ZazzMode Review: Gay-Owned Pride Tees With a Punchline

Most Pride merchandise appears in June, says very little and is gone by July. ZazzMode pride tees are built to be worn all year. The US brand was founded by Troy Ford, a classically trained cellist with a sharp sense of humour, alongside his creative partner Eric, a strategist. ZazzMode is proudly gay-owned and openly designed around the lives and in-jokes of gay men, while welcoming “anyone fabulous enough to join the party”. The range is all T-shirts, all at one price, and the jokes do the heavy lifting. Here is what is worth buying, how the shop works, and what to check before you order.

What makes ZazzMode pride tees different?

Mostly the writing. Plenty of brands print a rainbow and call it a day; ZazzMode builds each design around a line you might actually say out loud. The catalogue runs to about a hundred designs, every one a $29.99 tee, split into three collections. Wear Your Words carries the slogan shirts, Art With Attitude leans on bold illustration, and Paws With Pride, now the biggest strand at around half the range, pairs breed-specific dog art with dog-dad humour. Older favourites sit in a Signature Collection on the homepage. The tone is cheeky rather than crude, and the politics are present but light: equal rights sits on a checklist next to brunch. If your taste runs to quiet minimalism, this is not your shop, and the brand would be the first to say so.

Which ZazzMode designs are worth buying first?

Start with the shirt that sums up the brand. The Ask Me About My Gay Agenda Tee lists that agenda as a three-step checklist (Brunch, Glitter, Equal rights) in rainbow lettering, in five colours including white, light pink and dark chocolate. For something more reflective, the We Are the Legacy Queer Dance Tribute Tee sets a row of dancing silhouettes above the line “We are the legacy of those who danced before us”, a nod to the disco floors and protest culture that shaped queer history. It comes in ten colours, from sand and yellow haze to coral silk. Elsewhere, Drama Is My Cardio puts a retro fitness character under the subtitle “Burning Bridges and Calories”, and the Pride Pup Power Tee features the brand’s rainbow-waving cartoon mascot.

Is the Paws With Pride range more than a gimmick?

Surprisingly, yes. Rather than one generic dog, there are designs for specific breeds, from dachshunds, beagles and French bulldogs to Great Danes, greyhounds and schnauzers, each with its own joke. The standout is the I Came Out, My Dog Didn’t Care tee: a grinning golden puppy in a rainbow bandana in front of a rainbow arc, offered in eight colours. It is funny, but it also lands a genuinely warm point about unconditional love, which makes it an easy coming-out or birthday gift. Others are pure silliness, such as the poodle that is “Classy Sassy Slightly Judgmental”. If you know a proud dog owner, this collection is where ZazzMode is at its most charming.

What should you check before ordering from ZazzMode?

Three things. First, sizing: every shirt comes in S to XL, with chest widths of 18 to 24 inches, and only a handful of designs go up to 5XL. Because each tee is printed to order, ZazzMode will not accept returns or exchanges for the wrong size or a change of heart, so measure a T-shirt you already own against the size chart on each listing. Damaged, misprinted or defective items are replaced or refunded if you email within 30 days of delivery. Second, delivery: the shipping policy covers the US only and allows seven to ten days from order to doorstep, so readers outside America should confirm delivery before checking out. Third, fabric: the homepage promises 100% cotton and OEKO-TEX certified inks, but a few listings say “cotton blend”, so check the product page if fibre content matters to you.

Who is ZazzMode for, and is it worth $29.99?

It is for anyone who wants their T-shirt to start a conversation: Pride regulars, brunch loyalists, proud dog dads and the friends who shop for them. At $29.99 a shirt it is priced above supermarket basics and in line with independent print-on-demand labels, and the site currently takes 15% off when you buy two or more shirts, with free US shipping on those orders. The limits are real: no returns for fit, a T-shirt-only range and a US-first shipping set-up. But if you want visibility with a sense of humour, and money going to an independent gay-owned brand, ZazzMode is an easy one to recommend. Start with a slogan you would happily say yourself.

This article contains affiliate links; we may earn a commission if you buy through them. Prices are in US dollars as listed on zazzmode.com in October 2026 and may change. Offers and shipping terms are the brand’s own; check them at checkout.