From Woodstock to Glastonbury: How Festival Fashion Became a Style of Its Own
Posted by jonathan kemp on
Festivals have always been about more than the music. What happens in the crowd, the atmosphere, and, of course, what everyone turns up wearing all become part of the experience.
Today, festival style is its own category of fashion. But the things we associate with it vintage tees, denim, military jackets, football shirts, wellies and bucket hats, weren't invented for festivals. Most came from music scenes and youth subcultures long before they became festival staples.
Woodstock: Where It All Started
When Woodstock rolled around in 1969, there wasn't really such a thing as a “festival outfit”. People simply wore what felt right for the counterculture they were part of.
Denim, suede, embroidery, loose-fitting clothes and handmade pieces were everywhere, alongside military surplus that had been taken out of its original context and given a completely new meaning.
Jimi Hendrix's Woodstock outfit is probably one of the best examples. His fringed white jacket, colourful shirt, flares and headband looked every bit as psychedelic as his music. It wasn't designed to become an iconic festival look, it just happened to capture the mood of the moment perfectly.
Then there was Janis Joplin, whose flowing clothes, jewellery and bold colours became synonymous with the more bohemian side of the era.
At Woodstock, clothes were part of the culture. You could look around the crowd and get a pretty good idea of the world people wanted to be part of.
The 1970s: Finding Your Scene
As the 1970s went on, that relationship between music and clothing became even stronger.
Different groups developed their own uniforms, whether that meant flares and suede, vintage military pieces, graphic T-shirts or denim. What you wore could tell people what you listened to and where you fitted in.
Festivals gave people a chance to go all in.
And while today's festival outfits might be planned weeks in advance, the basic idea hasn't really changed: wear something that feels like you.
The 1990s: Welcome to British Festival Season
British festival fashion took a very different turn in the 1990s.
This was the era of Britpop, indie and rave culture, and festival dressing became much more practical. British weather probably had something to do with it.
Waterproof jackets, sportswear, bucket hats, football shirts and wellington boots became part of the look.
Liam Gallagher was one of the biggest influences. His bucket hats, track jackets and casual sportswear helped turn clothes associated with British youth culture into everyday staples.
The bucket hat in particular became closely linked with Oasis and the Britpop era, while the crossover between football, music and streetwear created a look that still feels very British today.
The 2000s: When Everyone Started Watching
The 2000s changed festival fashion again.
Glastonbury and other major festivals were becoming celebrity destinations, and photographers were paying almost as much attention to what people were wearing as to who was performing.
This is where Kate Moss comes in.
Her Glastonbury outfits became some of the most copied festival looks of the decade: short dresses or denim shorts, leather jackets and Hunter wellington boots. It was practical enough for a muddy field but still looked effortlessly cool.
The Hunter boot suddenly wasn't just something you kept by the back door for rainy days. With the right outfit, it became part of the look.
Vintage band tees, skinny jeans, leather jackets and wellies followed the same path. Things that had practical or subcultural roots were becoming fashion pieces.
Alexa Chung and the Art of Looking Like You Didn't Try
After Moss came Alexa Chung, who brought a slightly different approach to festival dressing.
Her outfits felt less like “festival fashion” and more like clothes you'd actually want to wear all summer. Denim shorts, Breton tops, simple dresses, ankle boots and oversized jackets became part of her signature look.
That's arguably what made her so influential.
The best festival outfits rarely look as though they've been put together for the sake of being a festival outfit. They look thrown together — even when they absolutely weren't.
What Does Festival Style Look Like Now?
There isn't one festival uniform anymore, and that's probably a good thing.
You might see someone in a vintage military jacket next to someone wearing a football shirt, while someone else has a faded band tee, baggy shorts and an old pair of trainers.
The common thread is that most of these pieces have come from somewhere.
A military jacket carries the history of surplus and counterculture. A football shirt connects to terraces and British streetwear. A vintage band tee brings decades of music history with it. Even worn-in denim and workwear have their own stories.
That's part of the appeal of vintage at festivals. It doesn't look too perfect.
A faded T-shirt, scuffed leather jacket or well-worn pair of jeans already has some character. You don't have to wait for it to become yours.
The Festival Outfit Never Stays the Same
Festival fashion has changed dramatically since Woodstock, but the reason people dress up for festivals hasn't changed that much.
Every generation takes something from the music and culture around it and turns it into a look.
Hendrix had his fringed jacket. Liam had his bucket hat. Kate Moss had her Hunters. Alexa Chung had her denim shorts and effortless layers.
None of them were following a festival dress code. They were wearing what felt right for their time, and everyone else followed.
That's probably why festival style continues to evolve. There will always be a new band, new scene or new generation ready to put its own spin on what came before.
