Celebrate Pride month with these shoes, clothes, bags and even rainbow-hued food
Find out what the rainbow flag has got to do with LGBTQ+
Cadence Loh
·Lifestyle Editor
Updated Fri, 23 June 2023 at 9:23 am SGT·5-min read
LGBTQ Rainbow ribbon against sky, symbolising the celebration of Pride Month
Pride month is upon us again. Are you one of those who plan to celebrate and show support for the LGBTQ+ community? Planning a Pride day out or a cosy Pride home party with your closest and dearest and on the lookout for rainbow-hued merchandise? Read on for ideas on joining in and uplifting our friends and family from the LGBTQ+ community.
Shoes, clothes and everything rainbow!
These fabulous kicks, jackets, undergarments, shirts, bags, hats and even umbrellas will complete your look for Pride month.Calvin Klein Jeans Pride Unisex co-ord graphic short sleeve shirt and shorts set
Calvin Klein Jeans Pride Unisex co-ord graphic short sleeve shirt and shorts set. PHOTO: ASOS
Calvin Klein Jeans Pride Unisex co-ord
The North Face Pride Sheru hooded jacket in rainbow gradient print
The North Face Pride Sheru hooded jacket in rainbow gradient print. PHOTO: ASOS
The North Face Pride jacket
Rainbow Rib Sweatpant by Revolve
Rainbow Rib Sweatpant. PHOTO: Revolve
Rainbow Rib Sweatpant by Revolve
Ombre You Say Dress by Revolve
Ombre You Say Dress. PHOTO: Revolve
Ombre You Say Dress by Revolve
Coach Rainbow Signature Canvas Bag
Coach Rainbow Signature Canvas Bag. PHOTO: Zalora
Coach Rainbow Canvas Bag
Olivia Burton Rainbow Floral Women's Watch
Olivia Burton Rainbow Floral Women's Watch. PHOTO: Zalora
Olivia Burton Rainbow Watch
Rainbow Hat by Revolve
Rainbow Hat. PHOTO: Revolve
Rainbow Hat by Revolve
Calvin Klein Low Rise Boxer Briefs
Calvin Klein Low Rise Boxer Briefs. PHOTO: Zalora
Calvin Klein briefs
Rainbow Umbrella from Amazon
PHOTO: Amazon. Rainbow Umbrella
Rainbow Umbrella
It's raining Pride T-shirts
You see, there are different ways to get yourself heard. Case in point, these statement T-shirts will do the trick.Mad Engine Men's Classic Polaroid Logo Vintage Style Rainbow T-Shirt
Mad Engine Men's Classic Polaroid Logo Vintage Style Rainbow T-Shirt. PHOTO: Amazon
Polaroid T-shirt
Marvel Deadpool Riding A Unicorn On A Rainbow T-Shirt
Marvel Deadpool Riding A Unicorn On A Rainbow T-Shirt. PHOTO: Amazon
Marvel Deadpool shirt
Fifth Sun Men's Star Trek: Discovery Pride Paint Badge T-Shirt
Fifth Sun Men's Star Trek: Discovery Pride Paint Badge T-Shirt. PHOTO: Amazon
Fifth Sun Men's Star Trek Pride Shirt
Hold virtual Pride parties and support local
Planning a home party with your nearest and dearest? Get dressed in your Pride T-shirt, order the prettiest looking rainbow cake or rainbow kueh lapis, put up some pink fairy lights and viola, it's party time!Pastry Mart Kueh Lapis Rainbow
PHOTO: Shopee. Pastry Mart Kueh Lapis Rainbow, 1 kg
Pastry Mart Kueh Lapis Rainbow, 1 kg
Baker's Brew Rainbow Tower CakePHOTO: Shopee. Baker's Brew Rainbow Tower Cake
Baker's Brew Rainbow Tower Cake, from S$95
Jazz up your home with pink LED fairy lights
Create a rainbow in your home
What is pride month and what does the rainbow flag mean?
