Front cover of Don We Now Our Gay Apparel, paperback

Don We Now Our Gay Apparel : Gay Men's Dress in the Twentieth Century

Shaun Cole

£23.99
  • Pages · 264 pages, 25 b&w illustrations
  • Publication Date · 11/06/2026
  • Genre · History of fashion
Collect in store Pick it up free from the shop in Oxford's Covered Market, usually quicker than the post.
Delivery Standard tracked £1.99, free on orders over £20. Express tracked £2.99.
Book Lovers' Happy Hour Three cocktails matched to your taste, three books chosen for you, an hour and a half at the bar. £60 per person. Book a place →

Expand your understanding of the development and history of gay men's dress with Shaun Cole's groundbreaking work - from the subcultural world of the early 20th century to the clubs and bars of the 80s and 90s. Drawing upon first-hand interviews conducted with men across the UK and US, Cole analyzes the trends in dress adopted by gay men as well as the challenge gay style has posed to mainstream men's fashion. Other sources such as contemporary magazines shed further light on the culture and discourse influencing gay men's dress and, in the newly extended reading list, the author situates his own work among the landscape of recent writing on queer and gay men's style. A new preface and afterword also reflect on the value of the research methodology employed by the text, as well as the changes in studies related to the central focus of Cole's work. Whether you're approaching it from a fashion studies, LGBTQ+ studies or sociology perspective, this re-issued text is a vital introduction for anyone interested in gay men's fashion over the last 100 years.

Only at Gulp Fiction

Book Lovers' Happy Hour

An hour and a half at the bar, with three cocktails matched to your taste and three books chosen for you. Tell us what you like when you book, and we'll have them waiting when you arrive.

  • 1½ hours
  • £60 per person
  • 3 cocktails, 3 books
Book Happy Hour

Up to four of you can come — book a place each and choose the same time slot, then tell us who you're with. For larger groups, email gulpfictionbooks@gmail.com and we'll arrange it.

Three customers at the window table in Gulp Fiction, cocktails in hand beside a stack of books, with Oxford's Covered Market visible through the glass

Collect in store

Order online and pick it up from the shop. It's free, and usually quicker than the post.

Find us

Units 28–29, Covered Market, Oxford OX1 3DU. Mon–Wed 10–5, Thu–Sat 10–10, Sun 11–4.

Book a table

The bar is open late Thursday to Saturday. Reserve a table for a drink among the books.