Music festivals are place to see and be seen, which leads directly to the importance of the ever-present Look. Are people looking? Are you looking? Who is anyone looking for? Are the eyes spying for friends, for strangers, for hookups, or for avoidance? So many questions, so little time.
But, to help you refine your eye for fashion at the next music festival you attend, consider the five following categories of thought and observance, including the beard as an icon, the amount of skin showing, who has the tattoos, where are the bros, and where are the fros.
The Beard As an Icon
Once someone has decided to grow a beard, their presence at any music festival is going to be seen differently. Beards take commitment. Some types of music do not. So, depending on if the music is for hippies, ravers, or metalheads, the beards being on the chin or off of the face completely are going to give different impressions. And this will be a matter of like vs. like, as if your own face has hair on it, you’ll be looking for individuals in a similar condition.
Cover It Up Vs. Bare It All
Weather very rarely falls into consideration when it comes to what people have on at many music festivals. People will have already decided if they’re going to show up in their underwear or in a snowsuit before even checking to see if the sun is out. Fashion is in charge of this decision, and following what to wear advice is going to mostly be an exercise in false logic, if anything.
Tattoos Et Al
Tattoos are a big indicator of the crowd vibe at any music festival. The hardcore crew will have them out in spades, while the pop-friendly or transcendental are probably going to be skin virgins. There will be some mixing of crowds for the adults on the scene who have learned to cross cultures, but the youngsters will mostly be in packs of share and share alike.
Find the Bro
At some point in music festival history, there came the bro, and in mass. There is nothing inherently at issue with the bro, and even his self-identification promotes a sort of standard nothingness; but be it in Miami or New York, the fist-pumping will commence.
Follow the Fro
Finally, style will often run along the lines of the hair-do. This isn’t quite as much of a tell as some of the other characteristics, but the difference between sloppy and styled will give you some indication of personality, so you can decide from a medium distance if this or that cat has a story to tell.
