The Rainbow Edit: What To Wear To Pride

By Charlie Colville

10 months ago

Why stick to one colour when you can wear them all?


If there’s one thing we can guarantee when it comes to Pride, it’s that it will be awash with rainbows. The universal symbol for the LGBTQ+ community, the rainbow is synonymous with joy, inclusivity and diversity – making it a top choice for attire when it comes to queer celebrations. Wondering what to wear to Pride? Rainbows, of course. 

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Rainbows In The LGBTQ+ Community

Rainbows have long been considered a symbol of diversity and hope within the LGBTQ+ community, with the vibrant spectrum of colours considered a symbol of inclusivity and acceptance. With Pride marches and organised activism becoming more common in the 1960s and 1970s, the community believed they needed a unifying symbol that could bring them all together – and in 1978, the first LGBT flag was designed by Gilbert Baker, debuting at the San Francisco Gay Freedom Day Parade on June 25 that same year.

The original rainbow flag was made up of eight stripes, each with a specific meaning: hot pink for sexuality, red for life, orange for healing, yellow for sunlight, green for nature, turquoise for magic and art, indigo for serenity and harmony, and violet for spirit. Over time, hot pink and turquoise were dropped from the design (creating the now widely used six-colour rainbow flag) and variations for specific groups within the LGBTQ+ community emerged; pink, purple and blue for the bisexual flag, light blue, pink and white for the transgender flag, yellow, white, purple and black for the non-binary flag, and so many more.

The rainbow remains a huge part of the LGBTQ+ visual identity, and can be seen at Pride events all over the world. When it comes to considering what to wear to Pride, it’s often the first point of call.

The Rainbow Edit: What To Wear To Pride

Rainbow hoop earrings

Featured image: Spencer Cooper, Pexels