by Bronwyn O’Neill

With summer fast approaching, everyone is excited to finish exams and enjoy the freedom. With the he scramble to buy summer clothes, book holidays and finalise those summer plans, eyes turn to music festivals.

Here in Ireland, festivals such as Electric Picnic and Longitude draw in crowds by the thousands. With the festival season already kicking off overseas with Ultra and Coachella, here is a quick guide to some essentials to pack, as well as some cute outfit ideas to make sure you’re fashion forward on the days.

1. Dry Shampoo
   

Realistically, you’re not going to have much time to use on-site showers. Especially not to give your hair the TLC it deserves. Dry shampoo is a godsend; any female can vouch for this. So, pack a bottle in your bag to make sure your hair looks fresh over the weekend.

 

2. Portable Phone Charger

You’re going to be taking lots and lots of pictures and videos at the event (as well as receiving phone calls from mammy wondering if you’re okay). Make sure you bring a portable phone charger. It will save you a lot of hassle and you’ll have use of your mobile device the entire time.

 

3. Water/Hydration packs

And lots of it. You’re going to be dancing and pushed into a crowd for hours at a time. If you can get your hands on a hydration packs this is even better. You can fill this up with 1 or 2 litres of water, and carry it on your back. Water is a safe choice to prevent dehydration. Always be safe kids.

 

4. Raincoat

Let’s be realistic, this isn’t Coachella, we’re not in sunny California. It’s Ireland, it’ll probably rain. So a raincoat is always a good shout. Even if it’s really light, it’s better than nothing.

5. Wellies

Obviously, you’ll have to pack wellies. It’s great to see that we’ve moved on from green farmer willies to pattered wellies for the fashionista. It’s a festival. It’s going to be mucky. Don’t wear sandals.

6. Travel size toiletries

It’s just the easiest way to bring deodorant, sun cream, spray etc. The smaller the better.

7. Baby wipes

You’ll be sweaty and sticky by the end of the day. You probably won’t want to wait in a queue to have a shower, so baby or wet wipes are your best bet. They’re also handy for taking off makeup and cleaning up small messes quickly.

 

8. Earplugs

What?! Yes, bring earplugs. You’re at a festival. It’s going to be super loud. What if you want to go to sleep early (an act you don’t like is performing) or your camp site is just too loud? It’s also helpful if you’re up at the front with extremely loud speakers. Just a thought.

Aside these, of course bring spare clothes, a tent, sleeping bags and food!!!

 

Now onto the fun part! The clothes.

Everyone is always inspired by the celebrity festival goers at Coachella. Vanessa Hudgens  in particular always seems to look flawless each year.

Shorts

Cut-off and high waisted shorts are still a huge trend. Try something with a cool print or just go for plain denim.

 

 Crop tops and florals

This year crop tops are really popular.Especially those with a light flowing material and funky patterns. However if you don’t feel comfortable showing your midriff, a flowing floral top always looks great.

 

 Layers

Bandeau bras and tank tops are always popular as layers. Kimono jackets are also a huge style trend this year. They are really easy to wear if you want to spice up an otherwise boring top.

 

  

Flower crowns      

Flower crowns don’t seem to be going away anytime soon.

 

Snapbacks

If you can’t get behind the flower crown trend but still want to wear headgear, snapbacks are always popular on the festival scene. Cara Delevingne is often seen wearing them, during and outside festivals.

Bowler hats

I am personally obsessed with bowler hats and any excuse to wear one is great. So why not try out the look at a festival? You definitely won’t be alone.

 

Paint dots

A tamer version of rave paint, paint dots are a huge festival trend. You can’t go anywhere without seeing a famous face with dots on them when looking at Coachella fashion.

Rave Kandi

Every teenage girl has gone through a “bracelet phase”. If you haven’t, I’m sure you’ve seen one of your friends with a pile of bracelets up to their elbows. How about bring that trend back with some rave kandi bracelets. People make masks and even bras out of this stuff. Trust me it’s cool.

And if all else fails and you’re still looking for festival outfit ideas, look no further than Vanessa Hudgens, queen of Coachella.