Kristen Stewart is gay. And Kristen Stewart has a movie out. Kristen Stewart has a gay movie out. If either of these facts had evaded you, what might have laid them bare was the carousel of looks Stewart donned to promote said gay movie, the erotic, lesbian bodybuilding thriller Love Lies Bleeding. Over the past week, the former Princess Diana has emerged from her New York apartment in clothes that toe the line between daringly sexual and exceptionally unconcerned.
Appearances on the talk show circuit have seen her arrive at The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in a mesh chain halter top, but with a messy updo and minimal make-up. Another appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers featured sheer stockings, latex suspenders and a black leather blazer, finished off with Stewart’s inky, chopped mullet. A third trip to The Drew Barrymore Show, and the actor appeared on stage in cable-knit granny knickers and an unbuttoned shirt. “Thank you for starting what we’re gonna see as the next fashion trend,” said Barrymore of the look, who’s clearly been out of the loop for the last two years.
Despite Barrymore’s effusive reaction, dressing Stewart for this press tour probably presented its own set of unique challenges. With the actor’s Chanel association looming large, Stewart and longtime stylist Tara Swannen had to hit the ground running, while pulling brands that wouldn’t infringe on that costly contract. That’s why you’ll notice a lot of Wolford (the oatmeal tights on Barrymore), Brunello Cucinelli (the leather blazer on Meyers) and other lesser-known designers on the actor – hardly competition for the big C. But the other question is, how do you dress for a film about – amongst other things – the politics of lesbian bodybuilding? Well, by drawing attention to the body in a lesbian way, of course.
While Stewart’s outfits are, by and large, “on trend”, there’s a reason why they’ve struck a chord with so many on social media. Yes, they’re undeniably sexual, but they’re also not the kind of looks you’ll find your average straight man posting on his IG stories in admiration. Instead, Stewart is dressing for the sapphic gaze, one that’s fashion-appreciative, but wields sexuality in a way that completely excludes men from the conversation. It all started with the film’s LA premiere earlier this month, with Stewart arriving at the Fine Arts Theatre in a high cut leotard from the eco-brand Bettter. 80s-coded and intimidating, the outfit established Stewart’s current style MO as commanding and powerful, with Swannen confirming on Instagram that it was crafted “from old men’s suits!” if you needed any on-the-nose symbolism of Stewart’s desire to rip up hetero-patriarchial dressing.
But even when she’s gone softer, like with the sheer Chanel shirt at a pre-Oscars dinner, she pairs it with boxy cotton shorts that you might find in the lost and found box after P.E. Even the talk show looks, however baring they might have been, subverted codes of age (cable-knit granny knickers that were actually booty shorts) and hinted at sexual empowerment (bondage-referencing garters). Stewart’s current clothing represents a confounding (or queering, perhaps?) of nakedness, or “naked dressing”, or things like the pantless trend. For so many, less clothes means sexiness in a traditionally heteronormative way, but, on this press tour, Stewart is allowing that to mean the opposite. While feminine, Stewart’s style is existing outside any preconceived hetero binaries, and in the process has mastered a kind of sensual dressing for the sapphic gaze. Gay film? Check. Gay style? Check. Lesbianism? Completed.
