Pride style through the years: Festive fashion, beauty and more

See the costumes, makeup and other Pride parade styles.

ByJacqueline Laurean Yates via logo
Video byChris Cirillo and Tony Morrison
June 27, 2022, 4:00 AM

Pride Month is here and provides an opportune time to reflect, honor and recognize the contributions of LGBTQ+ people around the world.

It's also a time to look back at the glamour, fashion, costumes and rich rainbow hues seen throughout various pride celebrations that have taken place over the years.

The Stonewall riots in June 1969 served as what many say is the beginning of what would become an annual commemoration filled with festivals, parades and some extraordinary looks.

Here are some phenomenal style moments during pride celebrations from throughout the decades.

1970s

PHOTO: A man wearing a 'Gay Revolution' t-shirt at an LGBT parade in New York City on Christopher Street, 1971.
A man wearing a 'Gay Revolution' t-shirt at an LGBT parade in New York City on Christopher Street, 1971.
Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

A man wears a "Gay revolution" T-shirt, aviator-style glasses and flipped hair during the Christopher Street Gay Liberation Day in New York City.

PHOTO: View of female impersonators at gay pride rally, Copley Square, Boston, 1977.
View of female impersonators at gay pride rally, Copley Square, Boston, 1977.
Spencer Grant/Getty Images

Participants fabulously gathered in 1977 holding a "gay pride" sign in Boston.

1980s

PHOTO: Portrait of an unidentified participant, dressed in a blue wrap and gold necklace, posing with a flower during the New York City March, 1980s or 1990s.
Portrait of an unidentified participant, dressed in a blue wrap and gold necklace, posing with a flower during the New York City March, 1980s or 1990s.
Mariette Pathy Allen/Getty Images

An NYC pride march participant wears an elaborate blue top while holding a pink flower.

1990s

PHOTO: Gay pride in Paris in June, 1996.
Gay pride in Paris in June, 1996.
Francois Le Diascorn/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images

This couture-runway ready look featuring platform boots, a floral headdress attached to a veil and a voluminous white dress was photographed during pride month in France circa 1996.

PHOTO: Two participants in the gay pride parade in Berlin.
Two participants in the gay pride parade in Berlin.
Ullstein bild via Getty Images

This duo is giving true '90s high fashion accompanied by stylish sunglasses and statement-making red lipstick.

2000s

PHOTO: Marchers during 2004 New York City Gay Pride March at 5th Avenue, and The West Village in New York.
Marchers during the 2004 New York City Gay Pride March at 5th Avenue, and The West Village in New York.
Djamilla Rosa Cochran/WireImage/Getty Images

Gay Pride marchers channel "Sex and the City" vibes while stylishly walking down 5th Avenue.

PHOTO: Revelers watch the New York Gay Pride Parade, June 30, 2013, in New York.
Revelers watch the New York Gay Pride Parade, June 30, 2013, in New York.
Andrew Burton/Getty Images

During the 2013 New York Gay Pride Parade attendees celebrated a Supreme Court ruling that it was unconstitutional to ban gay marriage.

2019 and beyond

PHOTO: Visitors from Amsterdam march in the NYC Pride March, June 30, 2019, in New York.
Visitors from Amsterdam march in the NYC Pride March, June 30, 2019, in New York.
Kena Betancur/Getty Images

2019 marked the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots in New York's Greenwich Village -- inspiring people from all over the world to celebrate.

PHOTO: A parade goer wearing a rainbow Niqab poses during Pride, July 6, 2019, in London.
A parade goer wearing a rainbow Niqab poses during Pride, July 6, 2019, in London.
Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images

A London pride parade attendee wears a rainbow niqab paired with eye jewels and makeup.

PHOTO: A demonstrator wearing a rainbow face mask attends the 2020 Critical Pride parade in Madrid, June 28, 2020.
A demonstrator wearing a rainbow face mask attends the 2020 Critical Pride parade in Madrid, June 28, 2020.
Gabriel Bouys/AFP via Getty Images

Even during the coronavirus pandemic, many found ways to show their pride. Here, a demonstrator wears a vibrant flower crown and a rainbow-striped protective face mask.

PHOTO: Equality Parade marched through Warsaw, Poland, June 19, 2021.
Equality Parade marched through Warsaw, Poland, June 19, 2021.
Piotr Lapinski/NurPhoto via Getty Images

As the world begins to open, many people are excited to return back to pride celebrations feeling and looking their best.

Editor's note: This story was originally published on June 28, 2021.

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