Spring is in the air, and so is festival season. The sights and sounds of outdoor multi-day music festival events signal the beginning of spring and more importantly your opportunity to channel your inner Maddie, Cassie, and Jules with absolutely no judgement. So as the ultimate blank slate for self-expression, we here at Levi’s® are absolutely here for it. That’s why we partnered up with Levi's® Brand Ambassadors PJ Cool-Thomas and Luann Diez to bring you our Ultimate Guide to Men's and Women's Festival outfits.
RULE #1: YOU CAN’T GO WRONG WITH COLOR
After weeks and weeks of the greys blacks and beiges that dominate the winter color palette, spring–and festival season in particular–is really the time to bump up the vibrance. From saturated jewel tones to delicate pastels, to notice-me neons and everything in between, festival season is the chance to debut your most eclectic color palette. From a head-to-toe tonal look to bold clashing hues, we suggest you experiment with the full spectrum of colors for the most joyful look possible.
RULE #2: THE MORE PATTERNS THE MORE PERFECT
Bold patterns make a statement without even trying. Flirty florals bring feminine energy, while stripes are an always-on classic. ’90s abstract geometric looks are always fun, while tie-dye keeps it low-key in a nostalgic kind of way. Even better than one big print is two. We love mixing them for maximum boldness. The key to the artful clash? Mix print sizes so everything stays in harmonic proportion. So, dainty tiny prints will always feel right when paired with bold large-scale ones.
So we all know when something “fits” right? Wrong. We’re here to tell you that fit is really all a state of mind–especially this season–and *especially* in festival season. We love love love playing with proportions for your festival look. What do we mean by that? It’s easy. Pair an oversized tee with a mini bike short. Or, take a low rise slouchy pant and put a shrunken crop top with it. The juxtaposition of big, and flowy with a small and curve-hugging with juuust the right amount of skin is the foolproof formula for festival cool.
RULE #4: COMFORT IS KEY
Ok, so while we are giving you fashion tips we do want to take this opportunity to also give you a PSA of sorts. While you definitely want to prioritize “the lewk,” you also need to make sure to prioritize “the comfort.” Because let us tell you, the only thing less cute than wearing a not-so-stylish-but-very-comfy outfit to a festival is having to leave said festival early because your outfit isn’t comfortable. (not that we know from experience or anything.) So make sure you dress for not only your comfort level but also for temperature–aka bring a coat if you need one. Ok, mom lecture over.
RULE #5: THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS “TOO MUCH”
Someone very stylish once said to take off at least one accessory before you leave the house if you want to look put together. And while we’re sure that’s great for some people, we cannot personally recommend–especially in festival season. We’re gonna go so far as to say, the more accessories the better. And we’re not necessarily recommending that you, like, triple up on beanies or anything, but we definitely want to encourage you to wear a bucket hat, a necklace, a jacket, a backpack, those cool socks you were thinking of, AND a fanny pack for added measure. Honestly accessorize away.
RULE #6: EXPRESS YOURSELF
Of everything we’re telling you, this is seriously the most important. Are you listening? Ok, great. The only rule you need to remember about festival outfits is to have fun. Be your true self. Forget what you should be doing and express your inner self. Whether that means breaking all the rules, following them, or inventing your own, we want to you pick an outfit that makes you feel the most like you. And that is where the true magic of the season lies. So go forth and festival.
Liked the looks we showed you? Want to put the rules into practice on your own? Check out our fully styled festival shop here to build your very own festival shop and don’t forget to have fun doing it.
