dressed to fest
Why your Coachella attire won't cut it at Lolla
Thanks to social media, your festival wardrobe is now as important as the band on stage. Instagram photos of bands performing often take a back seat to a Lo-Fi photo of girls clad in cutoffs and crop tops, a hipster man in a plaid button up and pork pie hat lurking in the background. It’s not so much about hearing the music, but seeing what others wear when they go to festivals.
The fashion scene at music festivals is fed by women’s magazines and online blogs, which pull together endless photo slideshows of the “Best Dressed at Coachella,” galleries full of festival goers, all working hard to look like they didn’t work hard to look good in their hippie attire. Coachella especially emphasizes fashion, as it’s a festival that draws major celebrities into the Indio Valley. The Los Angeles Times reported that designers provide celebs with free clothing before festivals, hoping the stars will wear their garb and get photographed while traipsing through the desert festival. The Daily Beast reported that for the 2014 Coachella Festival, Lacoste reportedly will pay Glee celeb Lea Michele $20,000 to wear their brand and attend their Coachella party. Joe Jonas, on the other hand, is looking for a sponsor to pay him the $20,000 to promote their brand while at the fest. What once was a laidback, truly “free spirit” festival has now turned into yet another publicity playground for celebs. The queens of this game: Vanessa Hudgens and Kate Bosworth.
For the average festival attendee, there isn’t a sponsor paying their way and wardrobe during the event. But the photos that us mere mortals post on Instagram feel just as important as the paparazzi shots in People from the two-weekend affair. Each festival comes with it’s own sense of style, and here’s our guide to mastering each vibe.
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CULTURE