What Should I Wear To a Music Festival?
When I was entertaining the idea of attending a music festival with friends for the upcoming summer, I started to think about what kinds of outfits I would wear throughout each of the days. So, I did some research online to find out the answers to all of the questions I had.
What should I wear to a music festival? The outfit that you wear to a music festival will depend on which one you are attending. If you plan to go to an EDM festival, your outfit should be bright and colorful. Other festival events that are more chic, such as Coachella, will have an entirely different style.
Even though music festivals do not have dress codes, there are unspoken ones among the frequent attendees. In order to assemble your clothing pieces, you will need to determine the look that you are going for and execute it, whether you purchase ready to wear pieces or opt to make your own.
There are so many different types of music festivals that bring fans of the genre together from all over the world. When these festivals are brought up in conversation, all of the colorful and ornate outfits that the festival-goers wear will usually come to mind.
Based on the fact that music festivals are known for the clothing ensembles that music fans put together, you might feel intimidated when it comes to putting assembling or creating your own outfit. If you are interested in finding out more about what to wear to your next music festival, keep reading for all of the details.
A Guide To Music Festival Outfits
When you are planning your outfits for a music festival, the types of clothing styles that you should go with will depend on which festival you are going to. Just like there are many different types of music festivals to attend, they each come with very different styles and vibes.
While every music festival is unique, they can be separated into two separate categories of dressing styles.
Electronic Dance Music (EDM) festivals consist of upbeat music, flashing lights, and colorful neon outfits in the crowd. The people who attend EDM festivals are known as ravers, which comes with a unique cultural style of its own.
Ravers will usually be seen wearing florescent colors, sparkly glitter, and even glow sticks. The clothing that is worn to an EDM festival or a rave is very distinct, and usually shorter due to the fact that these types of events involve a lot of jumping around and dancing in the crowd.
As a result, it can get very hot, which is why you will most likely see all types of ravers wearing shorts and tank tops, or maybe even less sometimes.
Other music festivals such as Coachella or Life Is Beautiful possess a much calmer and laid back environment. The types of music that can be heard at these events can range from pop to country to hip hop, and everything in between.
The general style for this kind of festival can be described as chic and stylish. If you have ever seen photos from one of these events, you might have seen a lot of trendy fedoras, round sunglasses, and tribal patterned kimonos.
To get an idea of the composition of each music festival style on either end, take a look at the list down below. In this section, we will be going over a general overview of the assembly of the average raver or chic outfit.
EDM/Rave Festival Styles For Women:
- 3D/LED glasses
- Bikini/crochet top
- High waisted/booty shorts
- Leggings/fishnets
- Sneakers
- Kandi bracelets
EDM/Rave Festival Styles For Men:
- 3D/LED glasses
- Face mask
- Tank top
- Board shorts
- Sneakers
- Kandi bracelets
We will begin this discussion with a general profile of a typical rave outfit for both guys and girls. Both genders will usually wear some kind of 3D or LED glasses, due to all of the bright flashing lights that are present at these types of festivals.
They are worn for fashion as well as function, to protect the eyes from the sun and constant shining lights, while still displaying the bright colors on the frames that EDM festivals are so famous for.
On the top, girls will usually wear bikini or crochet tops, or another style of cropped tank top. This allows for increased mobility in the arms, and will assist with cooling down in a hot environment.
The rest of a female raver’s outfit will be completed with high waisted or booty shorts over fishnet leggings, with sneakers at the bottom.
Male ravers, on the other hand, will usually wear tank tops and board shorts with sneakers on their feet. Their faces are commonly covered on the bottom portion with some kind of mask or decorative bandana.
While attending a rave, you will see thousands of colorful accessories called Kandi bracelets almost everywhere you go. Kandi bracelets are made up of bright neon pony beads, and are usually worn in large quantities.
These bracelets are normally made at home, and can be customized to match any outfit. Many ravers will fit as many Kandi bracelets as they can along both of their arms and watch the lights reflect off of them during performances.
Chic Festival Styles For Women:
- Sunglasses
- Crochet/knit top
- Flowy shorts/pants
- Sandals
- Necklaces and rings
Chic Festival Styles For Men:
- Sunglasses
- Button up/patterned shirt
- Distressed shorts/pants
- Sneakers
- Bandana (headband)
- Watch
The average woman who attends a more chic music festival such as Coachella will look very different from a female raver. For starters, they will usually be seen wearing regular sunglasses in a stylish shape.
The whole style of these festivals are loose, flowy, and relaxed, while rave clothing is tight, sparkly, and a little bit more revealing.
On the bottom, female music festival fans will wear comfortable shorts or pants with a lose and light material. You could describe these pieces as “boho” style, and they will usually have some kind of pattern on them.
Unlike EDM festivals, the colors are much more neutral and mellow at one of these events. Instead of sneakers, there will most likely be sandals on the bottom, since the culture of these festivals are almost the complete opposite.
These types of festivals can be very relaxed, depending on the type of music that is being performed. In general, there will not be crowds swarming a stage in the dark jumping up and down and dancing energetically.
