The Freedom of Festival Fashion
Image Courtesy: Pinterest
When you think of festivals (especially EDM), bright eye-catching outfits often come to mind. From psychedelic patterns to holographic colors, vibrant pashminas and platform boots, the opportunities for creativity with festival outfits are limitless. Just like other fashion trends, festival clothes are always evolving, and can often be inspired by current fashion outside of the festival world. Now, these extravagant outfits would look over-the-top in any other public setting, so why are they so glorified at music festivals? Music festivals are all about peace, love, unity, and respect. People from all different backgrounds and lifestyles come together to listen to the music that they love, dancing and making friends along the way. Music festivals are a quick escape for anybody, whether you are a stressed college student or an overwhelmed adult working 40 hours a week at the office. Everybody can share these blissful moments with the artists and each other, making music festivals a recipe for good vibes.
The atmosphere at music festivals is extremely accepting and welcoming to all, encouraging everybody to express themselves however they want. Have you ever felt drawn to a bold, unusual patterned shirt, or a pair of bold statement boots, but never known how to incorporate them into the mix of your established, tried and true sense of style? In the mindset of embracing individuality, these articles of clothing are encouraged at music festivals! Nobody will do a double-take at you, no matter what you are wearing at music festivals -- unless it is to compliment you, as being confident in yourself and what you are wearing is encouraged in these environments. This is the true beauty of festival fashion: expressing yourself however you like, and embracing it without fear of judgment.
With festival fashion constantly evolving, there are some trends to be on the lookout for shortly. Some key themes stay consistent throughout the evolution of festival fashion, such as aliens, mermaids, and other magical creatures; but more recently, we have seen the trend of holographic and reflective clothing and accessories grow tremendously compared to previous years. There has also been a rise in matching two-piece outfits, such as a cropped bralette and matching pants, shorts, or a skirt in all types of funky patterns. Additionally, clothes sporting buckle straps have also seen a rise in popularity lately. All-black outfits with accented jewelry such as heavy chain belts have also become increasingly popular among festival crowds.
This trend, in particular, is somewhat surprising to me because I associate raves with being very bright and colorful; but perhaps this increase in monochrome black outfits is due to the rising revival of the "grunge" look popularized in the 1990s and well-loved ever since.
Overall, festival fashion encourages people to be who they want to be through the clothes they wear. Embracing this individuality boosts confidence, and being surrounded by uplifting people who all feel comfortable and confident in themselves and what they are wearing is an incredible and sometimes life-changing experience that empowers every individual to truly embrace themselves, both inside and outside of music festivals.
Strike Out,
Writer: Kailen Bender
Editors: Giselle Parks and Savannah Tindall
Tallahassee