Festival Style

With Coachella in a few weeks and all the music forts currently happening, I figured I better share some festival style. Honestly, I don’t care about Coachella at all. In fact, I didn’t even know what it was until last year when everybody talked about it on Instagram (it’s just an overrated music festival, in case you’re wondering). With that said, I’ll still take any excuse to experiment with style! Even though I don’t usually have the hipster/boho vibe associated with music festivals, I do still dabble with bohemian prints every now and again, as seen here and here. Today I wanted to share some fun ways to try out this style, even if you’re just going to a regular concert or simply looking for a cute spring/summer outfit! 🙂

So what exactly is festival style? If you type that phrase into Google, you’ll see a combination of fringe, panama hats worn on the back of your head, long wavy hair, layered jewelry, kaftans/kimonos, shredded booty shorts, lace/sheer flowy clothing, and bras worn as tops (definitely NOT my style). If you’re like me, you’re probably thinking, “Why on earth would I ever wear that outfit in public!” Haha. But being the fashion lover that I am, I still admire the festival look, even if it’s not generally something I would wear. And I love to experiment with new clothing/styles! 

With that said, here are some of my best tips for making the festival look more realistic and attainable for you (because it does make a great and trendy spring/summer outfit):

• Start with a print. This dress is the most boho item I own, and I’ve styled it differently here and here. A breezy print in a light fabric is the easiest way to pull off the festival look—think Aztec patterns, mandalas, feathers, or tie-dye. Even an interesting fabric like lace or crochet will do the trick!
• Add layers of jewelry. A lot of Coachella-inspired looks involve some over-the-top jewelry stacking, with 5 or 6 bracelets per arm and multiple large necklaces. That’s not really my style, so I opted for simpler, smaller necklaces to layer as well as just a few bracelets per arm. Specific types of jewelry that work well for this look are ankle bracelets, chokers, ear cuffs, and midi rings (lots of them).
• Add more print! On top of the boho dress, I wore this tribal print belt. It’s subtle pattern mixing, but the combination adds an effortless festival vibe. You could also opt for a printed purse, shoes, or even a hat. The key is choosing similar patterns—if you didn’t look closely, you may have mistaken this belt as part of the dress.
• Wear your hair down and wavy. When I try to go for a beach-wave look, I just sleep with my hair in French braids. But you can also curl your hair with a flat iron, leaving out the ends, to achieve a similar hairstyle. If you like, top off the hair with a panama/cowgirl-esque hat (I don’t actually know the specific names for the hat styles they wear) or try a flower crown. Of course, you can always keep it simple and extra boho by parting your hair down the middle.
• Finish the look with a few extra accessories. Aviator sunglasses always look super cool, and round sunglasses are for the bold! You can also add a fringe or saddle bag to hold all your concert must-haves.

Would you ever try a festival style look? I like how this outfit turned out—it achieved the general Coachella vibe while staying true to my own style (and avoiding bare bellies). What concerts will you be seeing this spring/summer? I’d love to know in the comments! I don’t have plans to see any yet. 😉

Miles of smiles,

Grace

Boho Patterned Dress: Arizona via JCPenney, $25 // Brown Leaf Sandals: Carlos Santana via DSW, $45 // Brown Panama Hat: San Diego Hat Co via Nordstrom Rack, $21 // Tribal Waist Belt: came with previous dress // Aviator Sunglasses: Icing, $16