It’s that time of year again – when thousands of music lovers pack up their tents,wellies and waterproofs, and get ready for a long weekend of dancing, drinking and general tomfoolery. Yes, festival season is here once again, with a jam-packed calendar of music and cultural events taking place across the world this summer.
Ever since the heady days of Woodstock in 1969, there’s always been something so alluring about festivals –with their carefree atmosphere, and sense of fun. Today, the long-standing stalwarts of the festival scene – Glastonbury, Reading and Leeds, Isle of Wight – are more polished, big-scale affairs with corporate sponsorship, over-priced merchandise and big-name line-ups, but the wild, hedonistic vibe – and sense that anything can and that anything can happen (including losing your wallet, camera and phone when crowd-surfing) still prevails.
But the best thing about festivals today? That there’s something for everyone. If you’re looking for a more alternative festival experience, then try the mad dress up of The Secret Garden Party or Bestival. More of a dance music fan? The hit London’s festivals like Field Day and Love Box. Abroad the festivals get even more out there – dancing in a medieval castle in Serbia at Exit, by a mountain in Japan or on a beach in Croatia at the Garden Festival. And if live music and warm pints of cinder aren’t for you, there are now hundreds of alternative, smaller scale festivals for the culturally-minded – Port Eliot literary festival, Latitude, or the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Another big reason we love festival season (predictably) is the fashion. Every year we get a case of serious wardrobe envy when the likes of Alexa Chung, Daisy Lowe and Kate Bosworth are snapped in an effortless outfit perfect for dancing in the mosh pit or chilling backstage. Emma Watson even managed to make wellies, denim cut-off and a corset look cool last year. But nailing a stylish festival look can be tricky, especially when all you have is a backpack to stuff with wet wipes ( a festival essential, trust us) and your weekend wardrobe. As seasoned festival goers, we’ve found the easiest way to style yourself at festivals is to pack basics – and then accessorize to the max for a truly unique look. So to inspire your festival fashion, we’ve picked four very different festivals – created a capsule wardrobe for each…
Sonar
This hip dance festival in Barcelona takes place in an old aircraft hangar, and cool club venues across the city. The look here is bright, bold and ready for the dance-floor – eye-catching accessories like this gold bold necklace and printed pouch (roomy enough for money, a phone and camera) are ideal. When hitting the beach during the day, wear this printed scarf to keep your head cool.
Glastonbury
This legendary festival in the Wiltshire countryside needs little introduction. Channel a classic hippie chic look and you’ll look cool alongside Alexa, Kate Moss and co. You can’t go wrong with wooden accessories such as this wooden brooch and beads, and a gold leaf headband is an easy way to keep unwashed hair looking pretty all weekend.
Bestival
This hedonistic festival on the Isle of Wight has a different fancy dress theme every year – meaning that anything goes, with out-there outfits ranging from a silver space suit to a giant toilet! At the tamer end of the scale, a lot of Bestival-goers stick to bold make-up and neon clothes when they tire of their costumes. Take this boho purple bag for stashing your essentials, and accessorize with a neon chain – as seen on Eliza Doolittle (a frequent festival performer).
Coachella
This uber-cool festival in the heart of the California desert sees Hollywood starlets like Kate Bosworth, Dita Von Deese, Rachel Bilson and Diane Kruger dancing to live acts and posing at pool parties in on-trend outfits. Coachella may be over for another year, but there’s no reason why you can’t take the festival fashion as your inspiration for another event. The vibe is California cool with a little bit of the Navajo trend thrown in – think feather jewelry like these earrings, and bold silver jewelry – we love this scratched cuff. Finish off the look with a cowboy inspired belt.
