If you’re heading to a festival this summer and are wondering what to wear, you’ve come to the right place! Today I’m showcasing the colourful outfits of the creative folk at Latitude festival to give you some inspiration for your own festival looks so read on to find out what to add to your backpack…
If you’ve ever been to a festival I’m sure you’ll agree that festival fashion is a style like other. It’s like a heightened version of summer fashion – brighter, tighter and sparklier than ever! Every time I go to Latitude festival I become more and more aware that anything goes when it comes to dressing for a weekend of festival fun!
Last year I asked some of the wonderful festival-goers at Latitude to show off their amazing outfits so that I could share with you a gallery of the fun, funky and colourful looks. We saw every style possible at the festival – 90s lycra, sparkly beading, 80s denim, crochet ponchos, coloured glasses, and see-through plastic. Ah, and don’t forget the fancy dress costumes…
SPARKLES
I’m such a magpie so my eye was caught by all of the sequinned and metallic clothing I spotted at the event. I think it’s safe to say that wearing anything sparkly is going to get you into my gallery of festival fashionistas! I mean, if you can’t wear sequinned hot pants with a twinkling beaded logo tee and a sparkly lurex jacket, when can you? Make-up was also all about the glitter, so pile it on!
WELLIES
At summer festivals here in the UK, you’ll want to be prepared for all weathers. So, even though you might think that sandals are a good idea in the warm sunshine, those welly boots might just be more practical. If it rains, you’ll stay clean and dry if (like most years at Latitude) it’s super-dry, your feet will stay dust- and dirt-free. Either go for classic green or pick a colourful glittery pair.
BACK TO THE 90S
I spotted a trend for 90s fashion at last year’s festival. In fact, a lot of the music I heard around the festival field, on the stages and in the Disco Shed was ‘my era’ 90s tunes, so Latitude definitely has a end-of-the-century vibe going on.! Think cami tops, floral dresses, tie-dye, grungy boots and hair up in bun bunches or plaits (a handy styling tip for the final day of the festival!).
FRINGING
Let me just say one word: Tassels. If you’re going to dance around festival field for hours on end, why not add a little extra swish to your movements? They also give your outfit that 60s summer-of-love look or, if you add tassels to sparkly metallics, you’ve got a 70s disco look right there. A tasselled jacket is great way to stay warm and look cool in the evenings after the sun sets.
HEADWEAR
Festivals are a great excuse to wear the hat that you don’t get much chance to wear during the rest of the year – plus it keeps the hot sun off your head. Flower crowns are a definite YES for festival and why not go all out with a feathered headdress? If you’re going to wear a hat, don’t just stick with the standard design – decorate it with flowers, sequins or peacock feathers!
TROPICAL
If there’s one item of clothing that screams summer, it’s the Hawaiian shirt. And there were a lot of them around at Latitude festival. They’re fun, colourful and a little kitsch, and are lightweight enough for those hot hazy summer days.
GROUP OUTFITS
If you’re heading to a festival as a group, why not come up with fancy dress theme or even just choose an accessory that you can all wear to define you as a group? It’s possible to design your own custom pin badges with glittery, pearlescent and metallic finishes on the badges, which your group can all wear at the festival – plus, it’ll be a lovely reminder of the event afterwards.
In terms of fancy dress, I vaguely remember that we did “farmer fairies” as a festival theme at Latitude back in the naughties and all wore tutus with checked shirts. It can be something subtle to mark you out as a group, like the Hawaiian shirts above, or something OTT like the ocean-life crew below.And finally, even the clean-up crew were looking pretty swish at the end of the Festival last year in 90s grunge, tie-dye and vintage shirts. Go for it guys!
I hope these amazing outfits have given you some inspiration for your own festival look this summer. Do let me know in the comments below what you’re planning to wear and if any practical options are being packed into your suitcase as we speak..!
Massive thanks to all the fabulous festival-goers at Latitude for agreeing to be photographed for this post, you rock! (And look amaaazing!)
I attended Latitude festival as a member of the press but was not asked to write this blog post. This piece contains my own opinions and experiences of the festival and I am not responsible for your experience of the event.
This article is a sponsored collaboration. The pink links in the content indicate a sponsored link or information source. The blog post reflects my own experience and the sponsor hasn’t had any control over my content 🙂
