I’ll cut to the chase: music festivals. Laneway already threw it down in Australia, and it won’t be long before the others — Coachella, Sasquatch, Tomorrowland, Noise Pop, Shambhala, and Victoria’s very own Rifflandia (just to name a few) — take over. Find a field, make some daisy chains and wear them on top of these bohemian looks.
Ladies first
I’m going to work my way up the body, starting with Fred Perry’s polka-dot printed Alexis rubber booties. Those bad girls will look good even when it starts to get dirty . . . I mean muddy. They’re available at Still Life For Her (550 Johnson St.) for C$125. Unless you know for sure it’s going to be perfectly sunny at the festival you attend, I wouldn’t risk going out the door in sandals that have a tendency to get sucked down by sticky mire. But then again, you can always twirl around barefoot.
And while you’re at Still Life For Her, be sure to visit its neighbour, Suasion (552 Johnson St.), for some rockin’ accessories. Sitting on the counter is a glass case of shiny studs that would add some subtle glam to the festival look.
Between shorts and skirts, I’d go with shorts, but the Sahara dress by For Love & Lemons (US$150 at forloveandlemons.bigcartel.com) just epitomizes gypsy magic. The new spring collection by the Los Angeles-based brand pretty much sums up the avid festival-goer’s wardrobe.
Urban Outfitters has a wide selection of shorts, and I’ve grown partial to the Hannah silky runners by Silence & Noise (US$39 at urbanoutfitters.com). Nothing beats pockets when you want to run and dance without your phone in hand.
Top any outfit off with the daisy chain headpiece by St. Eve (US$42 at threadsence.com), a contemporary take on the biotic daisy chain.
Gentlemen, if I may
At Rebel Rebel (585 Johnson St.), Sperry Top-Siders for men recently stepped in with fresh colour, and boy do they want to dance. Because there are Top-Siders for women as well, I know how comfortable these shoes are. Believe me: once my shoes get worn out, the leather Top-Siders will be my next purchase.
Most festivals aren’t held at beaches (though I think they should be), but the cool prints on the board shorts by Loser Machine and their Dark Seas Division collection (US$65 – $75 at urbanoutfitters.com) will leave your bottom cool, too. The basic cargo short by Scotch & Soda (C$125 at scotch-soda.ca) splices together the laid-back beer drinker and the mad shuffler looks. But if you’re more for pants than shorts, Scotch & Soda’s chino pants (C$125 – $165) come in a range of colours, from bright to neutral. Pick according to personality.
I’m a personal fan of Topman’s T-shirts — the quality of the cotton just makes my skin crave it. A Zanerobe Bay shirt (US$92 at shopwasteland.com) could potentially spice up the ordinary tee by adding the sharp sophistication that emanates from a collared shirt. Those ziggy blue lines will simultaneously discombobulate and astound onlookers trying to decide if they’re sharp marker twists or gentle ocean waves.
As envious as I am of men being able to just rip their shirts off, you should throw on one of these tanks. The unisex Cat Power tank (on sale for US$15.99 at glamourkills.com) will make you quite Reddit-worthy. Or, Thanks (shop.thanksyo.com) has a swell of singlets and tanks that are geared towards a decent music bash.
A little handy carry-on for festivals that run for multiple days: dry shampoo. The UVic campus pharmacy sells Batiste Dry Shampoo for $4.99; you can find it by the corner with the post supplies. Just spray some shampoo into your roots and freshen up for the next gig.
All you have left to do is to push up some sunnies and let your body do the dancing.
