Yes! There used to be a joke about how you could identify a gay man because he's fit, takes good care of his skin, and uses product in his hair.

Of course, those are stereotypes, but like many stereotypes, they describe something real ... if hardly universal.

What this particular stereotype keyed in on was culture — queer culture, specifically gay-man culture.

Cultures we create are often double-edged, possibly negative for those of us who feel that we can't quite live up to the standards and feel excluded.

On the other hand, our cultures often affirm and give us a way to broadcast that we belong. Like your undercut! Or for lesbians back in my day, a softball jersey and a cap.

For me once upon a time, Levi's 501s, a tight black T-shirt, and maybe a leather jacket signaled my membership in a certain subset of gay culture.

Pulling on that "clone" (as it was called) attire made me feel a warm sense of membership in a community. And it let other people know a few basic things about me, at least if they were "in the know."

You story reminds me about how important the signposts of our various subcultures can be. Those signs are not always wholly positive, but they sure can be!