Music has always influenced fashion. Musicians are among the only people who can do, say and wear whatever they want well into adulthood. People have copied the fashions of rock stars since the dawn of rock music, but it is only recently that the normal people at concerts have also become style inspirations. Massive outdoor festivals are known to spark trends, with attendees competing to be noticed and photographed.
Woodstock
This seminal festivals were landmarks for the way they legitimized genres that had previously been discounted and disregarded. Pictures of audience members at Woodstock are more recognizable than the names of most of the performers. Woodstock took place in 1969, before the counterculture became mired in cynicism. It’s no wonder that pretty much every subsequent festival has tried to recreate the atmosphere that Woodstock cultivated so effortlessly.
Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza gave a voice to young adults in the mid-’90s who were tired of being labeled “Generation X.” The festival gave them a sense of belonging. This festival was awash in the grunge stylings of that era, though the look became more sanitized and prefabricated each year.
Kate Moss
As is true of so many trends, Kate Moss was one of the first people to attend music festivals and turn it into an extension of her personal brand. She could be seen swanning around the dreary, muddy Reading Festival year after year, wearing impossibly chic combinations of utilitarian gear and outlandishly glamorous outerwear. Though the festival look has evolved considerably since Kate’s early years on the festival circuit, her functional and comfortable approach still persists. Even today, it is not uncommon to see women at the Reading Festival wearing fur coats with wellington boots.
Coachella
There have been a few contenders on the east coast, but California’s Coachella Festival is the American modern-day answer to Woodstock. This is the age of Instagram, so attendees deliberately dress up like angelic hippies. The look that has come to be associated with Woodstock was a result of the terrible weather that weekend, which means that Coachella fashionistas often walk around the California desert dressed like New Yorkers who are expecting a rain storm. It’s incongruous and amusing, which is why festival fashion has become such a sensation. Army boots, cargo jackets and flannel shirts are frequently borrowed from Lollapalooza and thrown on top of these already layered hippie get-ups. Celebrities like Vanessa Hudgens and Selena Gomez have boosted their careers simply by showing up to Coachella and looking great.
When someone wears the festival look, they are advertising their own supposed life of leisure, since it is not a style that is appropriate for any workplace. Lucky for us, these festival fashions are now available from mainstream clothing manufacturers. Even if your budget is tight, you can save on stylish festival-inspired wardrobe essentials with coupons for Yoox from Discountrue. So, put on your Doc Martens, weave some flowers into your hair and walk around like every day is festival day—you’ll never be more on trend!