When you think of festival fashion what do you think of? Hippie attire? High fashion Coachella fits? Or even EDM raver clothes? Whatever festival outfit you think of, these clothes tend to be creative, carefree, fashion-forward, and fun. But how did this style evolve? And where can we go with it next? Let’s explore the history of music festival fashion all the way from the original Woodstock to the festivals today like Coachella, AfroPunk and Glastonbury.
THE LEGENDARY WOODSTOCK
No conversation about the history of music festivals can happen without mentioning Woodstock. The three-day 1969 festival has lived in the collective consciousness for decades now setting the standard for what a music festival should look like. And what did the lucky 400,000 who went to Woodstock look like?
‘Barely There Beauty’ – The hippie subculture of the 1960s celebrated everything natural, including the human body. Nudity was casual and accepted in Woodstock, but festival-goers also sported crocheted tops and other homemade attire. From tie-dye tee shirts to blue jeans covered in homemade patches, Woodstock fashion was definitely rooted in the handcrafted and rebellion against the perfectly put-together mainstream fashions of the day.
“The legacy of Woodstock fashion can be found in the attire of festival goers today,” said Love Khaos owner, Lauryn Strobel. “The spirit of free-thinking and creativity echoes in everything.” The spirit of Woodstock certainly lives on, but how did it evolve into the festival looks we see today?
REBEL, REBEL
The anti-establishment spirit of Woodstock lived on in festivals in the 70s and 80s, but a new subculture was in the mix – punk rock.
Leather jackets with politically motivated patches replaced the breezy crocheted garb of the hippies. Heavier worker boots replaced the carefree barefoot look. The music festival goers of the 1970s and 1980s were still free spirits and passionate like the ones at Woodstock, but their passion had an edge to it. The style had to be able to withstand the chaos of a mosh pit.
The mix of the hearty edge of punk fashion and the soft hippie look can be seen in the fields of music festivals today.
SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE
The 90s brought with it the rise of many new genres of music, while also maintaining the evolved folk, punk, and rock scenes that dominated before. Grunge, hip-hop, techno, and house music all burst onto the scene and the festival circuit grew to accommodate the loyal listeners. Lollapalooza and Glastonbury festivals took off and everything from oversize tee shirts and skater shoes to bright rave wear with cute space buns became commonplace and continue to dominate the festival look today.
LEGACY AND INNOVATION
https://www.pexels.com/photo/group-of-people-gathering-at-party-1537636/
The 2000s to today saw a huge factor come into the festival fashion scene – social media. With outfits posted for all to see, festival fashion evolved so that it could leave the field and seep into everyday wear. The chic modern bohemian look sported by Kate Moss and Sienna Miller took off and became a signature look of the festival scene, harkening back to the free-spirited hippies of Woodstock. And in the 2010s, the style evolved even more, especially with the massive influence of Beyonce’s 2018 Coachella set that wove together Black fashion from Egyptian goddesses to the Black Panthers and more.
But the ever-growing and expanding festival fashion can also give rise to unsustainable disposable fast fashion. Big stars, like Harry Styles, are embracing sustainable fashion brands and rejecting hyper-consumerist fast fashion.
NEW CLOTHES, SAME SPIRIT
Festival goers may look different than they did at Woodstock in 1969, but the spirit of that legendary festival lives on. Music festivals are about creativity, community, and art. That same independent anti-mainstream attitude still shows up in the outfits of festival goers today. Music festival fashion is mostly about freedom of expression, and there is no better time to embrace that than in the festival fields of today.
WORDS BY: MARTIN BROOKS