The visual image of a festival like Coachella is a lot of stylish people walking around or sitting on blankets in a wide open field of grass, and this energy is reflected in the outfits that the attendees wear.
Necklaces and rings are the main accessories for chic music festivals. The jewelry is usually very calm and minimal, just like the rest of the outfit.
For the men who attend chic-style music festivals, the outfit will start with similar trendy sunglasses, with a loose button up shirt on the top. These shirts are usually very flowy, comfortable, and are worn unbuttoned very frequently.
The rest of the average male festival-goer’s outfit will conclude with distressed short or pants, and a cozy pair of sneakers on the bottom. As far as accessories go, you might see the men wearing bandanas around their foreheads like a headband, or a nice classy watch on their wrist.
Now that you have a basic understanding of what kind of style is associated with each category of music festival, you will be headed in the right direction when it is time to put together your own ensemble.
Whether you will be attending EDC and wearing a rave outfit, or going with the chic approach for Coachella, the information in the rest of this article will help you to make a decision, and even learn how to make some of your own customized pieces.
How To Assemble a Music Festival Outfit
Now that you are able to differentiate between the two different music festival clothing styles and you have probably chosen which one is appropriate for you to go with, you might still need some additional guidance when it comes to actually putting the outfits together.
You know exactly what types of pieces you should be using for the festival in question, buy you might not be sure how to put them together for a stylish and comfortable outfit.
When in doubt about how to assemble your outfits, use the list of tips down below for some additional guidance. In this section, we will be establishing some general guidance and ground rules for picking your music festival outfits.
How To Assemble a Music Festival Outfit:
- Stay true to yourself and your own style
- Choose one piece that will stand out/statement piece
- Come prepared for cold weather
- Wear closed toed shoes
- Simplicity is key (don’t have too many components in the same outfit)
The first step that will go into assembling your music festival outfit after you have decided what style you are going for is to make sure that you are staying true to yourself and your own style in some way.
While it is true that music festivals do follow a bit of an unspoken dress code, and all of the people in attendance will go with the same general guidelines of style, you don’t want to be too far out into left field with what you choose to wear.
For example, if you normally wear loose fitting clothes in your every day life and it’s not your usual style to wear sleeveless tops, you might want to choose a flow tank top instead. You can still dress the part while wearing what still feels comfortable to you.
At the end of the day, the entire music festival experience is intended for you to have a good time and create memories. You won’t be able to enjoy the moment if you are constantly worried about adjusting your clothing or checking how you look every five minutes.
To avoid taking all of the life and fun out of what a music festival is supposed to be, choose an outfit that you will be able to walk around in all day and feel comfortable and confident in.
Next, you will want to choose just one piece out of your entire outfit that will serve as your statement piece. A statement piece is just one component in an outfit that stands out and grabs all of the attention.
For instance, if you someone is wearing a beige dress with black shoes and a colorful orange scarf, the scarf would obviously be the statement piece because it would stand out against all of the other components of the outfit.
It is very important that you only choose one statement piece out of everything that you are wearing, in order to avoid your outfit being all over the place. You want to keep everything stylish and tasteful, instead of having twenty different statement pieces all over your body.
In addition, you will always need to come prepared for any kind of weather changes that could occur. While it is true that most of these music festivals are held in the Spring and Summer months when it is warm and the sun is out, there is always still a chance for rain and thunderstorms.
As a result, you should always come prepared with some kind of jacket just in case things go wrong. This way, you can protect the outfit you spent so much time putting together while you stay warm and out of the wet cold.
When you are getting to the bottom of your outfit, you want to make sure that the shoes you are choosing to complete your ensemble will actually protect your feet. In other words, your choice of shoe should be closed toed, something very similar to a running shoe, for optimal comfort and safety.
Even if you will be attending a more relaxed festival such as Life Is Beautiful or Coachella, you will still be walking around in the dirt and potential mud for hours at a time each day.
If you were to wear sandals or open toed shoes, you can get your feet dirty or even experience cuts from sharp grass, twigs, or splinters that are sticking up from the ground.
In general, it is just a good idea to wear comfortable and protective sneakers or running shoes that you won’t mind getting dirty. No matter which type of festival you are going to, there is the common thread of walking around on the ground and dancing to music, which will require some safety precautions.
The good thing about this, however, is that there are plenty of sneakers that you can find to match with the outfit you have planned. Even better, they can be comfortable and even relatively low priced.
While planning your festival outfit, look out for a nice running shoe that matches your colors, but also keep in mind that they might get ruined or dirty throughout your adventures, so don’t spend too much money on them.
The last tip that you should keep in mind while you are assembling your music festival outfit is that simplicity is key. To go along with the statement piece that was mentioned earlier in this section, you do not want to have too much going on throughout your outfit.
When you stick to the rule of being true to your style as well as choosing only one statement piece to be the center of your ensemble, you should have no problem pulling together a simple yet amazing outfit for any kind of music festival or rave that you are planning to attend.
While choosing your outfit for any kind of music festival, there are a few helpful tips that you should keep in mind while doing so. Take a look at the list below to get some insight on this topic.
