Pride, it’s a great way to celebrate sticking true to your authentic self. It is also an excellent catalyst for improving LGBTQ+ rights and acceptance.
The events themselves are incredibly popular as you’ll find all types of people from the community coming together to honor each other and recognize the struggles that they collectively face.
The event itself is flamboyant, fabulous, and fantastic. It usually takes place during June though this might differ from country to country.
And if you’ve ever seen a pride parade, you’ll be no stranger to some real show-stopping head-turning outfit choices. The bigger and brighter the better.
So you may be wondering if duller, darker tones, such as black are actually allowed at the event.
While there are no clothing regulations at the event, you won’t tend to find many individuals sporting the color.
Most members opt for bright and bubbly colors, and many stick with the rainbow colors that you’ll see in a Pride flag.
So while you can wear black to the event if you want to, I wouldn’t.
More so because black is such a heat-sucking color and you’re going to end up very, very warm.
But don’t stress if your usual style is monochrome-mundane. In this article, I’ll give you the best advice on what to wear to ensure that you look festival-fabulous.
Why I Wouldn’t Wear Black?
So I mentioned above that there are no rules or guidelines that prohibit you from wearing black, so if you really, really wanted to, you could.
But as a general rule, I’d advise against it. And below you’ll see my reasoning:
It’s Not A Statement
When people dress for pride, you are usually wanting to make a statement with your clothing.
Clothing is a really big part of the festival and you want to be wearing something eye-catching and that will make you stand out from the crowd (this can be difficult given some of the extravagant outfits.)
But you black is quite dull and boring and also not that representative of Pride which is known for its bright rainbow color theme.
You’re likely to stand out like a sore thumb if you’re dressed all in black and not for the right reasons.
It’s Not Comfortable
Pride festivals, though very fun, are long days. Longer than you may initially anticipate.
And considering it usually takes place in June, you’re going to be very hot wearing this color. Black absorbs heat so you’ll likely roast all day.
You’ll end up being way too warm and you may not be able to participate in the activities throughout the whole day.
And the last thing you want to be doing is calling it a day earlier than you’d like to because you’re just too hot.
Pride Outfit Essentials/Recommendations
It wouldn’t really be fair to tell you what you should not be wearing without giving you some tips on what you should be wearing.
This may not be something you immediately think about needing, but honestly, you’ll be so glad you did. The weather during a Pride festival is usually pretty hot.
And forget you’re headwear and you’ll soon be wishing you hadn’t while those unrelenting and scorching sun and UV rays beam down on you.
Whether you go for something understated and small like a baseball cap, or if you’re fond of a show-stopping statement you can opt for a larger headpiece.
Just keep in mind that you’ll be wearing it all day. So don’t make it too heavy and ensure it’s breathable material that will allow moisture to escape.
I would always go for something bright and sparkly or rainbow colored but the design is really down to you.
Just ensure that you’ve got that protection for the day.
Top
We’ve spoken already about not choosing a dark colored top that’s going to absorb the heat all day.
So I won’t go on anymore about that. Instead, let’s take a look at what kind of tops I would recommend.
The kind of top you wear is really up to you, and you’ll see all kinds of tops, T-Shirts, crop tops and the like.
It will all really depend on what outfit look you are going for. But in more general terms I would always pick something loose and breathable.
And something that’s comfy.
Yes, we all want to look as fabulous as possible, but if you’re going to want to be ripping it off after a couple of hours, it’s not going to be a good choice.
As for color, I’d say anything white or colorful will work great.
There are loads of options out there and you can always personalize the top with extra color and glitter if you want to.
Rainbow colored tops always go down a hit, as does anything with a bit of glitter or sparkle to give you some extra pazazz.
There are also loads of tops out there that have some really cute LGBTQ+ puns and jokes on them which can also be a great option.
Or if you’re brave enough (you may need some dutch courage for this one) many attendees go topless.
Some are even just wearing full body paint and pants which can look great.
But don’t worry, if you’re not quite at that level, you can choose any of the options above.
Pants
Not wearing pants in public is an offense, and we don’t want to be upsetting any of the police or security guards.
So while you can opt in and out for your top half, we need to pick something to wear on the bottom.
However, if you want to wear a skirt, some shorts, or even some really short shorts, then you go ahead and do so.
Similarly to your top, the only thing that you really need to ensure is that your pants are light, breathable, and comfy.
And then of course, they should also be bright, fun, and in theme.
My favorite thing to do is buy a cheap pair of shorts and then personalize them with cute accessories, but that is up to you.
Footwear
When it comes to footwear, keep it simple and keep it comfy. You don’t want to be hobbling around with blisters for the entire event.
I would always recommend a pair of emergency socks too, just in case the weather turns bad. You don’t want to be squelching around in wet socks all day.
Final Thoughts
It really is up to you what items of clothing you wear to Pride. At the end of the day it’s all about being comfortable.
In both the way you feel in the clothes and the way the clothes feel on you.
Generally, it’s best to go bright and colorful since that is very on theme with Pride. And you won’t have to worry about being judged or too over the top.
I can guarantee you, no matter what your outfit, you’ll find someone else at the event that is even more flamboyant!
Hello, my name is Gay Worlley - no, really - and I love learning about all things queer. I am also a qualified gardener and enjoy traveling in my spare time.
I love sharing my travel stories with anyone who will listen, and now I want to share them with the world through my new website! Not only that, but I want to inspire others and teach you about LGBTQ+ travel, queer media, pride, and much more.
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