Sustainable Pride Apparel and Outfits to Help You Celebrate Pride Month

Pride Month is underway, and whether you're a member of the LGBTQ+ community or an ally, you must look absolutely fabulous at the parades, parties, and celebrations. And while the focus of Pride Month isn't just about fashion — it's to support and stand up for the rights of the LGBTQ+ community — there's never been a better excuse to whip out your rainbow clothing and accessories.

This month, the LGBTQ+ community will show up louder and prouder than ever before. From drag brunches to parades and protests, you need to showcase your pride style in expressive outfits that scream "love wins". So, we've rounded up some awesome pride outfits from sustainable and queer-friendly brands.

Since pride outfits aren't exactly ensembles you'd wear every day, you may be tempted to log on to one of those fast fashion sites or head to Forever 21 to score a Pride look for less, but that's not sustainable!

When shopping for Pride, we strongly suggest you browse your local thrift shop, pull pieces from the back of your closet, or buy from a sustainable and queer-owned brand instead of turning to fast fashion.

From rainbow tees to sparkling accessories and sequined everything, check out some of our favorite pride pieces and discover how you can sustainably pull together the perfect Pride outfit while supporting LGBTQ+ rights.

In honor of Pride Month 2023, designer Daniel Silverstein's brand Zero Waste Daniel released a sustainable swimwear collection. The items are all made from upcycled pre-consumer waste using Silverstein's signature "ReRoll" technique, and the line "was designed with all bodies and identities in mind."

Like all of Zero Waste Daniel's clothing, the swimwear line is genderless. "Each swim style is advertised for all people through models of various gender identities and absolutely NO gendered labels," reads a statement from the brand that was shared with Green Matters. "At Zero Waste Daniel, every day is Earth Day and every month is Pride Month."

The collection includes bikini briefs, tops, one-pieces, coverups, and more. The items are sold individually, range in size from XS to 3XL, and in price from $89 to $139. Zero Waste Daniel is also selling limited edition colorful tops and shorts for Pride.

Whether you wear it alone, or slip it over a rainbow bandeau top, Wildfang's Empower Mesh Button Up ($98) is the perfect topper to create an '80s-inspired Pride outfit with a little edge. A sustainable and LGBTQ+-friendly brand, Wildfang is an inclusive retailer known for its Climate Neutral Certification and support of nonprofits such as Project Q, Planned Parenthood, and the ACLU.

The TomboyX Rainbow Pride Stripes Bralette ($32) is a cheery, colorful way to express yourself and show your support for the community during Pride celebrations. Worn alone or underneath something (like the Wildfang Empower Mesh Button Up), this bralette makes a bold statement with true rainbow energy. Plus, TomboyX is a B Corp Certified retailer that uses recycled materials, and it's a queer-founded brand dedicated to the empowerment of the LGBTQ+ community.

Show your true colors in these breezy cotton pants ($200) with an artful and colorful print. Crafted of a canvas and bull denim combo, these pleated front pants feature front and back pockets and a cuffed hem. A/C Space is a genderless and environmentally-conscious apparel line with an eye for sustainable style. All products are made in the U.S. and designed for limited-run drops.

While The North Face drummed up controversy following the release of its "Summer of Pride" campaign, the company's Pride collection has still been a hit. Whether you're at an all-day drag party or you're attending a local Pride parade, you'll need somewhere to store your essentials and the Explore Hip Pack ($30) has you covered. It's made of recycled polyester and phthalate-free PVC laminate.

Designer resale company, The RealReal, knows all about sustainability and eco-friendly fashions. This luxury secondhand retailer created The RealReal X Cultureedit collection specifically for Pride Month with a portion of the proceeds benefitting the Hetrick-Martin Institute serving LGBTQIA+ youth. And hidden within the rows of LGBTQ+ fashions, we stumbled upon this colorful cotton vintage Commes des Garcons T-shirt ($135) at over 70 percent off retail price.

Based in Scotland, Wilde Mode is a sustainable, size-inclusive, gender-free, vegan, sensory-friendly, carbon-neutral, and zero-waste retail company that sells lots of Pride-inspired merchandise from briefs to leggings, and bodysuits, but these handmade rainbow-striped briefs (£19.99 GBP) really caught our eye.

Etsy offsets 100 percent of carbon emissions from the shipping and packaging of each delivery, and is on target to reach net zero emissions by 2030. And with a designated Pride 2023: LGBTQIA+ Shop, it's easy to find what you need for Pride Month and remain eco-friendly too.

At Etsy, you can shop over 14 million vintage pieces, and this vintage '90s Rainbow Beaded Pride Gown ($365.92) being sold by WastedChic, is detailed, dramatic, and an absolute joy.

Proudly display your support of the LGBTQ+ community with Kirrin Finch's United By Love T-Shirt ($45) made of combed ring-spun cotton. Featuring a printed rainbow globe graphic, this gender-inclusive T-shirt is made in Nicaragua, and printed in the U.S.

Kirrin Finch is a Brooklyn-based retail company known for its menswear-inspired clothing that's made with all-natural or organic fabrics and low-impact dyes in ethical factories.

If you're looking to save money and be more sustainable, you can shop your own closet and make the most of the unused pieces that are just hanging around. From cutoff shorts to plain white tees and one-piece bathing suits, you can easily pull pieces together, and mix and match, or create a DIY project from home with the help of stencils, puffy paint, scissors, patches, tie-dye, and glitter.

Personalization is the best part! You can use stencils and puffy paint to write a Pride message on an old tee, create vivid rainbows on the back pockets of your shorts with glitter fabric spray, or sew Pride patches on your denim jacket.

This article was updated to include Zero Waste Daniel.