With Glastonbury almost upon us there is no doubting that festival season is in full swing in the UK and in addition to the music that can only mean one thing… festival fashion. There is no denying that festival dressing has hugely evolved over the years as beautifully documented in this blog post by Red Bull. I went to my first Glastonbury back in 2004, wearing a pair of £8 wellies from B&Q, I simply can’t imagine anyone doing that nowadays! These days the first question for festival goers is not ‘which bands are we going to see’ but ‘what am I going to wear’! From leather knee high festival boots and micro denim shorts to sequined jumpsuits and ankle boots, festival fashion has come on leaps and bounds in the last decade or so. Festival goers put more time into planning their outfits than they do planning their weekend. For some the music is purely incidental.
The festival feel has become more glamourous and much more daring of recent years! If you don’t spend hours on your hair, make up and fake tan beforehand (or even go so far as to have it professionally taken care of) are you even going to a festival?! I can’t imagine the hard work it takes to maintain these looks during a 3 day extravaganza!
Coachella definitely raised the bar in the festival fashion stakes and as it takes place in April (way before the UK Festival season begins) it sets the scene for the festival looks for the rest of the year. The US based festival has been responsible for some of the most glamourous outfits of recent years, if you don’t believe me then check out this article from Harper’s Bazaar.
But let’s not get carried away, Coachella takes place in LA, in the desert! Welly boots and rainmacs are most definitely not required! It’s easy to look glamorous in 30 degree heat, it’s much more of a challenge in the middle of a very muddy field in the pouring rain in the British countryside! I mean, we love the simplicity of actress Emma Roberts white dress and beige boots that she wore to Coachella 2018 but can you imagine wearing that to Glastonbury?!
In the United kingdom the festival look began to evolve during the mid 2000’s. This sea change most definitely occurred when queen of festival dressing Kate Moss was spotted in a sparkly tunic, micro shorts and a pair of Hunters at Glastonbury 2005! Showing that it was possible to look effortlessly cool in a pair of wellies! It was such a simple but iconic look and one that is still replicated at festivals the world over today. Hunter certainly has a lot to thank Kate Moss for!
It’s not only Kate’s 2005 look that has gone down in festival folklore, she has pulled it out of the bag time and time again, click here to take a closer look at her most stylish looks;
If you are lucky enough to be heading to one of the many festivals taking place this year then chances are you already have your outfit planned, but if not here are some looks you might want to consider:
The Boho Look
Think Sienna Miller in the mid noughties; tousled hair, and a whimsical attitude. Essentials for this look are a flowing dress like this one from Anthropologie paired with a big chunky belt and a cute pair of ankle boots such as cowboy boots or our Brogue tan ankle boots
The rock look
The key to this look is to not look like you have tried too hard. The linchpin of the rock chic outfit has to be denim – either the skinniest of skinny black jeans you can find or perhaps a pair of micro denim cut offs, a band t-shirt (check out Truffle Shuffle for a great selection) – we particularly like this Queen t-shirt
A distressed leather jacket is also an essential element of this outfit and rounding it off has to be a pair of chunky black boots – either some Doc Marten's or our very own Spanish Yard Boots.
– they have the biker boot look but are comfortable, versatie and will stand up to whatever the British weather has to throw at you.
The neon look
This look is not for the wallflowers amongst us, it leaves little to the imagination and is intended to draw attention! Think 80’s inspired acid brights, cropped tops and chunky black boots – and don’t forget your bum bag! Some essentials for this look are:
Lycra! Whether it’s a bodysuit, some leggings or even an all in one catsuit, brightly coloured lycra is key to this look! For those brave enough something like this Burnt Soul Clothing catsuit would be sure to get you noticed!
Add a neon rain mac such as this one from Boohoo , hair in space buns with a glitter parting and glitter face make up! Finish the look with a pair of chunky black knee high boots such as our Spanish Riding Boots Classic in black and you’re good to go!
The glam look
This is perhaps the hardest to pull off in the British countryside! Inspired by Kylie Jenner in a sparkly see through dress!
However if you’re not quite brave enough to go this far (and who can blame you – that dress certainly wouldn’t cope with the famous Glastonbury mud) we do have some (slightly) paired down alternatives for you:
Keep it sparkly with the fab sequin collection from Rose Bloom - we particularly love the Eclipse sequin cape in black, pair it with some smart denim shorts and finish the look with some knee high suede boots such as our Spanish Riding Boots Suede in black.
If none of the above particularly appeal to you then read on for our list of festival essentials - these are the basic items you will need to see you through the weekend in style and comfort.
Festival essentials
A hat – potentially 3 days of rain and no opportunity to wash hair means a good hat is a must! If you want something a bit special you should check out Champagne and Muddy Boots bespoke Fedoras. They will add a dash of style to any outfit
A rainmac, we wish it wasn’t the case but we all know we can’t rely on the great British summer so a good quality waterproof rainmac such as this one from Barbour is a must:
A belt bag – So handy for keeping your valuables safe at all times and slightly more chic than their 90’s cousin (the bum bag). This one from Mint Velvet is perfect.
Denim shorts – the most versatile of Summer items – if it’s cold you can always wear some thick tights underneath. You can’t go wrong with these from Levi
Maxi dress – team with trainers or chunky boots for a low key look but high impact look. We love this offering from Hush.
A decent belt - A chunky belt can be worn with denim shorts or jeans or layered over the top of a long t-shirt or dress. Our new suede coloured Spanish belts are perfect for Summer festival dressing
A good pair of boots - Last but definitely not least, you must have a good pair of boots that will stand up to the good old British weather. Wellies are OK but they have been done to death at festivals during the last decade. Leather boots are much more durable and lets face it, a lot more stylish! Something like the Spanish Riding Boots Tall are incredibly versatile and hard wearing and add a bit of style to any festival outfit! Pair with your trusty denim shorts a mini dress or a Wandering Bee UK kaftan for festival dressing at its best.
But do try to remember, as well as your festival fashion and your festival boots, you must also pack your sense of fun and adventure! Festivals are all about experiencing new things and having fun with friends (and making new friends) - it doesn't hurt to look good while you are doing it!