When you think festival fashion, you think of young beautiful celebs in boho dresses at Coachella right? Or maybe girls in denim hot pants and band tees at Glasto?
Well neither of these are appropriate at festivals in September. Well, not in my experience anyway.
You see the last three years, September festivals have kind of been my forte. In 2015 I went to Bestival on the Isle of Wight, in 2016 I went to Festival No. 6 in Wales and this year I went to both Weekender in Jersey and Lollapalooza in Berlin. All in September. So I feel like I have enough experience to really assess what is appropriate to pack for a festival in this shoulder season, and what you’re actually going to freeze in. Here goes…
What To Wear To A Festival In September
Pack Layers
I feel like this is the real key to a perfect September festival wardrobe. You HAVE to pack layers. Because the thing about September is that one moment it will be brilliant sunshine and the next you’ll be freezing. And no-one wants to press pause on the party and have to go back to their tent to change, or alternatively carry round loads of outfit changes with them. So…
LAYERS ARE KING, BABES.
One way I did this was to wrap a sweatshirt around my waist throughout the day at Lollapalooza. Then when it got a bit chilly I could put it on to stay toasty. At Weekender I also did this with a lightweight khaki jacket over a t-shirt. Job done.
Culottes Are Perfect
I just love culottes in everyday life anyway, I’m really glad they’re still on-trend. But at festivals they are actually really practical. They cover your legs when it’s too cold to get them out and if it rains they dry much quicker than jeans. Also, if it’s muddy your trousers won’t be ruined because they’re nowhere near the mud, ya know?
I bloody love them and wore a pair of Topshop leopard print beauts to Lollapalooza this year.
Cagoule Goals
See, it’s gonna rain. All 4 of the September festivals I’ve attended have been a mix of sunshine and rain, it’s just that time of year. So definitely come prepped for rain with a good old-fashioned cagoule. Coats will make you too hot so lightweight, waterproof jackets are the way forwards.
The thing is, in the past I’ve always got cheap ones, like the red Primark one I took to Festival No. 6 last year. But it turned out, it wasn’t bloody waterproof… ugh. Naturally this year I invested in this GORGEOUS Superdry cagoule and I absolutely love it!
It’s water proof and windproof, looks cool, packs small, is lightweight and even has tight wrist elastic to keep the rain out. Basically, it ticks all of the boxes. It’s a keeper fo’ sho’.
Trainers & Wellies
I’ve learnt from years of festivals that my feet get sore easily. It’s probably something to do with the fact that I never go to the gym… So I make a habit of wearing trainers to festivals. I mean they look cool too so it works out well. But the mistake I continuously make is not bringing wellies.
I always kind of thought that people wore wellies just to look “festival”, you know? Rather than for practicality. But I think in September, they’re pretty essential to deal with the mud situation.
So I’m all about packing two pairs of shoes in future – comfy trainers and wellies (don’t forget wellie socks!)
Accessories Are Key
Ok so the thing about these festival outfits is that they’re not very festival-y, are they? I mean I wear a sweatshirt and culottes a few times a week, so they don’t really make me feel like my best festival self. But that’s where accessories come in.
I like to jazz everything up with bandanas and big statement earrings to feel a bit more “festival” and fun. These big ol’ gold earrings are from H&M and the bandana I’m pretty sure is from a market in Asia.
Hair & Make-up
Same applies to hair and make-up, this is where you can go FULL festival with flowers and glitter and all that.
At Weekender I got my hair done in glittery disco buns and wore Face Floral‘s dried flowers on my cheeks. Then at Lollapalooza went full-on glitter face with Glitterati Chunky Glitter in Mermaid. Love it!
There you go, my guide to festival fashion in September so that you can keep on partying rain or shine or mud! Enjoy!
Is there any other tips you have for September festivals? Let me know in the comments below or tweet me @HeelsInBackpack!
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