And the birthday suit.
I know, this is the part you’ve been waiting for. These types of festivals are notorious for a few things, one of which is people who don’t want to wear clothes. To be honest, this is something I anticipated and thought would make me a bit uncomfortable. To my pleasant surprise, while baring it all at a festival is not my personal cup of tea, my feeling once we were there was “more power to them!”
Being in the 90’s (farenheit) with what felt like 100% humidity, I think it’s a given that pretty much none of the guys wore shirts. And of course in mainstream society this isn’t considered anything worth talking about - which is a whole other topic in itself ;-)
What was really inspiring and empowering to me were the number of women comfortable enough in their own skin to let their free flag fly and go topless all weekend. And this is not to say that fashion played no role. From stickers over the nipples in all shapes and colors, to body jewelry and chains decorating the midriff, arms or shoulders, even these minimalist fashion accessories were well thought out and carefully chosen.
Beautifully done tattoos, designs shaved in body hair and dreadlocks were among my personal favorites when it came to physical birthday suit decor. One guy shaved all of his chest hair, save for a patch in the shape of a heart right in the middle. All I can hope is that he continues to wear it that way, because, why not?
If you’re ever seeking a powerful and beautiful mass display of self expression, look no further than a festival near you. And if you’ve got plans to attend and don’t want to look like a rookie, feel free to use this as your starter guide.