It’s that time of year again. The tent’s been pulled out of its two-year retirement and the gap year rucksack is stuffed with the holy triumvirate: wellies, wet wipes (biodegradable, natch) and a waterproof. It’s festival season baby! And as 200,000 happy campers trudge off to Worthy Farm this weekend, we ready ourselves for a summer of field dancing, tent parties and peacocking like no other.
“After two years of rescheduled events finally coming to fruition, it’s no surprise that we’re raring to go with iconic festival fashion making its long-awaited comeback,”says Agustina Panzoni, Depop’s trends & category manager.
Even if you’re traditionally a denim shorts and band tee minimalist, this year’s the one to really go bold with your look. “The strong use of colour we saw on the SS22 runways is a great trend to elevate festival dressing this summer,” says Liane Wiggins, head of womenswear at Matches. From Y2K vibes to crochet and acid brights, read on for your eight-step packing kitlist.
The shirt and shorts set
When it comes to streamlining your tent wardrobe, a brightly coloured shirt and shorts co-ord is as sensible and happy-making as those tinnies you stashed in your sleeping bag. Worn together, a shorts-shirt-set (try that after a few cans of Red Stripe) is an effortlessly cool picnic, portaloo and dancefloor-friendly look that works as brilliantly with strappy sandals and a spangly bikini as it does with white ankle socks and trainers. And it’s three outfits in one: wear the shorts alone with a white tank or the shirt thrown over you swimmers after that dip in the lake. “We have seen a real influx of shirting, worn as a cover up, this summer season,” says Libby Page, senior market editor at Net-a-Porter who rates Matteau “for their cult printed shirts, Gucci’s Love Parade collection for statement florals, and Frankie Shop for a simpler layering option.”
Aligne; shirt £89, shorts £69, aligne.co
Zara; shirt £29.99, shorts £25.99, zara.com
The crochet bucket hat
Bucket hats are not going anywhere as our festi fave, with searches on DePop up 21 per cent in the last three months. Page agrees it’s “the style to be seen with this festival season,” but rather than follow the crowds, why not opt for a bucket in a cuter, crochet variety? Maje and Ganni both have crochet buckets for under £100, while the latest drop from Loewe’s endlessly popular collaboration with Paula’s Ibiza has one in both white and black. “From sequin mini dresses and bandeaus, to crochet, low slung denim and psychedelic sets, Loewe x Paula’s Ibiza has taken playful to the next level providing everything you need for your festival wardrobe,” says Page. For seriously haute hippy vibes, Miu Miu and Valentino also have multicoloured iterations worthy of their own VIP wristband.
Ganni; bucket hat, £66, ganni.com
Maje; bucket hat, £99, maje.com
Loewe x Paula’s Ibiza; bucket hat, £350, loewe.com
Hands-free phone chain
With our wallets on our phones and dancefloor smoking a relic of the past, that sinfully ugly bumbag of fest-eryear really isn’t required. Instead, why not invest in a twinkly phone chain to leave you hands-free for pint holding and pulling shapes. “Colourful beads are set to be a key summer trend,” says Page, who recommends Martha Calvo and Roxanne Assouline’s technicolour beads. Celeb fave String Ting does candy coloured tech chains for £60 and under (go for the longer length which allows for crossbody security), London label Chaos does a glow in the dark phone lanyard you’ll never lose in the tent and brands like Eliaow and Xou Xou do lovely leather phone pouches on straps that have space for your lip balm and gum.
String Ting; rainbow phone chain, £80, stringting.com
Chaos; fluorescent zip lanyard, £90, shop.chaos.club
Roxanne Assoulin; beaded phone chain, £50, roxanneassoulin.com
The cowboy boots
Packing wellies or some super sturdy hiking boots for the inevitable Glasto mudbath is non-negotiable. But when the sun comes out, cowboy boots are set to be the festi-footwear of 2022, with searches on DePop up 40 per cent on last year. Knee-high styles in pale shades look great paired with flirty mini dresses, but you can’t go wrong with a chunky black ankle length cowboy boot (Stradivarius has a nice pair for £59.99). The trick to making the style work for field trudging is a chunky low heel. Office does a sensible knee-high pair in tan suede (£119) or for something that will survive for Glasto’s to come, try American equestrian footwear label Ariat, which majors in Western boots you can walk in. In the market for something more space cowboy? Don’t miss Terry de Havilland’s just-dropped metallic-tastic collaboration with Annie’s Ibiza.
Stradivarius cowboy boots, £55.99, asos.com
Office Kentucky knee-high boots, £119. Office.co.uk
Ariat; cowboy boots, £150, ariat.com
The leopard anorak
British festivals inevitably mean dance floor rain showers, but rather than go for a panicked disposable poncho purchase, why not pack a rain coat you like enough to also wear on your wet and windy walk to the tube? Leopard prints offer a fresh update on your classic khaki parka, and Barbour’s latest leopard-print collab with House of Hackney offers a cool twist on Alexa’s festival fave.
Kooples; leopard print parka, £390, thekooples.com
Joules; leopard print raincoat, £29.95, joules.com
Barbour x House of Hackney; leopard wax jacket, £299, barbour.com
The slinky mini
Sienna and Kate wore them with leather jackets and over band tees in the Nineties, and the slinky slip dress remains a festival classic today. Perfect in the heat and ideal for layering under denim shirts and hoodies at night, the slinky slip is a festi-vestment that you’ll wear long after the Wilderness hangover subsides. Sustainable London label Omnes does a tie-back black mini made from recycled satin polyester for £55, Zara has short satiny slips a’plenty for £29.99 and Motel’s super flattering cowl neck Paiva slip dress (£40) comes in a rainbow of over 18 colours, from super chic olive green and slate to Barbie pink and sky blue.
Omnes; mini slip dress, £55, omnes.com
Motel Paiva slip dress, £40. motelrocks.com
Harmur; party mini dress, £275, harmur.co.uk
Y2K shades
The Y2K trend continues to dominate this summer, but if low-slung cargo pants or a butterfly top sounds a bit out there for your dance floor vibe, a pair of shades is a great way to dip a toe in the trend. Look for coloured or rimless lenses (ASOS is your go-to), wraparound styles (try Balenciaga and Lexxola) and fun colours (Linda Farrow x The Attico has a great rectangular pair that comes in lime and fuchsia, £190). A sunglasses chain from the likes of London labels Frame Chain or Talis Chains is also a very smart way to ensure your shades don’t end up in lost property.
Dior; cat-eye sunglasses, £340, mytheresa.com
Hot Futures; cream frame sunglasses, £105, hotfutures.co.uk
The water bottle holder
Hydration is key to surviving the five-day Glasto marathon, but nobody likes a litterer. A statement water bottle holder is the pro way to stay well watered at all times. For high-end hydration look to Mulberry’s elegant cloud blue leather number, alternatively Urban Outfitters has a super cute beaded crossbody bottle holder that’s in the sale for £11. Pretty, practical and plastic-free… and no-one said you can’t fill it with wine.
Mulberry; water bottle holder, £305, mulberry.com
Urban Outfitters; water bottle holder, £11, urbanoutfitters.com
Toast; water bottle holder, £22, toa.st.com
