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Amid the thousands of concert goers at WayHome music festival, held last weekend outside of Barrie, Ont., there was an abundance of floral print kimonos and loose-fitting peasant tops. Billowy sleeves of paisley sundresses danced as attendees watched performers through Lennon-style sunglasses. Denim cut-off shorts hugged the thighs of excited fans, and distressed vintage band tees masked spilt beer.
Did attendees come for the music? Or were they here to show off their outfits? It can be hard to tell. “Festival fashion” has infiltrated music events. It’s no longer enough to just attend these weekendlong affairs; it’s important to look like you’ve stepped out of a Woodstock time machine, too. When your day-to-day style is cubicle chic, dressing like Janis Joplin’s long-lost sister can take a lot of effort — and trips to the mall.
Take the women who’ve become known as “Coachella cougars,” named after the annual music festival in Indio, Calif. These middleaged moms spend thousands of dollars on 1960s-inspired threads for their time in the desert. Sarah Mirmelli, a 33-year-old who reportedly spent over US$20,000 on clothes, Botox, lip injections and a personal trainer to prep for the festival this year, told the New York Post, “You can go like a peasant, too, but it’s going to suck... The goal is looking blog-ready.”
Younger attendees also emphasize the importance of looking good. In an Instagram-obsessed age, the Glastonbury Festival in England has become just as well known for its lineups as it has for its stylish guests, like Cara Delevingne. Vogue even has a special gallery of Glastonbury fashion posted to its website this year.
While today’s festival aesthetic can be traced back to the first Woodstock in 1969, where fringe and flower crowns were the uniform of the peace and music fair, the style seemed a bit more authentic then.
Today’s crowds aren’t as concerned with making a statement as they are in attaining that festival chic look on their Instagram accounts. Montreal’s Osheaga Festival runs this weekend. It doesn’t matter that headliners Red Hot Chili Peppers and Radiohead are more 1990s grunge than they are boho chic; if this year’s event is anything like other festivals, you can count on the grounds being littered in paisley.