Summer 2022 Festival Fashion Trends

Festival trends seen this year can translate to use for years in the future

Cover Photo by Taylor Simpson on Unsplash

As festival season slowly closes out, we mourn the loss of running around a large field with our closest friends and a festival fit we planned months ago. The best way to get over post-festival depression is to prepare for the next one, and what better way to start than to plan out some outfits for next year?

Looking at festival trends from this year is the best way to know what to wear, but trying to be as sustainable as possible is also an essential factor. Taking trends and trying to fit them into building your festival capsule wardrobe, would be the best way to buy this year’s trends and make sure you get wear out of them. It’s best to buy and wear whatever makes you feel comfortable and will allow you to have a great time in. Keep reading for Summer 2022’s hottest festival trends.

1.Western wear

Cowboy boots and hats are no longer just for Western wear and country festivals. With a number of different ways to style them, cowboy-inspired fits can fit into any kind of festival. This Western trend came back into fashion from a number of popular culture references such as shows like HBO’s Westworld or Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road”. 

Many fashion designers have also taken inspiration from Western wear, adding bolo ties, prairie dresses, fringe clothing, and more to their runways. Cowboy boots and other accessories have been seen on celebrities such as Rihanna and Sydney Sweeney. 

For festivals like Coachella or Osheaga with mixed music genres, certain elements of Western wear can be incorporated into a more low-key outfit. For electronic festivals such as Ultra or Ilesoniq, a full cowboy-inspired outfit can be pulled off with bright colours, sparkles and unique patterns being part of the fit. 

Retrieved from @amandapavillard on Instagram

2.Matching Sets

Matching sets, or co-ords, are two or more pieces of an outfit that go together in design, colour, or any other distinct features. The trend became popular last year in 2021 as it was a low-effort way to look good, and the ways to style it are almost never-ending. This is an easy way to put together any festival outfit as there isn’t much thinking involved. It’s a low-maintenance style with many stores selling sets together for one price. Co-ords also provide a chance to mix and match with pieces you already own, making it a more sustainable and reusable trend. With designers such as Jacquemus using this concept on the runway, it’s clear this is a trend that’s here to stay. 

Crochet and denim are huge trends this year for festival co-ords, and funky designs for electronic festivals are now here to stay. Seen often from smaller businesses, matching sets also include accessories such as shrug tops, gloves, and masks, which are perfect for electronic festivals. Bucket hats, another huge festival trend, in neutral colours are accessories often included with these matching sets. One way to wear matching sets at a music festival and easily reuse it is by buying matching workout sets. With many companies diversifying the designs and colours in their collections, it’s now much easier to stunt these sets at a festival by day and repurpose it into gym wear by night. 

Retrieved from https://footwearnews.com/gallery/tao-coachella-2022-parties-photos/

3.Gloves

Gloves have recently made a comeback in the fashion world, thanks primarily to TikTok. As gloves were usually used in evening wear, this trend resurfaced as a way to wear them more casually every day and is especially seen in festival fashion. This trend ironically began with the need to wear masks and gloves in certain situations (thanks to the you-know-what), making gloves a part of a fashion statement while maintaining functionality. This trend has been spotted on celebrities such as Beyoncé and Billie Eilish at award shows, as well as with Megan Thee Stallion and Cardi B matching their gloves to the entire outfit in a music video. 

Gloves can come in a variety of different patterns, shapes, and accents. While sheer and lace gloves were staples in the past there’s now a variety of ways the accessory can be done, such as with a fringe or rhinestones. Seen most often with outfits for electronic festivals, gloves are often used with matching sets and can be worn like arm warmers or sleeves with various patterns and accents to amp up the rest of the outfit. This trend is an easy addition to a plain look and can make any outfit more interesting to the eye.

Retrieved from Etsy

4.Sparkle, Metallic & Rhinestones

Sparkly, metallic, and rhinestone-clad clothing and accessories are trends that are almost timeless and can be used on a number of occasions. Sparkly crop tops and metallic dresses have been staples for many years now, and a huge festival trend that’s endured has been rhinestone mesh. Newer pieces in the trend include accessories such as sparkly, rhinestone-encrusted boots, or even makeup. Euphoria has made over-the-top and sparkly makeup on everyday occasions a major trend, making it perfect for a majority of music festivals. Dresses, skirts, and tops that look somewhat like a chandelier with their gems have also been a huge trend that is easy to wear while elevating your style to another level. Seen by celebrities such as Dua Lipa or Harry Styles at Coachella, it’s easy to see that this style is inclusive to everyone. 

Retrieved from Wonderland Magazine

5. 60’s and 70’s Fashion

The 60s and 70s have come back in a huge way, with prints, styles, and accessories to mimic the decades most popular fashion taking over the world with force. This trend has been coming back for the last two years and is mostly due to the changing state of the world. As major changes are seen in our lifetime in terms of politics, climate change, and our everyday lives, it’s easy to gravitate towards fashion from a similar time of change.

Social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram have made the trend very popular. Their viral popularity have now transcended into the festival scene with crochet being one of the largest trends to grace Coachella this year. Flare pants and bellbottoms are often seen, with distinctive, funky patterns in jeans or in lightweight cotton fabric. Fringe on different types of clothing is also often seen, even on accessories such as the previously mentioned gloves. Recent electronic festivals have seen a rise in era-inspired prints, including psychedelics, flowers, and lava lamps. Gogo boots are often seen as well, in a number of festival outfits, many of them dawning platforms to see over all the tall people in the crowd. Harry Styles may be seen as an inspiration for this trend, but other celebrities such as Gigi Hadid have been seen rocking this style. 

Retrieved from https://mystiqueapparel.ca/shop/p/hippie-swirl-vest

So what are you waiting for? Sure, festival season is coming to an end, but that doesn’t mean the looks have to. With many sales around the corner in the next couple of months, it’ll be easy to access these styles compared to higher price points. Taking a few of these styles and trends into account (especially the ones you particularly love that may not be in style by the next festival season) will help you to prep for next year’s lineup of festivals. What trend was your favourite this year? Are there any you’re looking forward to wearing next year? Let us know in the comments!