by Festival season is upon us, great news for those who like festivals, and not-so-great news for those who like live music, al fresco drinking and fresh air, but whose appetites scoff at the idea of a campsite . If only there was a way to experience the good bits without resorting to the bad. And there are – called day tickets – only those who leave Gate D to catch the last train just as your favorite song comes on.
While camping is the worst part for some festival goers, and for others, the packing is the hardest part. Even the most seasoned of packers can struggle to condense a weekend’s look into a rucksack – but when the festival is Glastonbury, a five-day event spread over a 1,200-acre farm in Somerset, it might -the stakes feel even higher. And never more so than this year, when all the weather reports point to such a turbulent outlook that even the most optimistic will be tempted to leave their shorts, bib tops and flower crowns at home.
Since packing light is unlikely to be an option, packing wisely is the next best bet. For broadcaster Jo Whiley, who has been going to Glastonbury for 40 years and has presented the BBC’s coverage for 27 of those, mixed weather is an excuse to find the best buys. A chronic overpacker herself, she recommends taking enough to keep you warm and dry for every situation. “I’m looking forward to touring my wide selection of replicas and waterproofs,” she says. “I also have some beautiful Marfa Stance parachute bomber jackets, which will be dropping. This might be the year to wear my Hunter x Elton John wellies that I didn’t get to wear last year because it was too hot and sunny.”
Those who are most experienced at the festival know that it pays to put their feet up. “Happy feet, happy festival,” is my own mantra, as someone who has spent the past two decades traipsing across parks in a selection of sandals, riding boots and wellies. While the current “cowboy” trend is sure to be a hit with cowboy boots this summer, cowboys are actually the best choice when rain is in the forecast. Granted, they’re heavy, clammy and useless for dancing in, but it’s hard to overestimate the length and depth of mud generated by 200,000 people frolicking in a park. According to MediaVision data analysts, searches for “wellies” have recently increased by 199 percent. While knee-length wellies will keep you drier, ankle-length wellies are a lighter and more comfortable option, especially for those who suffer from leg cramps.
Your choice of sock is also important: for maximum warmth, try Hunter cable cuff boot liners (£35, hunterboots.co.uk – also useful for sleeping in), or try a style hack from a Dior Cruise show and wear with recently. with knee-length Argyll socks. Rydele’s olive green and red pair (£7.49, ryedale.com) reveals the look at a fraction of the price.
Go ahead, your bottom half. If there’s one item synonymous with festivals, it’s definitely a pair of sawn-off denim shorts, worn as enthusiastically by teenagers as by middle-aged people. Don’t discount these just because the weather looks cool: add a pair of leggings or tights, and you’ll be much warmer than jeans. Denim is a very comfortable fabric in rainy conditions, so if you’re wearing trousers, choose a pair of needle-thin cotton or corduroy. Despite the current proliferation of wide leg styles, they are not the wisest choice for a festival. Whether it’s flared trousers or a maxi skirt, any fabric surface can quickly become regrettable in muddy conditions – and that’s before we even mention the unmentionable (like the Portaloo floor).
On your top half, layout is key. Don’t leave home without a thermal: Uniqlo’s long-sleeved Heattech top (£14.90, uniqlo.com) is right in line with the current 90s trend – but more importantly, it’s affordable and warm. Since you might as well be in a sweaty dance tent as you are outdoors, wear a camisole underneath. One stylist friend swears by packing an oversized shirt (£25, marksandspencer.com), knocking it out on Sundays because “it makes me flirtatious”. She eschews white in favor of striped iterations that better hide dirt and stains. If it’s warm, she’ll wear it open over a vest top, and if it’s cold, she’ll pop the collar over a navy sweater.
Surprising as it seems, given the possible forecast, another sensible inclusion is a dress. A floral dress with long sleeves will look 90s grunge, especially when paired with statement socks and wellies. While dungarees are only slightly more of a bad idea than a jumpsuit (those toilets again), their sartorial relation, the pinafore dress, is a good call. The Me+Em towel version (£115, meandem.com) can be worn with a white T-shirt underneath. Or try that all-time festive classic, a satin slip dress – Zara has a selection that runs the gamut from plain black to crochet and sequins (from £35.99, zara.com). Wear with an oversized cardigan: Navygrey’s cable-knit cardie (£285, navygrey.co) is warm but can be padded.
Last but not least, a jacket. If you’re going to pay lip service to this season’s oversized denim jacket/bomber jacket trend, at least pack a poncho to throw on top when the skies open. The Mac In A Sac Waterproof Cape (£39, macinasac.com) comes in camo or hi-viz neon which will ensure you don’t get lost in a crowd. It’s also a good year to dig out your old Barbour, or, if you’ve got a budget to blow, invest in a new one like its waxed and hooded ‘Portmore’ parka (£329, barbour.com).
Every UK festival has its own specific feel, but what they all have in common is an authenticity that glitzy foreign affairs like Coachella or Burning Man can only dream of. You don’t have to treat a festival like a fashion parade if you don’t want to, especially this year when a backlash against self-conscious and guided “influencer fashion” has led to a greater emphasis on basics. In 2024, “festival fashion” and “normcore”, “countrycore” or “outdoor fun” are unlikely to look very different.
Or, you could forget all the so-called rules and have fun with your look.
Miquita Oliver, 40, has been going to Glastonbury since she was a child. “Dress like your eight-year-old self,” advises the co-host of Miss Me, the chart-topping podcast she co-hosts with Lily Allen. “Glastonbury is all about playing. I wore an old pair of Pucci leggings and a T-shirt that I bought from my local market last year, and I felt very dressed in the kind of clothes I would have worn as a child. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that I had the best Glastonbury ever.” Words to pack at.
