What to Wear to Every Kind of Festival
With weekend two of Coachella upon us, we've officially entered the heralded "festival season." Aka, my favorite time of year. We know the trends: holographic, glitter, tribal, flash tattoos, fringe, the list goes on (please no Native American headdresses). But what if you aren’t a subscriber to the “fashion over everything” train? Personally, I like my festival attire to be comfy and a little sensible as well. Don’t get me wrong, I have gem stickers, purple hair, a fanny pack and holographic foam. But you won’t find me wearing high heeled booties, because ya girl’s got some bunions in the making if I keep wearing towering heels. So, below, I’ve broken it down into locations and suggested some attire for each category.
Desert (Coachella; Sun City Music Festival)
This is honestly one of the trickiest locales to dress for when you take the drastic temperature changes into account. You'll want a tank or light dress for that sun-soaked day, but as soon as the sun creeps down, you'll be shivering in that thin fabric. Tie a jacket around your waist that you can throw on as soon as that temperature dips, or, if you're brave, you can wear pants all day so your legs are at least covered in the evening. I personally could not stand to wear jeans to a festival, but to each her own. As for footwear, sturdy sandals, booties or sneakers, whatever floats your boat. There's not too much threatening the toes here. Oh, and I suggest a bandana to tie around your mouth in case all those stomping feet stirs up some dust. You can also soak it and knot around your neck for an instant cool-down.
City (Ultra Music Festival)
You'll be walking around a LOT and on hard pavement, so comfy shoes are key. Converse, high tops, your newest pair of Jordans (that's on you if you want to risk that...), up to you. Cutoffs and a crop top are always a go-to, but here's where your athleisure can really shine. Plus, don't forget you'll be popping in and out of Duane Reeds and running around in front of those poor, unfortunate non-festival goers, so if you're on the introvert end of the spectrum, you might want to err on the low key side.
Woods (Electric Forest; Firefly)
You're going to be walking (dancing) on all sorts of surfaces in this environment, not to mention, possibly getting a visit from our six- and eight-legged friends. Therefore, protect yo’self! Boots are crucial, as well as the tall socks to go with them. Don't worry, they don't have to be your dad’s nasty hiking boots, there's a huge range of possibilities. And don't forget the mud. I'd have my share of mud-pocalyptic fests, one of which I ended up throwing away my shoes and going barefoot for the remaining two days (peep it in the fourth picture below). DON'T BE ME. Bring rain boots! This kind of goes for any location (minus Beach), but these puppies will save you after a storm. When there's huge mud puddles everyone else has to go around, baby, you can just stomp on through. Plus, dancing in the rain is the best, as long as your feet aren't soaked and shriveled. Other than the trés important issue of footwear, the rest is pretty easy. Long dress, sundress, loose pants, you do you, my festie friends.
Beach (Hangout)
I mean, you're on the beach, so swim suit is a given. But what about over that? Whatever cover up strikes your fancy, whether that be flowy dress, loose tank or cut offs. Don't forget your suit will likely get wet at some point, so loose attire is suggested so it's not all soaked and uncomfortable clinging. Shoes gets a little difficult here because *sand*. Durable sandals are suggested here as well, with openings for the sand to pour out.
Stadium (Mad Decent Block Party; EDC)
This is pretty similar to City, except, once you're in, there's no leaving. So make sure you have a hat to shade yourself, the aforementioned comfy shoes and a light jacket for dancing after dark, especially if you're wearing that silver bodysuit from Nasty Gal.
Field (Panorama; Electric Zoo, ACL Music Festival)
This is probably the most versatile arena. You can pretty much wear whatever you fucking feel like, whether that's the gorgeous midi dress that blows in the wind *just so* or the denim thong (please don't) you had to buy before anyone else. But, keep in mind, this shit can get extremely muddy, extremely fast. See EZoo 2017. So proceed with caution and cover those ankles or get a cute pair of rain boots.
For All
After you've figured out your location-specific outfit, make sure you have a small bag to carry the necessities. It can be a fanny pack, backpack, CamelBak or even a Ziplock, as long as you can fit the essentials (sunscreen, lip balm, money and phone, if you choose, but definitely the first three) and it can get through security. Side note: waterproof is nice for those sudden rainstorms. Speaking of, number one thing at any music festival anywhere, anytime, STAY. HYDRATED.
Alright, leave questions and comments below, thank you for reading and have fun out there, my beautiful people!!
