Therefore, most homosexual men followed the accepted dress rules of the day wearing “dark suits, three pieces, very quiet shirts.” To the majority of gay men it was important to remain invisible.
The legal position was such that dressing to announce one’s sexual preference could lead to the loss of job or home, and could even lead to imprisonment. The police were conducting a virtual witch-hunt of gay men, exemplified by cases such as the Montagu trials. For most gay men, the 1950s were characterised by the very real fear of exposure, blackmail and arrest.
