The summer music festival season is well underway with the completion of the annual Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and the Stagecoach Country Music Festival. It’s an exciting time for those who were lucky enough to snag a ticket to either of these sold out events, and a depressing time for those who weren’t quick enough to score. Fortunately, for those of us who missed the opportunity to get scorched in sunny Indio, Calif., we were able to stay updated via social media for the next best thing: live streaming on YouTube and photo updates on Instagram. Â
The ever-growing music festival scene has now become a place to not only spot your favorite artists, but also a time to catch a glimpse of the up-and-coming fashion trends. In recent years retailers have taken advantage of the music festival-inspired styles and have begun sending young employees to discover those looking “hot in the heat.” I can only dream I will someday be sent to Coachella to Instagram photos for work; because truth is, I find myself more excited about the festival fashions than the actual lineup (shhh!) Â
There are many do’s and hardly any don’ts when it comes to festival fashion. Since music and fashion are both used to express individuality, I am a believer that anything can fly in these fashion parades. Although I wasn’t one of the thousands soaking up the desert sun and scoping out the desert styles at either festival, I was able to spot the reoccurring trends under the Eugene sunlight via my favorite hashtags this past month: #coachellastyle and #stagecoach. Below are just a few of the Coachella trends I adored.
The Retro Shades
Sunglasses are useful for many purposes: hiding a hangover, blocking the glare from all the exposed skin, and of course, completing ones “look.” They are an accessory must for concert-goers. Retro shades have not only been showing up on famous celeb faces, but made a grand appearance on the many beautiful faces of Coachella-goers. Find your next pair of retro shades here.
Flower Power
Flowers have been synonymous with music for as long as I can remember. But this year the flowers appeared with much more power. Whether they were used to replace the missing dry shampoo or add some extra pizzazz to a pair of shades, I’m sure every attendee smelled like a nice floral arrangement at some point during the weekend.
The Wide Legged Pant
Comfort over style? Or, style over comfort? Obviously, even with the scorching sun and desert air, style comes first for the Coachella-goers.  This year’s trend of the printed wide legged pant was seen on numerous beauties. From floral to neutral, these flowing, bold and voluminous pants were paired with soft un-tucked woven tops, or drapey knitwear. Like what you see? Shop for a pair here.
What festivals do you have to look forward to?
Sasquatch: George, WA. May 24-27. Headliners: Mumford and Sons, The Postal Service, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Sigur Ros, Vampire Weekend, The XX, Laidback Luke.
Electronic Daisy Carnival (EDC):Â Las Vegas, NV. June 21-23. Headliners: Not announced yet.
Outside Lands:Â San Francisco, CA. August 9-11. Headliners: Red Hot Chili Peppers, Paul McCartney, Nine Inch Nails, Kaskade, Pretty Lights, Phoenix
Bi-Mart Willamette Country Music Festival:Â Brownsville, OR. August 16-18. Headliners: Hunter Hayes, Carrie Underwood, Chris Young, Brad Paisely, Eli Young Band, Darius Rucker.Â
(Images from Statigram)