What to Wear Where: the Summer Music Festival Guide
The weather is heating up and that means it’s time to rock out with your piercings out. Whatever your musical taste, there is a festival out there waiting for you to enjoy. There are a lot of things you will need to remember to maximize your festival experience. Breathe music and art, soak in the good tunes and the good times, always put safety first, and of course look great doing it. Besides all of the amazing bands and merchandise booths, you’ll be sure to see what’s hot in body jewelry and body modification.
It is imperative that you think about the health of your piercings during this crazy, awesome experience. Dancing and thrashing makes the chance of losing your jewelry much greater. You may want to wear retainers if you’re planning on participating in any kind of mosh pits or heavy dancing. Always remember to bring replacement balls and backup jewelry for your piercings, and remember that you will also be sweaty and dirty for most of the day. It’s the nature of the beast. It is important to keep your piercings clean; a bottle of H2Ocean should always be in your survival kit. Sun block is important too, especially if you’re planning on showing off your tattoos or wearing long dangly belly rings.
Comfort is key and style is subjective to your look, the festival you are attending, and the weather that day/weekend. Each festival may have a variety of different bands and musical genres, so pick and choose what you like and find your own personal festie style.
Folk/Jam/ Bohemian: Think Woodstock hippy and go tribal bohemian chic. Fringe, lightweight paisley or floral prints, long skirts, frayed denim shorts, crochet, loose belly revealing crop tops, big sunglasses, headbands, and tribal inspired jewelry will give you that earth goddess hippy vibe that you crave. Hippy icons like turtles, peace signs, hearts, and flowers look fabulous dangling from your belly. Dream catcher belly rings and earrings, anything with feathers, natural wood plugs or hanger earrings, stacked leather beaded bracelets, and any natural inspired accessories will complete this easy going summer style. This look is relaxed and can effortlessly transform from day to night.
Punk/Hardcore/Rock: Think Warped Tour rocker, and dress like you’re going to punk rock summer camp. Shorts, bikini tops, t-shirts, checkered sunglasses, and a good pair of sneakers will get you by. Basic steel or blackline jewelry will look best for your facial piercings. Lots of skulls and rock and roll iconography will be showing up on clothing and jewelry. Wear non-dangle, fixed belly rings if you plan on dancing or joining in on an aggressive mosh pit. If you have your ears stretched, you’ll probably want to wear silicone plugs; the chances of losing one will be much smaller than with a heavy piece of jewelry.
Pop/Hip Hop: Bright colors and bold jewelry will make you stand out. Zebra and leopard print belly rings and earrings pop. Jewelry with music notes or classic boom boxes will also add to this statement. Gold accessories are all the rage: gold hoop nose rings, dangling gold belly rings, gold double finger rings, and large gold hoop earrings in your lobes or worn through tunnel plugs. When in doubt go bigger; the more bling the better. Mirrored lucite body jewelry and necklaces add to a fun urban look, just like skinny denim or leggings with cropped graphic t-shirts.
Country: Sweet floral belly rings, horseshoes, and anything red white and blue will give you that all-American, girl next door look. For your facial piercings, jewelry with small rhinestones in soft blues and pinks will look great with the warm country appeal. Keep it simple. This is the place for cowboy hats and boots, cut off denim shorts with belly revealing crop tops, and summer dresses. Natural hair and makeup compliment this adorable style.
Dubstep/Dance/Rave: Neon, neon, neon. The rave/dance scene has always been the biggest supporter of all things neon and glow in the dark. Flashing LED plugs, tongue rings, and belly rings will be perfect to dance the night away. Glow sticks are always fun, so belly rings with removable glow sticks can be an awesome addition to your look. Neon acrylic geometric jewelry with black accents will be the stand out accessory trend this year. Get the Skrillex style with an asymmetrical shaved hair cut, black rimmed glasses, snakebites and white tunnel or saddle plugs. Black skinny jeans, flat rimmed hats, and Chuck Taylors or colorful high top sneakers mix flawlessly with bold graphic t-shirts, and a hoodie or a plaid shirt.
If you’re going to one of the bigger festivals that require camping for the weekend, then being prepared is the top priority. Festies can be the best experiences of your life, but if you’re unprepared you’ll be miserable, and ain’t nobody got time for that. Necessities: tent and gear, flashlight, first aid kit, car charger for electronic devices (we all know the importance of staying socially connected), and jumper cables for when you forget to unplug your car chargers. Always remember to be tidy and leave the site better than how you found it. Plenty of food and water is needed to keep you hydrated and healthy; it’s a good space saving tip to freeze water bottles. Other things to consider bringing include hoola hoops, body paint (especially glow in the dark), glow sticks, and a camera.
Some notable Summer 2013 festivals/tours are: Cochella, Burning Man, Bonnaroo, the Vans Warped Tour, Voodoo Experience, Rockstar Uproar and Mayhem Festivals, Lollapalooza, Sasquatch, Newport Folk, Winstock, Country Thunder, The Country Jam, The Country Stampede, Electric Zoo, Ultra, Legends of Summer, and Kings of the Mic.