Bring it to the Runway: Queer fashions and where to buy?

Summer of 2022 has been quite the year of epic Prides, festivals and most of all, Runway worthy Queer fashion and these are our top pics from this year:

Nail Polish:

Nail polish has become increasingly popular recently in and outside of the Queer community. It is a great way to express both the masculine and feminine sides of yourself, as you can choose a lot of styles and colours that fits your look. When it comes to buying yourself some nail polish, why not check out Leesha’s Lacquer. This is a LGBTQ+ owned brand that offers vegan and cruelty free polishes. They are available to order online and the polishes range between £4 to £9, but unfortunately they only have a limited amount of colours. If you want to explore more colours Barry M is the one for you, they are known for their nail polish and are available to buy from there site and most Boots and Superdrug. The polishes start at £3.99 and go up depending on if you want to buy the sets.

Birkenstocks:

Birkenstocks have been a trend for a while, and they are a sandal that are genderless. Which makes it a perfect shoe for the queer community. These sandals come in a range of colours and styles, so whatever your style is they will have something for everyone. You can buy Birkenstocks from their website and other shoe retailers like Office and Schuh. The shoes start at £25 for the rubber ones and go up to £180. If you don’t want to pay that much, a range of cheaper sites sell dupes, like Primark, Missguided and ASOS.

Tote Bags:

Tote bags have gained a lot of popularity in recent years and they are a great way to express your personal style. Again they are a genderless item and can be worn by anyone, they can be personalised in any way and can be used to express your own gender identity. You can buy tote bags pretty much anywhere, a great place to find tote bags is Etsy. You are able to browse through a load of independent small businesses, many of which are sustainable and LGBTQ+ owned. Prices vary between each shop, but there are normally around £10.

Dr Martens:

Dr Martens have been popular in the queer community for years now. This is down to the fact the shoe is genderless, with both male and female sections of the business making the same or similar styles. You can buy these shoes from the Dr Martens website or other shoe retailers like Office, Schuh and Sole Trader. They start at around £100 for the shoes and can go up to £200 for the boots, they also often come out with collaborations that can cost more. If you can’t afford that price then a lot of places do dupes for the shoes, like ASOS, Primark, H&M and Missguided.

Dungarees:

Dungarees another example of genderless clothing that you can easily personalise to your own style. They come in a range of styles, fabrics, colours and prints, so there is something for everyone. If you like more loose fitting dungarees with bright colours or patterns, try Lucy & Yak. They offer a range of different styles, from traditional dungarees, boiler-suites and dungaree dresses. They have a wide range of bright patterns, colours and fabrics to choose from, and do mens and women’s sizes. The dungarees start at £45 and go up to £65, the price depends on the pattern or fabric you choose. If you have a more simplistic traditional style, try Dickies. They specialise in work where the clothes are mostly made in denim, and come in neutral colours. They start at around £80 and go up to £90.

Oversized Jeans:

Oversized jeans have recently come back into fashion and the bagger the jeans the better. Jeans have always been a genderless clothing item, and they suite pretty much anyone. You can buy jeans pretty much anywhere, but when it comes to oversized jeans places like ASOS. Their own design jeans are affordable and good quality and come in a range of styles and colours. They start at around £20 and go up to £80, with the more expensive ones having different patterns and colours. If you like to experiment more with your style you should try The Ragged Priest. They are known for their baggy jeans that come in a wide range of colours and patterns. You can shop them from their site or ASOS and Urban Outfitters. The jeans start at £40 and go up to £75, which makes them a little more expensive then ASOS design jeans.

Tulle:

Tulle is a great way to express your feminine side and can be incorporated into your look in many different ways. Tulle comes in so many different colours and it can be turned into almost anything, dresses, shirts, trousers and skirts. So no matter your style you can find a tulle item that works for you. If you want to go full out and buy a tulle gown/dress you should check out Troy Dylan Allen. This is an LGBTQ+ owned business that is focused around creating clothes that make a fabulous statement. His clothes are filled with frills, sequins and lots of tulle, so there is something for everyone.

These are just a small handful of our picks of this years hot Queer fashions, if we’ve missed out any of your favourites let us know in the comments below.