It might be too early to call — and we don’t want to jinx anything for weekend two — but Coachella attendees aren’t messing around when it comes to their festival wear. If the first round of street-style to come out of Indio is any indication, we have officially moved on from the fringe-and-flower-crowns trope that, for too long, dominated the “festival style” section at all of our favourite retailers. And to that, we say good riddance.
Where neon crop tops once reigned supreme, bralette tops and swimsuits-as-bodysuits took their place. Floral hair adornments were toppled by dad hats, chokers were covered up by bandanas, and gladiator sandals were pushed aside to make way for branded sneakers. And (thankfully), most celebrities finally seemed to understand that there’s never, ever a good enough reason or justification for cultural appropriation. At long last, there’s a new wave of festival fashion taking over Coachella Valley: Odds are, you’ve already seen Selena Gomez’s delightfully peppy HVN slip dress, bowed down at Rihanna’s ambitious, fresh-off-the-runway Gucci, or maybe scoured the web to scoop up Kendall Jenner’s sold-out statement dad hat. But have you spotted the old school Louis Vuitton logos? And the killer platform shoes? Seriously, Coachella-goers, y'all did that.
If anything, weekend one of Coachella street-style will be one for the books because it brought the whole “festival fashion” concept back down to Earth. No longer does this invoke an image of cheaply made, overly trendy garments you wear once and promptly discard once you return from the desert — rather, it can refer to forward-thinking, out-of-the-box outfit combinations you may not have thought to wear in your everyday life, but probably could (with some adjustments, of course). Peep the outfits that stood out in the crowd, and may it guide all festival dressing moving forward.
Come on, now: Who isn't obsessed with camo?
The matching set, totally reconfigured.
Two thigh-high slits? Done and done.
Paging Kylie Jenner.
A lesson in wearing sheer without feeling super-exposed.
What Carrie Bradshaw would wear to Coachella.
Turtleneck lovers, rejoice. The high-coverage piece isn't off-limits at music festivals.
There's that whole bathing-suit-as-a-bodysuit thing.
The LV logo is baaaaaack.
For a similar look: Hit up your local vintage store.
Gucci up top and down low.
Two tried-and-true staples: the off-the-shoulder top and high-waisted pants.
Sequins and glitter, head-to-toe.
Patent may be hot for desert temperatures, but it sure looks good.
Accessorise with the tiniest bag, ever.
For a no-fail, so-simple outfit, a floral dress will never steer you wrong.
Pyjamas, but make them festival fashion.
Wear now to Coachella, wear later on the tropical vacation you should be planning.
Keep layers loose for a breathable look that's still totally on-trend.
Those. Earrings.
If you don't already have one, now's the time to invest in a reliable, wearable waist belt.
How to do Coachella when you're a Victoria's Secret model.
When the whole squad knows what's up.
All hail Jourdan Dunn, queen of the cut-outs.
Skip the flower crown in favour for some tiny little buds sprinkled throughout your hair.
Play with proportions (i.e., go short with your bottoms, long with your top).
Our favourite festival top? One that's oversized and Moschino branded.
Literal *heart eyes* emoji.
Devon Windsor has her accessories game on-lock.
Double-denim is never a bad idea.
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