Stuck on what to wear to Mardi Gras? Here is some outfit inspo

WORDS RUSSH Editors PUBLISHED Fri, 1 Mar 2024 - 4:18 pm

Queer Christmas is around the corner, though it comes at a sombre time for the community in light of the alleged murder of Jesse Baird and Luke Davies at the hands of a police officer.

It's not the first time police violence hangs over the parade – which, after all, was originally a protest-turned-riot incited by local law enforcement. While police were uninvited to the parade this year, organisers have shifted to welcoming officers as long as they aren't in uniform, a decision that has divided the LGBTIQA+ community.

Given this, it's never been more important to stage Mardi Gras, both for joy and celebration – especially at a time when it can feel so out of reach – but also as a defiant and deliberate choice to occupy space and be seen. As we march forward the 2024 Mardi Gras theme, Our Future, is more poignant than ever; a clarion call to imagine and demand a future where queer folk can thrive.

So what does that future look like? Fashion is a way to externalise our identity, intentions, and manifest who we want to be. It's also historically been a way for queer folk to recognise each other. While dressing for Mardi Gras as a queer person is a deeply personal endeavour and therefore non-prescriptive, there are some themes and cult figures that have always stood out as inspiration. Beyond rainbow dressing and glitter (biodegradable only of course) leather, latex, and barely-there looks are prolific at pride, each tied-up with identity and subculture like those pictured in a Robert Mapplethorpe or Catherine Opie photograph.

On the other hand, for allies, attending Mardi Gras offers the freedom to explore your own tastes, be bold, and get creative with your style, as long as you're doing so respectfully, mindful of the space you take up. Below, find a selection of pieces to shop if you're attending Mardi Gras. Unless you're queer: you don't need our help, you already have great style. For the rest of you, forget the costume, nothing stands out like a well-appointed look.