The VICE Guide to the Best Music Festival Outfits

If you’re wondering what to wear to your next music festival, congratulations: You are already doing a better job than we did in 2009, when we went to our first Coachella with no refillable water bottle, no light jacket, and fishnet shorts that left Popeye’s grill marks on our thighs. 

Luckily, we’ve grown up a lot since then (but not that much). We’re still stupid in the ways that matter, like figuring out how to sneak your contraband into a music festival, or how to find the beat on a Björk song (don’t worry; there isn’t one). Now that we’re in the sunset years (thirties) of festival questing, it’s time to impart what we’ve learned from the time we’ve spent in battle (the bathroom line at Bonnaroo) in our finest armor (a romper that gave us swamp ass) so that you don’t make the same mistakes when deciding what to wear to a festival or rave. Do: Bring water-resistant, lightweight garb across the board; Don’t: Buy a giant peacock feather earring that gets caught in your friend’s septum piercing during an otherwise chill Fleet Foxes set. (We’re still apologizing for that.) 

How to dress at your upcoming festival depends largely on what kind of festival you plan on attending, as well as where it is. If you’re getting your ankles caked in mud, bust out the Crocs rainboots. If you’re sitting back in Monterey with your rich aunty to watch a Crosby, Stills, and Nash cover band while you suck down a cheese plate, maybe tone it down a notch. Or not. Do you, and remember that your sartorial choices should help heighten the true purpose of a festival: to microdose a vacation. 

Depending on what time you and your gremlins roll out of bed and onto the festival grounds, you’re probably going to need to make a few easy wardrobe changes throughout the day. Layer a breezy, linen button down top or a light windbreaker over a tiny bra to straddle the hottest and coldest parts of your journey from the beer garden to the main stage. Miaou, the unofficial dressmaker to all the hot she/theys on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, is having a big sale right now with savings of up to 70% off items—including this chocolate tartan top. Pair it with this oversized linen-blend top from ASOS and some basketball shorts, and you’re set. 

Another excellent festival combo for men, women, and people of all genders is the classic white tank and trek vest pairing. I went on a months-long hunt to find the perfect A-line unisex tank, and found that Fruit of the Loom’s multipack was the best bang for your buck regarding a tight fit, durability, and softness. Wear one underneath this red camouflage trek vest, which includes plenty of pockets for poppers, sunglasses, and Hubba Bubba. It’s 58% off right now during SSENSE’s big sale, so cop it before your club crush does (and then use it to flirt with them).      

Buckles, buttons, and zippers? That’s a jester’s game. You’re too busy with the musical stylings of Ice Spice to deal with an obstacle course of fastenings for getting into your festival backpack, which is basically your mobile home/tether to reality while you come up on shrooms. You can’t go wrong with a classic Nike drawstring bag, because it won’t weigh you down, dries fast if someone spills on it, and costs less than literally every food item at the vegan snack tent. But if you do want something that doubles as a larger crossbody bag, Uniqlo’s U Drawstring Shoulder Bag can expand to nearly 20 inches in length, or fold up over itself to take up next to no room on your body.   

Any time I’m traveling away from home for an extended period of time—be it a hike, beach day, or flight—I’m bringing a fanny pack. These trusty pouches can become a secret, third carry-on bag, and are always an easy-to-reach compartment for your necessities. Carhartt’s unisex fanny pack has a 4.6-star average rating on Amazon thanks to its durable polyester material, and multiple pocket zones. As one fan writes, “The bag itself is roomy and has little mesh pockets to keep things organized.” 

Fûn fäct: The word for fanny pack in French is banane, which is not exactly what this Fiorucci banana shoulder bag is, but that doesn’t matter. Just look at it. This nanner is a reminder that while the best festival outfits should be practical on some level, they should also give you the opportunity to wear something outside of your wheelhouse. Plus, it will make it way easier for your friends to spot you in a crowd. Cop it during the brand’s 20% off everything sale. 

The closest we came to heaven was squatting in a pair of parachute pants by a pretzel stand before a Crazy Town set. The GOAT of raver wear, these suckers will dry fast, go swish in the night, and maybe break a few hearts along the way. Style this pair of Urban Outfitters’ mossy parachute pants with a tiny top or tank for a night-to-day look, or go full Rainbow Fish with ASOS’ iridescent trousers.

Where have these multi-pocket cargo shorts been hiding for all of my festival-going life? They deliver all of the ample storage of some structured, Bass Pro Shop-esque cargo pants, but forgo a boxy fit for a drawstring closure and the comfort of an oversized basketball short. As the Amazon SEO bots further explain on the product page, they are “perfect for sad boys or pastel aesthetic girls,” and a “unique and creepy gift idea for an egirl, eboy, edgy teen girl, goth, punk, dark grunge, emo, soft goth, y2k, hip-hop style, harajuku.” That’s us!

It wouldn’t be music festival season without a bunch of American Apparel Los Angeles Apparel ‘fits trekking from stage to stage. Cop the brand’s breezy, high-waisted women’s track shorts in a 1990s teal colorway for a summer festival, and pair it with (surprise) a tiny top. Just steer clear of leotards, which aren’t fun in a porta potty. 

Have you noticed all the hot people’s outfits right now look like Swiss cheese/as if they went through a paper shredder? Loosely knit, distressed apparel that looks like it was crocheted by a bog witch/cyber tribal tattoo-inspired clubwear is all the rage right now. The SSENSE sale overfloweth with all of the above, including this stretch jersey top that can take you from the EDM fest to the Renaissance faire with plenty of style and cross-air ventilation. 

Why is this kind of a vibe in a fuccboi fisherman way? It reminds us of the gear-inspired 2021 collaboration between Supreme and South2 West8, and will help protect your neck from sunburn.   

Everyone’s thinking it, we’re just saying it: The best festival ‘fits these days rely heavily on normcore stylings. Consider socks and sandals, which have long surpassed their derp roots to become a GOATed streetwear pairing. Teva’s Hurricane Sandal has given me wings during all-day festivals, alpine hiking, and bar treks, but it would look especially great at a festival with these Bodega rose socks to highlight your sensitive side. 

We have dozens of talismans (sunglasses) in our rucksack (this VICE article) to protect you from the stares of weirdos at the festival, but we’re down bad for any pair that makes us look like Mark McGrath or Lenny Kravitz.  

Happy festival season (don’t forget to stash your booze). 

The Rec Room staff independently selected all of the stuff featured in this story. Want more reviews, recommendations, and red-hot deals? Sign up for our newsletter.