Judy's Affordable Vintage Digest Judy's Affordable Vintage Digest Issue 3 | Page 20

Kate Mosh Johanna muses over the perils of picking that festival worthy outfit... For a long time festival fashion has led a life of its own. Think crop tops, floral flowy dresses, novelty prints, all things crochet and a whole lot of hipster goodness. People seem to go cuckoo at Coachella and Glastonbury, letting loose and wearing outfits that vary from beautifully bohemian to outright ridiculous – I can’t be the only one who has been annoyed by the neon furry boots and bizarre headwear. Festivals seem to offer people some kind of a get out of jail free card. All of a sudden you are allowed to go for the boho-chic look that you were never quite sure you could pull off. It’s almost like Halloween, only instead of dressing to scare, people dwell on the nostalgic memories of a romanticized hippy movement, that they (we) all long to have been part of. I mean how cool would it have been to be taken into a trance by Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock in 1969? 20 Despite being dedicated to music, festival season has become a celebration of fashion. The 1960s were the decade in which music festivals were born: events such as Monterey Pop, Isle of White and Woodstock were very much influenced by the hippie movement. It’s no wonder the arenas were flooded with Marianne Faithfull and Joni Mitchell look-alikes. Clearly the fashion has not changed much as these style icons still provide plenty of inspiration for the festival goers. As romantic and cool as wearing maxi dresses while walking bare foot is, this might not be the best way to go when you decide to attend a three day event at a potentially very muddy field in the UK. The cute little tops paired with denim cut-offs are more suitable in the climate of Coachella. In England you might have to face all four seasons in one day and anyone who’s been to a festival knows what a headache the minimal packing is. This brings us to the ultimate festival fashion dilemma – how to look good while being practical? Thankfully, the likes of Poppy Delevingne and Alexa Chung have taught us is that layering will save your day (and night). Having a flannel shirt in your festival kit will not only simplify your life, it will also be the safe choice if you want to go for the effortless look. Also, if you absolutely hate the idea of wellies ,at least choose chelsea boots or hardy trainers instead of sandals. Cold, wet feet are a sure way to feeling uncomfortable and miserable, plus as far as we’re concerned, Converse still look pretty awesome. So do wellies for that matter. Festivals are the highlights of the summer, so do attend as many as you can and pack wisely. And remember, as Kate Moss and Pixie Geldof have proved, there is a way to make big rubber boots work.