(Yui Mok/PA)
(Picture: PA Archive)After a shaky restart last year, the UK’s summer music festival is back to its regular scheduled programming - and we can’t wait to pitch up and dive in.
From one-day festivals to overnight camping events in far-flung fields, there’s a festival for every weekend from now until the end of September, if you’ve got the stamina for it.
Festivals like the freshly resuscitated Secret Garden Party, the wonderfully inclusive Mighty Hoopla and family-friendly favourite Bestival have been leaders of the pack when it comes to festival fashion. No longer is fancy dress just for Halloween.
While you should never forget your waterproofs and wellies (a wise investment given the UK’s temperamental weather), make space in your backpack for something bright, shimmery and absolutely showboaty that will make you feel fantastic, even after days without showering and minimal sleep.
We’re talking sequins, we’re talking prints, we’re talking your wildest fashion desires set loose for the weekend. At a festival almost anything goes; now’s your time to shine.
We’ve rounded up the pieces we’ve been eyeing for our own festival wardrobe to help inspire your decisions.
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Boohoo Recycled Crochet Low Back Maxi Beach Dress
A barely-there dress designed for the beach also translates beautifully for festivals thanks to crochet taking the starring role. Also available in white and beige, you’ll need to wear something under it, but it won’t have to be much. Top with a cowboy hat and get ready to giddy up.
Buy now £22.40, Boohoo
ASOS DESIGN twill boilersuit playsuit in mono checkerboard
If you’re not one for florals or glitter, checkerboard is a sharp statement print that will stand out amongst the greenery of the festival. This boilersuit is made for summer high jinx with plenty of pockets to keep your essentials safe. Available in sizes 4 - 18.
Buy now £40.00, ASOS
Nasty Gal Metallic Open Front Tiered Fringe Jacket
Fringing is always a festival favourite thanks to its boho hippy chic look, not to mention fun extra movement when you’re dancing. This three-coloured jacket has glitz in spades and will look terrific over anything else you’ve packed for the occasion. Clear the main stage, there’s a new headliner in town.
Buy now £77.40, Nasty Gal
New Look Anne-Marie’s Edit Hippie at Heart Pink Crochet Crop Top
Years from now, fashion historians will look back upon the summer of 2022 as the season of crochet. The knit has shaken off its grandmotherly associations and is now a major player in your festival wardrobe. Adopt the trend with this crop top, perfect for slinging on over a pair of your favourite denim shorts.
Buy now £29.99, New Look
Warehouse Sequin Belted Mini Dress
Want to steal the spotlight? Only full-on sequins will do. Offered in an electric blue, this batwinged mini comes with a matching belt for cinching in the waist and promises to work for both day and night adventures. It’ll even look the part when teamed with wellies.
Buy now £139.30, Warehouse
Lazy Oaf All The Smiles Smock Dress
The mania for all things 90s has yet to wane, which gives us licence to throw money at Lazy Oaf’s acid house-inspired smock dress. The classic smiley faces are featured melting on a bright purple background on a design that includes pockets for all your most precious things.
Buy now £95.00, Lazy Oaf
Never Fully Dressed Pink Love Mesh Top
Spread the love in this bright pink and red mesh top from Never Fully Dressed, which comes in curve sizes that run to 2XL as well as regular sizes. It’s the perfect way to keep cool in the event of a heatwave (fingers crossed) without baring all.
Buy now £49.00, Never Fully Dressed
Club Exx Plus Dino Mighty Metallic Snowsuit
A snowsuit may not seem like the most obvious thing to pack for a summer festival, but seasoned ticket holders know that temperatures drop as soon as the sun does out in the sticks. Wear this bold metallic pink snowsuit as shown to shield against chilly evenings, or unzip the lower legs and arms to transform it into a romper, allowing your limbs welcome ventilation. It looks great but it’s functional too, with four pockets for essentials and a quick zip up fastening which will come into its own when you’re navigating the portaloos.
Buy now £65.00, Dolls Kill
ASOS DESIGN mesh cut out long sleeve playsuit in retro print
The 70s are back with fun, flirty prints at the top of the style checklist. Channel the look in this mesh playsuit, covered in a retro floral print with a cut-out design that’ll show off your mid-riff. Getting it on and off again after a few ciders may prove tricky, but hey, that’s what your festival friends are for.
Buy now £38.00, ASOS
H&M+ Lace-knit dress
This Missoni-esque mini is perfect for wandering from one festival stage to another in the heat of the day. The short skirt and light lace overlay in multiple pastel colours add a surge of dopamine-raising colour to your look, and it’s ready to accessorise with a bum bag and bucket hat.
Buy now £19.99, H&M
ASOS DESIGN midi dress in multi colour open stitch
Aside from the beach the only place you can get away with wearing next to nothing is on the festival ground. Crochet a different way in this midi design, which gives enough coverage to avoid an indecent exposure charge. Pants or biker shorts are highly recommended underneath to give you some cover against the elements.
Buy now £32.00, ASOS
The North Face x Naomi Otsu Women’s Printed Windy Peak Anorak
North Face’s latest tie-up with illustrator Naomi Otsu is ripe for summer festival dressing. The colourful collection spans women’s jackets, insulating trousers and accessories all in bright and beautiful patterns inspired by nature’s beauty. Our fave? This funky anorak: whether you’re dancing in a tent at 3am or traversing the countryside on summer walks, it’s just the thing to get you noticed. Available in sizes XS to 2XL.
Buy now £110.00, The North Face
Be Beau Print Plisse Halter Neck Jumpsuit
If there’s one place you’ll dance until dawn, it’s at a UK festival this summer. Look the part in this lightweight multi-coloured jumpsuit made from plisse material, so no need to worry about unsightly creases. The halterneck design will look fabulous come rain or shine but best under dance tent strobe lights. Available in sizes 6 - 20.
Buy now £25.00, Matalan
Sarah Bailey Silver Rainbow Pastel Tassel Jacket
Silver leather and metallic pastels make this jacket a must-pack for your next festival. A winning blend of rock chic meets biker girl, it’s impossible not to feel cool in this cropped tassled jacket. It’s available in sizes XS (6 - 8) to XXL (16 - 18), and each one is made to order but needs up to six weeks lead time, so if you’ve got a fixed date in mind, you better hurry.
Buy now £445.00, Sarah Bailey
Merry People Black Bobbi Boot
A new-to-the-UK launch all the way from Down Under, Aussie's Merry People is the latest welly brand making a play for your rainy day wardrobe. Its unisex ankle-high Bobbi Boot comes in six colourways, giving your ensemble a much needed surge of colour. Or not, the black version has range too, a failsafe neutral for all sorts of outfits.
The gumboot is robust and will keep you steady through all terrains, from bogged festival fields to rain-slicked city pavements. Each boot is 100 per cent vegan, made from natural rubbers and lined with 4mm of neoprene for extra comfort as well as insulation from cold, wet grounds. They sport handy pulls at the front and back so you can yank them off easily. Available in sizes 3 - 10.
Buy now £79.95, Merry People