Before you set off for any Pride parties, let us take a moment to delve into its origins.Pride month had its roots in remembrance of the Stonewall uprising in June 1969 that has come to stand for fighting for equal rights of the LGBTQ+ community. In 1999, President Bill Clinton issued a proclamation for the Gay and Lesbian Pride Month. He called upon “Gays and lesbians, their families and friends, [to] celebrate the anniversary of Stonewall every June in America as Gay and Lesbian Pride Month." That sealed June as Pride Month officially.
And in case you are wondering, LGBTQ stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning or Queer, while the "+" represents other sexual identities.
Now you will never be stumped by a smart-aleck asking you about Pride's origins and whatever LGBTQ+ means. Next, let us delve a little deeper into the hues of the Rainbow flag.
Did you know there are only six stripes on the Pride Rainbow Flag? Say what? Yes, you heard that right. The official Rainbow Flag of the LGBTQ+ community has only six colours. Each colour holds a meaning: red for life, orange for healing, yellow for sunlight, green for nature, blue for harmony and purple for spirit.
Let us go back in time. The original Rainbow Flag designed by gay activist Gilbert Baker in 1978 sported eight colours. Each of the eight colours was assigned specific meanings by the designer: Pink = Sex, Red = Life, Orange = Healing, Yellow = Sunlight, Green = Nature, Turquoise = Art, Indigo = Harmony, and Violet = Spirit.
However, sourcing for the pink fabric required for the top layer proved an uphill task as hot pink was not a colour in demand then. So out goes pink. That’s one colour down. So whatever happened to indigo, the 7th colour?
Story has it that when the 1979 Pride Parade Committee decided to use the 7-stripe rainbow flag to honour the assassinated gay community leader Harvey Milk, the logistics involved to divide the colours evenly on parade grounds led to the eventual decision to stick to an even number of colours on the flag. And that is the story of the 6-striped Rainbow Pride flag. Over the years, the former indigo stripe evolved into a more classic royal blue.
LGBTQ+ reads
There’s nothing like reading to broaden our horizons and open our minds. These reads, and audio book, will shed some light on the lives of the LGBTQ+ community and probably make you shed a tear or two.The Price of Salt by Patricia Highsmith
Aristotle And Dante Discover The Secrets
Oranges are Not the Only Fruit
Call Me By Your Name by Andre Aciman
My Life As a Goddess: A Memoir by Guy Branam David Bowie Made Me Gay
Better yet, get your own Kobo and read to your heart's content! The new Kobo Elipsa 2E not only comes in a large 10.3-inch screen, it also has a stylus that allows you to annotate important sections or highlight phrases that resonate with you.
The new Kobo Elipsa 2E. PHOTO: Amazon
Givenchy Beauty Pride Gallery – Metaverse
Get on Givenchy Beauty's metaverse in support of LGBTQIA digital artists. PHOTO: Givenchy
Support digital artists from the LGBTQIA+ community via Givenchy Beauty Pride Gallery – a first for a luxury beauty brand to show support by hosting and organising a virtual ephemeral art exhibition. An inclusive invitation for all, the House has also collaborated with three digital artists – Vanille Verloës, SamJ and Edgar Fabian Frias – providing them a platform to showcase a digital art piece each in the spirit of Pride Month, while mirroring the brand’s values and commitment to foster the freedom to be truly be yourself. No fussy password creation is required. The Givenchy Beauty Pride Gallery is open to all here. You get to earn a special reward by completing tasks. Shop Givenchy Beauty.
Now that you are clued in on Pride's evolution, the Rainbow flag's symbolism, and even tried out the Givenchy Beauty Pride Gallery on metaverse, it’s time to celebrate Pride month and start shopping for all things rainbow, pink and beautiful!
Whether you wish to show support for your LGBTQ+ friends or love the hues of the rainbow for its aesthetics, here are more rainbow-related merchandise to add to your Pride collection: ASOS, Revolve, Zalora, Shopee, Lazada and Amazon.