Tips For Music Festival Dressing:
- Don’t wear your best clothing
- Go with comfort over style
- Keep the weather in mind
- Don’t be afraid to add accessories
No matter what type of music festival you are attending, you should expect to be on your feet and moving around a lot. This will also include extensive heat, since most of these take place in summer, as well as treading through dirt for hours on end.
In general, you should dress with these expectations, while going with comfort over style. Don’t forget to check the weather thoroughly and plan accordingly, without being afraid to add accessories to your outfit.
How To Make Your Own Music Festival Clothing For EDM Festivals
When it comes to EDM music festivals, in particular, there are a lot of individual components that go into how you dress and how your outfits are put together. These types of festivals are known for bright colors and neon clothing with lots of accessories, and the ravers are notorious for going all out in this aspect.
The task of putting together an entire outfit for a rave, especially if it is your first time attending one, can seem very intimidating. However, it is actually easier than you might think to come up with some unique outfit ideas and execute them before you go.
In order to get around all of the trouble that comes with shopping for music festival outfits and trying to find the perfect pieces that you envision in your head, you can simply just make some of your own.
Don’t worry, you don’t have to be a professional seamstress or have any kind of fashion design experience to do this. With the right idea in your head of exactly how you would like your vision to play out, the tips and tricks in this section will get your thinking process flowing with techniques that you can use to alter your clothing.
Take a look at the list down below to find out how you can manipulate existing clothing pieces to make them fit for an EDM festival, along with some accessories that you can make from home in just a few hours with a small amount of money.
DIY Music Festival Clothing/Accessories:
- Make cuts into existing clothes
- Attach glow sticks to your clothing pieces
- Wear homemade Kandi bracelets
- Glue fake flowers to a headband
- Add glitter to your skin and face
- Paint a picture/design on a T-shirt
The first thing that you can do in order to create you own EDM music festival clothing piece is to make cuts in existing pieces. Even though it might sound like a very simple action that won’t do much to the style of the clothing, you can actually turn something old into something completely new when you are strategic with your cuts.
Some popular cutting techniques for EDM outfits include making vertical cuts on the stomach area of a T-shirt for a tassel effect, making slits or shaped openings in the sides of clothing pieces, cutting longer pants into shorts, and making your own tank top out of an oversized tee.
As you can see, there are a lot of things that you can do to a piece of clothing with a simple pair of scissors. Instead of trying to go through the process of designing and sewing something new, you can manipulate the materials you already have access to.
For some added brightness on any clothing piece, you can attach glow sticks in one way or another. You can secure them to the bottoms of shorts or tops, glue them in a particular position to make letters or patterns, and more.
You could even scratch the clothing idea and just make the glow sticks themselves into accessories. These can be worn as necklaces, bracelets, and even head bands. Once you get your hands on a few bags of glow sticks from your local craft store, the possibilities of what you can create from them will be virtually endless.
The next thing that you can do at home in order to help you put together an amazing music festival outfit is to make your very own Kandi bracelets. If you have ever been to a rave or seen photos of these types of events, you might have noticed the colorful beaded bracelets that were present on almost everyone’s arms.
Kandi bracelets are a staple in EDM culture, and are worn as accessories by both male and female ravers. Not only are they made as decorations to fit in with colorful ensembles, but they are also traded as souvenirs to serve as a personalized reminder of that particular event.
To make these bracelets, all you will need is a set of neon pony beads of your choice, and some elastic string for the bracelet part of the accessory. The process will include stringing the beads onto the elastic in the pattern that you choose, followed by both ends being tied together to secure them in place.
If you have an old headband with nothing on it, you don’t have to disregard it when you are digging through your drawer for rave accessories. Instead, you can make a trip to the craft store to buy some fake flowers to attach to it.
All you will need for this process is a bunch of artificial flowers, chosen for your outfit preferences, some strong super glue, and any other miscellaneous items that you might come across during your shopping trip,
You can choose to add shiny rhinestones, colorful beads, or anything else that you feel would go great with your ensemble. All of these items can be secured to the headband with glue and worn to any music festival you are planning on attending.
Another main accessory when it comes to EDM music festivals is glitter. This can be found in the form of makeup that already has adhesive, or you can just pick up a few containers of loose glitter from a craft store.
The glitter itself can be glued onto a piece of clothing in a particular pattern using a strong adhesive, or it can be incorporated into intricate makeup looks. Female ravers can wear anything from sparkly eyeshadow to colorful skin highlighters and even shiny lipsticks.
On the other hand, you can choose to just dump the bucket of glitter all over yourself, covering your hair and skin. When you include glitter in your rave outfit, you will certainly stand out against the crowd then the lights start flashing.
The final technique that you can use in order to make your own DIY rave clothing pieces is just simply painting a design onto a T-shirt. You can find fabric paint at almost any craft store, and get to work with your creative vision with a few different sized paint brushes.
You can choose to write words or letters on your clothing, paint a picture, or even create your own unique pattern. Whatever you decide to do with the paint, your customized clothing piece will definitely be one of one.
