Monthly Archives: November 2013

By Alexa Malevitis

In 1969 Woodstock introduced to America the music festival, opening a new world where music was not just audio stimulation, an evening’s entertainment or a pastime — but a lifestyle.

Rock journalist Jack Paytress of Q, the popular British music magazine, said in a recent article, “The elders might have sniffed at the sexual, and potentially revolutionary, undertones inherent in the new music, but here at last was a genuinely popular culture, endorsed by the masses and met by a seemingly non-stop flow of hard-up heroes armed simply with attitude and a guitar.”

In the late 1960s – before the days of corporate sponsored booths, blatant advertising and celebrity sightings – music festivals were nothing more than a small, growing phenomenon, cultivated by the people for whom music wasn’t just another excuse to get a little crazy, but was pretty much everything. There was a tangible spirit of freedom back then; a carefree, rebellious attitude influenced by the cultural climate of the times. Music festivals became a 1960’s cultural phenomenon, a movement to express the vision of love, peace and freedom inspired by the lyrics and beliefs of the musicians themselves.  The ‘60s youth culture and the music that reflected it went hand in hand.

Today, music festivals are unique in the cultures they attract and the fashion that follows. Each genre of music, whether it be electric dance music or country rock, has it’s own festival that attracts its own “genre” of festivalgoers. Now at music festivals, you can be creatively expressive not only with the music you listen to, but also with the clothes you wear.

Instead of one Woodstock, music fans today can choose from among the top-tier national festivals like Coachella, Lollapalooza or Austin City Limits, or attend one of the hundreds of smaller festivals that occur throughout the whole year. Huge stages, and artists from every conceivable genre now invade venues from tranquil country fields to peaceful city parks. And following each genre of artist are fans dressed in the appropriate attire.  Each event is a fashion blogger’s paradise, with an endless array of personal street style.  As much as it is a music festival, it is also a fashion show, a place to see and be seen.

The Fashion World Takes Note

Music festivals have become established venues for the world of fashion, attracting the top fashion magazines such as Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar as well as fashion bloggers and photographers galore. Girls wear their best outfits in hopes of appearing on vogue.com’s list “Best Looks of Coachella,” every fashion plate’s favorite music fest.

The Los Angeles Times recently stated, “In recent years, the festival has achieved another notoriety: as a world-class fashion parade where, to paraphrase the old Guns N’ Roses lyric, the grass is green, the girls are pretty, and laid-back street-ware choices can define the women who wear them at least as much as their musical predilections.”

From Lollapalooza to Coachella: Festival Styles

Music festivals are now unique in that every one has its own distinct style. The festival’s location, the generational diversity of the fans, and the type of music – from electronic dance to progressive country rock to hip hop and rap – all influence the styles to be seen. Pitchfork, Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits and Coachella are just a few of the top music festivals where the fashion is one of a kind. Each brings a different vibe, with urban swag or laid-back country chill. Two of the top festivals of the summer season are Coachella and Lollapalooza.  Both bring the season’s top trends and never disappoint with fashion.

Coachella

With a flower child California vibe, Coachella is one of the top, and most talked about, music festivals of the spring-summer season. Drawing celebrities, fashion bloggers and the top artists of the year, Coachella is a highly anticipated event. Vogue never misses the chance to cover the latest trends and snap high-end celebrities adorned with flower headbands and bright kimono tops.  Festivalgoers can be seen wearing short-as-you-dare cut-offs, gladiator sandals, teeny-weeny bikinis and midriff-baring tops. The hot desert weather calls for light, airy and flowy pieces. Other popular looks include big, floppy hats and oversized deco frame sunglasses to shade you from the blazing sun as well as studded leather ankle boots and a trusty cross body bag to hold your festival essentials. Coachella has created a fashion trend of its own. Many girls now use the term “Coachella chic” to describe their own personal style.

Lollapalooza

Head east and we are now in the hustle and bustle of downtown Chicago. Running parallel between Lake Michigan and Michigan Avenue, the Fifth Avenue of Chicago, sits Grant Park the site of another famous music festival, Lollapalooza. Since Lollapalooza is situated in the middle of a large city, the fashion trends look a little different, too. What would be logical choices for the fields of California are not necessarily appropriate for the cement jungle and urban parks of the city. As blazing temperatures seem to be standard for music festivals across the U.S., fashionistas still sport their jean cut-offs and crop tops. But now, the cut-offs are high waisted and the crop tops are splashed with neon colors or tribal or vintage prints. Combat boots and Doc Martens help protect against both the mud and dancing feet, while girls accessorize with gold rings and chain-link necklaces.

Every festival has its own vibe, but the spin you put on a festival look will be your own.  Festivals give fashionistas the chance to take the top trends and add something individual and unique to suit the occasion, says Zoe Mattioli, an SMU junior, blogger and avid festivalgoer.  “Music festivals bring out the top street style, where people can take the latest fashions and add a little rocker crazy to spice them up.”