrey  Layne Nelson

doi:10.7273/000004026

The number of individuals who identify under the term 'Queer' has significantly increased in the last decade. As queer identities are becoming increasingly visible, in both a positive and negative light, there has become a need to accommodate this understudied and diverse group regarding consumer markets. The identity within the acronym that has received the most attention in recent politics and popular culture is that of the transgender population. As Gay and Lesbian individuals' rights have begun to be addressed and altered, individuals who identify particularly with that of transgender identities still face adversity and issues with inclusion. An aspect of trans peoples' lives that often give them comfort is the apparel they wear that assists in affirming their identity and empowers self-esteem. As this community continues to grow, a need surfaces for readily available apparel that can be obtained without any discrimination, judgment, or anxiety. In order to address this emerging issue, the purpose of this study was to explore consumer needs for the transgender fashion market. Specifically, the research aimed to determine ways in which companies can better manufacture products, market and merchandise toward, and, provide customer service to transgender individuals in the fashion and apparel industry. In order to analyze transgender shopping experiences and apparel preferences, the specific objectives of the study were to explore functional, expressive, and aesthetic consumer needs, which were based off of the FEA Consumer Needs Model introduced by Lamb & Kallal (1992). An additional segment titled Accessibility was incorporated to the model to obtain a deeper understanding of the inability of trans people find and purchase readily available clothing. This study followed a qualitative research design in which data was collected through in-depth interviews with participants that identify as transgender. Ten interviews were conducted, transcribed, coded, and analyzed in order to develop a multitude of themes and implications for the fashion and apparel industry. Results were discussed in the form of functional needs, expressive needs, aesthetic needs, and accessibility needs, and implications were developed for the industry to better reach this demographic.

Transgender fashion: The queering of the apparel industry

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