For the past two weeks, my mind has been consumed by Coachella looks — the good, the bad, the ugly, the micro and the sheer. Thankfully, with Spring Fling right around the corner, I have my own space to test out those music festival looks that didn’t quite make it out to the Colorado Desert.
So, on the heels of Coachella, what are the goings on in music festival fashion? The best news from the festival is that it seems fashion is becoming once again increasingly free — if not monetarily, then at least ideologically. In his recent article, “What fashion can learn from Coachella 2025,” Vogue Business writer José Criales-Unzueta announces that “the stage, it seems, remains a pure space for artists to play with fashion.” This news of continued creative expression on stage through fashion is accompanied by the usurpation of Coachella corporatization with “an array of independent designers, ranging from fledgling to established.”
When Coachella was founded in 1999, it was all about the music. Then Coachella became about influencer culture, and then about corporations taking advantage of influencer culture. Now, it seems Coachella is back to being a project of good old-fashioned self-expression — granted, with an exaggerated wink to the observer. For the past quarter century, the festival has closely mirrored broader trends of social media infiltration and brand homogenization. So hopefully, the recent developments at Coachella mark a more widespread shift in fashion towards reclaiming individuality and away from cookie-cutter influencers and mass-producing fast fashion brands.
Unless you’re dressing on theme for the artist — and as far as I’m concerned, simply going to Yale checks that box for Ken Carson — concert looks should have something haphazard and organic to them. Concerts as we know them now are the product of the ’60s, when the Beatles were taking the world by storm and Woodstock established the tradition of an honest-to-god music festival.
Fashion is an effort to be seen, an effort to be comfortable and an effort to get to know and express yourself. As a performer, you can’t help but having to market your music, and the hope of the audience is that the music — and therefore the style — of any given artist aptly represents their authentic self. As a concert- or festival-goer, though, you have a little more freedom.
But even without the constraint of knowing you’re going to be seen, the best festival dressers still end up in outfits that are helplessly eye-catching. Coachella spectator fashion this year was nothing if not ostentatious. All around, statement boots, layered belts and micro shorts dominated. Julia Fox dressed in space cowboy assless chaps. Alix Earle promised to “bring the boobs back” this Coachella, and she certainly delivered.
This spring fling, I plan to lean into this freedom. So, with all that in mind, here’s my recipe for the perfect Coachella-inspired outfit.
On top: For me, the perfect concert tops will always strike a balance between minimal fabric and maximum color and vibrancy. The reasons for this preference are manifold. As far as the little fabric goes, it’s finally getting warm enough outside that standing more than slightly buzzed in a throng of Yale students on Old Campus will be slightly uncomfortable if you’re opting for modesty. But also, I think there’s something authentic about dressing skimpily — you opt to define yourself less through clothes so that the music can fill in the gaps. In terms of color, I can’t think of a simpler, more human way to express yourself.
What does this actually look like? Purely because of their irreplicable nature, scarf and sarong tops will always have my heart when it comes to this ethos of dressing. Despite the continuity of scarf, wearer and crafter, no two scarf tops will ever come out the same, and that means both endless frustration and endless personalization. The incidental nature of this sort of outfit mirrors the concert — a purposeful way to recognize that this is a fleeting moment.
On the bottom: Denim. Jeans, jean skirts, jean shorts — you can truly never go wrong with any of these. And while I have endless appreciation for individuality when it comes to concert outfits, the perfect look in my opinion also pays homage to the musical uniform of yesteryear. Denim was the defining sartorial decision of Woodstock, Glastonbury and Live Aid. Denim refers to our collective human desire to listen to good music, and it bonds me with every other attendee in a stadium that holds thousands.
Those are my suggestions. But in line with the return of personal expression at Coachella, my real suggestion is not to listen to me. Wear what you want — just make sure it’s you.