Milking Milk's Style

You've seen Milk (haven't you?); and you've pined over not only Sean Penn and James Franco, but also the above mentioned Castro clone look. You know the one: "Levi's 501 jeans. Skin tight. Sanded down at the knees and crotch for that perfectly worn-in look. Third button unbuttoned to create a bit of allure. T-shirt, also skin tight. A Levi's snap-front plaid," as described by Out contributor Eddie Shapiro in his interview with Milk's costume designer, Danny Glicker.

"When I started reading about what people wore, I thought, What was that Levi's clone look about?" [Milk] screenwriter Dustin Lance Black told Shapiro. "It didn't take much to realize that it was about a group of people who had been called 'pansies' and 'fags' reclaiming their masculinity and being 'men.'"

It's a uniform that many San Franciscans still wear today, and we of the younger generation look to it for inspiration as a style that didn't just say something about our fashion, but our existence. Strong and sexy, stylish men, gay or straight, are wise to acknowledge perfect vintage when they see it. Especially when it has a purpose.

To read more of Eddie Shapiro's article, click here, or head to Out.com.

-- SETH PLATTNER