Coachella’s unspoken dress code trends
Coachella is nothing without its performances. No, I’m not talking about the headliners’ sets or the indie bands on the Mojave or Gobi stages. The best performances lie within the outfits found throughout the fields and around crowds. Onlookers can usually expect some reference to Bohemian-chic styles, with lacey dusters, chunky vintage leather belts and some ridiculous Panama hat — all of which will never be worn again beyond the weekend. Some festival-goers take a more rave-like approach to their weekend’s outfits, opting for neons, fishnets, face gems and glitter — so much glitter. Nonetheless, there was always a cohesive aspect to Coachella guests’ fashion choices, as each Instagrammable outfit appears to complement the next.
So, where did this cohesiveness go when the infamous festival took a three-year hiatus? As attendees regrouped over the past two weeks in the desert for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic, it became apparent that the universality of the ‘uniform’ completely vanished.
Never before has the “dress code” been as ignored or tossed aside as this year. While some underlying trends tethered groups together, the pictures scoured across social media portrayed an ultimate clash in fashion reality: festival-goers in bright mesh matching sets, nearly naked attendees, over-the-top glam and accessory wearers and some that opted out of the performance aspect altogether.
In any sense, here are some of the biggest trends to come out of this year’s Coachella that you should incorporate into your next festival fashion escapade:
Less is more
More than anything, one of the best breakthroughs to come from this year’s festival is the prominence of casual outfits.
Influencers and celebrities known for their ostentatious fashion came to the grounds this year dressed in noticeably tamer hues and less dramatic styles. For instance, Kylie Jenner briefly appeared in jeans and a leather jacket, while Devon Lee Carlson decided on a sports tee and a baggy skirt. Casual dressing is the quickest way to opt out of a music festival that has evolved into a twisted costume contest. This, of course, is not to bash dress-up lovers everywhere, but rather, spread some relief to those exhausted from matching influencers’ standards year after year. As this casual movement grows, perhaps eventually Coachella culture will recenter itself as a whole to the original point of the festival: the music.
Monochrome mania
For starters, monochrome reached new heights this year. Whether it was Emma Chamberlain’s all-red ensemble (complete with platform Jeffrey Campbell cowboy boots) or Vanessa Hudgens’s fuschia fantasy, monochrome was a sure way to not go unnoticed on the festival grounds. Influencer Bretman Rock even utilized the one color look two days in a row, stepping out in a pure baby blue Chanel set, soon followed by a neon green Ottolinger pairing for day three. While bright monochrome outfits were typically reserved for festivals such as Electric Daisy Carnival, these past weekends have proven that anything goes at Coachella now, in the best way possible.
Pearls are more fun
Pearls are the unlikely rebellious choice to fight the Boho-chic standards that the majority adheres to at the festival. While the safer, more predictable choice in accessories typically revolved around crystals and layered pendants (which almost always teetered on cultural appropriation), pearls usher in a new wave of desert jewelry. Although most pearls were seen in necklace form, some guests utilized them as embellishments for their denim sets and even restructured the pearls for their own unique corsets, concocting the perfect mix of Victorian Age drama and music festival freedom.
Hopefully, these trends guide you in the rest of your festival adventures in 2022 or inspire you to break the mold of fashion norms in any setting. But, hey, who am I to tell you what to wear?