It’s that time of the year again; a season when Pune plays host to some of the biggest music festivals in the country. From homegrown NH7 to Goa exports Sunburn and Vh1 Supersonic, our Oxford of the east and pensioner’s paradise is now seeing music explode in a way we haven’t seen before, and it’s a massive win for the city and its many ardent music lovers. But music is not the only thing scoring huge.
Meet festival fashion!
What is it about music festivals that changes the most workwear-loving humans amongst us into bohemian, free-spirited, let’s-travel-back-in-time Woodstock clones? The moment we cross the threshold at a music festival, flower crowns make perfect sense, fringes on everything-from bags to jackets to shoes-becomes rad, tie and dye translates from vibrant leheriya dupattas into multi-coloured t-shirts worn as dresses, belted at the hip, and fedoras and beanies vie for space with dreadlocks. Showing up in the latest rave shoes or booty shorts from iHeartRaves is sure to make it clear that you are the type of person that comes for the music and stays for the party! Do we go for the music or do we all look at it as a three-day extravaganza to show off our outfits and establish social media dominance, culturally and sartorially? And when did festivals become fashion calendar mainstays?
Maybe it was when music festivals became such big deals or maybe fashion and music have always been too intrinsically connected to separate the two. After all, what would an Elvis be without his bell-bottoms and sparkly jackets, or the Beatles without their signature hairstyles and sunglasses, or Pharell Williams without the hat that doesn’t stop, or our beloved Bappi da without his gold chains and Usha Uthup without her silk sarees and big bindis?
So, I, for one, would be the last person to undermine the presence of fashion at music festivals. I love fashion for all that it is; an expression of your personality, an insight into your mind, a brief glance at what you could be. But the aesthetic we see at these festivals is an import from Coachella and others of its ilk, which in turn are still channelling Woodstock circa 1969. No problem there except that festival goers from the sixties were endorsing a uniform which had gone beyond musical fields and made a political statement as big as the peace sign. We, on the other hand, are mimicking what we think should be the aesthetic.
Sadly, the style today is predictable and expected. And I have been a culprit, too. We know what to pick; lace and crochet, fringe and flowers, boots and white sneakers. And the clone-like appearance we’re all donning begs for a drinking game – one shot every time you spot something conspicuously in line with our idea of festival wear.
Thankfully, every once in a while, there are outfits that surprise you; outfits that you know are worn all-year round with as much panache as they are now and that they aren’t an attempt to fit in via bralettes and crop tops.
Let’s tread that same less-travelled road, shall we? Ditch those heels for platforms, dig up our moms’ elephant pants and team them with tank tops, or drape that saree into a maxi dress. Let’s show people who we are. The turning of heads… that will follow!
- Shirt Skirt Dress - September 1, 2017
- Dangling Dungarees - August 31, 2017
- Suited Pastel-y - August 30, 2017
