7 of the Coolest Clothing Brands by and for Queer People

Everyone is so over corporate Pride and rainbow capsule collections that come out every June. Especially when the fashion industry is held up, invented, and reinvented by queer people. As queer and trans visibility is higher than ever, so are the aesthetics, and queer fashion designers are shining more than ever before.

Hailey Bieber's Mini Leather Tote Is Crazy Expensive, but We Found Cheaper Alternatives

Gender is, for many people, a constant work in progress, but that doesn’t mean the road to self-discovery has to be one of suffering. We can and do look good! Yes, plenty of mass retailers churn out rainbow-tinted Pride gear for the month of June, but there are plenty of smaller, queer-owned brands putting the work in to create collections that people actually want to wear. (And if they don’t want to yet, they will in a few seasons when the look is everywhere.)

Freedman has a piece of advice for the fashion brands that have additional work to do when it comes to fostering queer wellness and identity.”Listen to queer consumers and hire queer employees! And create products and services that the community is missing,” Freedman says.

Justin Bieber Just Proved Men Can Wear Mary Janes Too

The 7 brands featured below do just that, featuring a great mix of dressy and casual, sexy and chill. Ignore those tired “men’s” and “women’s section” labels when you head to the store. It’s time to wear whatever makes you feel like you.

How to Watch Orphan Black: Echoes Live