With Osheaga behind us, we’ve got only a few festivals left before concerts remain just that, and watching music outside is a distant, warm memory. However, with great festivals comes great fashion, and in celebration of dressing to express (and to stay cool), here are our tips for festival fashion and how to make it your own.
Function Over Fashion
With photos of A-listers dominating our feeds after April’s Coachella, festivals have become a platform for aestheticism with what you’re wearing now almost as important as who you’re seeing play. However, while you may want to don wedges from the sidelines or give that new silk dress a try, it’s key to remember you’re at an outdoor concert venue: weather, mud and other people are now factors in your ensemble, so while you may think trudging across fields in heels and a mini is doable, mother nature may prove otherwise.
Not a Costume Party
You may have seen pictures of girls donning Native-inspired headdresses or embracing other cultural tributes, but while music is a great platform for expression, irony for the sake of it is not. It’s great to take risks over the course of a weekend, but if you’re the person wearing a fur hat in 30-degree temperatures (or the person wearing a sparkly bathing suit in the midst of a cold rainstorm), you may want to re-think the statement you’re trying to make.
Make It Makeshift
You’ll be hard-pressed to find someone who leaves a music festival wearing the same thing they arrived in, so if you’re hoping to make a perfectly structured ensemble last, you may want to re-think your plan. Since musical festivals are a celebration of eclecticism (among other things), feel free to play around with layers and accessories, wearing pieces that will still work if you lose a shirt or roll up your pants, while protecting yourself from the elements simultaneously. (Read: a bandana is not a shirt regardless of how hot is it out.)
Bag It
Depending on how active you get on the festival circuit, it’s imperative to have a bag that not only functions properly, but also works with the look you’ve got going on. Not only are backpacks bulky and impractical (you’ll absolutely hate carrying it by the third hour), but small purses will likely get lost or break after a few days of carrying around the kitchen sink. Your best bet? A canvas or leather shoulder bag: not only can you bring water, sunscreen and the million essentials, but you can sling it over your shoulder to prevent leaving it in the beer tent after a few too many.
