As Mother Nature begins to tease us with a hint of sunshine poking through her perpetually lifeless trees, a tribe of seasonally affected festival followers have turned out their winter savings for the summer’s promise of life under canvas and musical venture.
But as recent years have shown, the festival season isn’t purely about the music or fresh air anymore. The accompanying fashion trends have taken hold of fields, parks and beaches around the world with an effortless nod to the Godmothers of easy-chic, Kate Moss and Sienna Miller.
It’s their attitude towards the trends that makes their style work so well – fashion almost becomes an afterthought to the practicalities that they first take into account. And summer 2010 is looking like another hot year for trends that are combined so gracefully with the awkward confinement of wellies and waterproofs.
‘Underwear as outerwear’ will continue encouraging trendsetters to flaunt a bit of skin, and with the delicate silks and sheer fabrics seen at Donna Karen and Michael Kors, dreams of the stifling heat needn’t be hampered with perspiration nightmares. Predictably following this trend, hemlines have crept higher than ever with the return of hot pants, boy shorts and looser fitting tap pants. While the same assortment of soft, feminine fabrics have crept into these styles, denim is still a viable option for those festivalites wanting a more practical garment.
In fact, denim will be back with full vigour this summer. Whether it’s ripped, patched or doubled up, there’s never been a better time to experiment with those 90s favourites that you never had the heart to throw away. After all, where would rock and roll be without the iconic trend that saw a whole generation pull on their Levis and let their hair down? This summer is harnessing that young, carefree attitude once again with the frivolous scatterings of faded patchwork. And the best bit is, the more home-made it looks, the better its style-credentials.
Three days without access to a shower or full-length mirror will play havoc with anyone’s ability to appear fresh and free-spirited. But this summer, hair accessories will be the perfect distraction from the unruly, unkempt tresses that will adorn campsites the world over. Exaggerated bows, bunny ears and feathers will be the only way to keep your hair looking neat this season, and – whilst dry shampoo will continue to provide a more ‘just-washed’ feeling – this year is all about the up-do. Aim for a quirky cross between vintage and ‘girl-next-door’, with attention grabbing proportions and a palette of sugar sweet shades.
Ultimately, however, festival fashion is what you make of it. It’s the perfect opportunity to step outside your comfort zone and experiment with styles you’d never look twice at on a day-to-day basis. This season there are trends that will make you giggle, shake your head and smile for all the right reasons, which – after all said and done – is the perfect accessory to any outfit.
