The aim of this article is to present an exploratory investigation of the ways in which, on TikTok, young audiences creatively propose outfits inspired by characters from their favorite TV series, acting on gender labeling in new ways. In many videos, in fact, men's and women's wardrobes are presented according to tiktokers personal reinterpretations, highlighting the ability to enact reflective reasoning that includes appreciation for the TV series and individual characters by transcending the gender distinctions proposed on screen. The language of clothing (Crane, 2000; Edwards, 2011; Davis, 1992; Wilson, 1985) is therefore used for personalized interpretations and creative proposals, in which the definition of masculine and feminine appears increasingly blurred (Akdemir, 2018). These are discursive forms that function as “active means of communication” because they highlight changes taking place, functioning as “sensitive barometers of social process and change” (Lupton, 2012, p.2). The sample chosen for analysis consists of a set of videos extracted from TikTok in which gender fluid or non-binary versions of outfits that have appeared on screen, in specific TV series (Sex Education, Stranger Things, Peaky Blinders, Euphoria) are presented. Considering Convergence Culture as the theoretical frame of reference and using a qualitative and ethnographic perspective, the research proposes to highlight: - The tiktok-audience level of knowledge about the tv series and their characters - Their creative work made on the outfits, proposing a negotiation between the own taste regime and the original outfits that appeared on stage - The role of the outfits to express one's willingness to cross male/female gender barriers.

Antonella Mascio (2025). Streaming Audiences: Deconstruction of Fashion Gender Stereotypes Through the Imitation of TV Series Outfits. London : Routledge [10.4324/9781003268543-24].

Streaming Audiences: Deconstruction of Fashion Gender Stereotypes Through the Imitation of TV Series Outfits

Antonella Mascio
2025

Abstract

The aim of this article is to present an exploratory investigation of the ways in which, on TikTok, young audiences creatively propose outfits inspired by characters from their favorite TV series, acting on gender labeling in new ways. In many videos, in fact, men's and women's wardrobes are presented according to tiktokers personal reinterpretations, highlighting the ability to enact reflective reasoning that includes appreciation for the TV series and individual characters by transcending the gender distinctions proposed on screen. The language of clothing (Crane, 2000; Edwards, 2011; Davis, 1992; Wilson, 1985) is therefore used for personalized interpretations and creative proposals, in which the definition of masculine and feminine appears increasingly blurred (Akdemir, 2018). These are discursive forms that function as “active means of communication” because they highlight changes taking place, functioning as “sensitive barometers of social process and change” (Lupton, 2012, p.2). The sample chosen for analysis consists of a set of videos extracted from TikTok in which gender fluid or non-binary versions of outfits that have appeared on screen, in specific TV series (Sex Education, Stranger Things, Peaky Blinders, Euphoria) are presented. Considering Convergence Culture as the theoretical frame of reference and using a qualitative and ethnographic perspective, the research proposes to highlight: - The tiktok-audience level of knowledge about the tv series and their characters - Their creative work made on the outfits, proposing a negotiation between the own taste regime and the original outfits that appeared on stage - The role of the outfits to express one's willingness to cross male/female gender barriers.
2025
The Routledge Companion to Media Audiences
245
257
Antonella Mascio (2025). Streaming Audiences: Deconstruction of Fashion Gender Stereotypes Through the Imitation of TV Series Outfits. London : Routledge [10.4324/9781003268543-24].
Antonella Mascio
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11585/995126
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