For many LGBTQIA+ people, our style is integral to how we express ourselves. It’s a way to celebrate our vast and varied queerness, to signpost to people that we’re proud of who we are, and for us to play and experiment with our gender and sexual expression.
A perfect example of this are sunglasses, which offer an extension of your style, providing a vision for how you see the world. It’s why Sunglass Hut is so passionate about supporting the LGBTQIA+ community, helping people to embrace their sense of style and unleash their self-expression.
You see this fearlessness at Pride, when queer people come together to celebrate our similarities, differences and everything that makes us unique. GAY TIMES and Sunglass Hut have partnered to speak to three such LGBTQIA+ creatives about their style, the different shades of their personality and how they put their best selves forward.
Reece is a multifaceted creative whose Instagram and TikTok accounts are filled with aesthetically pleasing outfits that demonstrate a sense of playfulness when it comes to self-expression.
This applies to accessories and sunglasses. “Sunnies add many dimensions to a look,” he explains. “A reflective sheen, a shine of chrome, or a glitter of gold can add depth and a touch of glamour to even the simplest of looks.”
Michael, a makeup artist and content creator, has an Instagram account that’s all about serving bold looks and makeup with an artistic flair. He uses sunglasses to completely alter the energy of a look. “Any time someone’s eyes are hidden, I think it adds an element of mystery,” he says. “They can even accent makeup really nicely.”
For Olive, a fashion content creator, whose punk and androgynous style is informed by her sexuality and neurodivergence, sunglasses also offer a way to play with gender. “Sunglasses can add the perfect amount of masculinity or femininity to a look,” they explain.
How a person’s style manifests is, obviously, a personal thing. It’s a journey filled with adventure and experimentation, like bringing two seemingly clashing items together to create something unique and striking. “I enjoy the thrill of turning a potential catastrophe into the exact opposite,” Reece says.
This applies to makeup, too. “I like to think of makeup as a form of expression, in the same way that my personal style is a form of expressing who I am,” says Michael. “It all depends on how I’m feeling, where I’m going and the type of interactions I want to have with people around me.”
All queer people are aware of how they present themselves to the world, but our style offers opportunities to express our differences. “My style has often felt like a suit of armour that protects me,” says Reece. “Growing up, I was never really able to shy away from my identity. It was always something that made me proud to be different.”
“For a long time I didn’t feel fully comfortable in my sexuality or gender identity,” echoes Olive. “Now that I am finally completely comfortable with myself, I always want to be and dress as authentically as I can. I owe it to the younger me who was too afraid to.”
Pride is a perfect opportunity to let yourself play with your style and explore your sense of queer self-expression. “Pride is all year round for me in that respect,” says Reece. “But when the sun is shining and the rainbow flags are flying, the sense of community is ethereal and I always reach for my brightest and best clothes to be at one with the fab queers that surround me.”
Sunglasses can take this queer self-expression to the next level. Whether you’re into chic mini ‘90s frames or chunky ‘60s throwbacks, they’re an easy and accessible way to make a statement about who you are. It’s why Sunglass Hut and GAY TIMES want every LGBTQIA+ person to find their strength and authenticity by creating a space for queer self-expression to bring out every shade of you. As Michael says, “It’s about embodying the person you feel you’re meant to be, inside and out.”
Through style, beauty and accessories, LGBTQ+ people are able to express themselves in a multitude of ways, discover how at Sunglass Hut.
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