The pinnacle of spring fun, the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival will be blasting their speakers between Friday, April 14 to Sunday, April 23, meaning that girls all over the world will be scrambling to get their state-of-the-art concert garb ready for 2017.
While spring offers a multitude of concerts and music festivals besides the preeminent Coachella, the style rule is essentially the same: go hog wild. Out come the bohemian unitards, cage shirts, and outlandish layers of necklaces. The more far-fetched, the better. A rubber horse head with fairy wings? Go ahead. But even the beyond eclectic outfits have recurring staples seen on every musical festival goer.
Here are the concert-wear pieces we predict will be flying off the racks:
1. Bralette
There is a reason this one is first on the list.The bell of the ball, a good bralette is the key to achieving the boldness and sensuality that is quintessential Coachella. Unconventional and daring statement pieces, bralettes push against the grain in women’s clothing and, for this reason, exploded among millennial and teenage consumers.
Brands have come out with impressive, labyrinthine designs to meet the soaring demand. Cage bras trend the most, as well as lace and yarn woven ones.
2.Flower Crowns
Flower crowns are a shoo-in and have been interwoven into concert, rave, and music event culture since the dawn of time. A girl sporting this item is a dead ringer for a Coachella fanatic, and there is no doubt in our mind that the item will ever leave the music festival scene.
3. Hippie Sunglasses
Multicolored lenses in swirling blue, mysterious purple, or other deep, swirling colors evoke a mood perfect for the occasion. Think mystical fantasy. While Coachella-ers have played around with different shapes and sizes, including flower shapes with rounded petals, stars, and triangles, most are loyal to the simple circular lenses popularized by John Lennon and the peace lovers of Woodstock. One thing is for sure: no one there will wear your typical Ray Bands.
4. Denim Cut Offs
Katy Perry was right about Californians loving their daisy dukes. In no other setting is that more true than on the dancing grounds of Coachella. Lying right at the upper thigh, ripped and destroyed denim shorts blend in well with the unhinged atmosphere. Vintage prints and fabric also have been popular as of late, and most pair them with an off-the-shoulder top, string tank, or a good old band t-shirt. Because attendants want a more tribal look, the neat Gap denims are going to sit out for this one.
5. Sun hat
Moderate to wide brimmed sun hats in tan and black have been the most popular selections, ranging from leather to straw in their material. Helping cover up from that UV as people run from show to show, sun hats seem to be the most practical accessory among the other wild adornments. They both top off and ground the overall concert look. A black Coachella hat exudes this effortless class and pure chic that no other headwear can really do, making the item here to stay.
6. Flowy kimono
The new year has been all about the ethereal dresses, skirts, and tops, but everyone will really be at the top of their flowy dress game for Coachella week. Kimonos drape over and elongate the body, lending the wearer a celestial vibe. Twirling to the music requires fabric that can deliciously trail behind or around the body, and the silk kimonos trending at these festivals do just that. Kimonos also have tassels and embroidery along the ends with elaborate, colorful patterns spreading across the back.
7. Bandana
This extra piece adds a cowboy-ish, cute pop, usually worn around the neck and sometimes around the head as a makeshift hair band. This has been a newer addition to the regular list, spearheaded by Kendall Jenner who wore her nude one to the most recent festival.
8. Metal and leather chokers,rings, and bracelets
Extra adornment in the form of rings, bracelets, and necklaces add the finishing touch to any concert or festival outfit. Interestingly, earrings had never been an iconic item among the bejeweled, but there are plenty enough other options to keep a girl occupied. Coachella doctrine dictates that partygoers layer metal bracelets and chokers on top of each other. Choker styles have become larger and more theatrical over the years, featuring brightly colored rhinestones and metal spikes even. Bracelets cinched right above the elbow are a favorite among the likes of Gigi Hadid and Vanessa Hudgens.
Girls will be stocking up on metal accessories to match with their gold, stick-on tattoos. Like all other mantras when it comes to Coachella, embellish, stack up, and repeat.
These are the eight staples that return to the grasslands of the music festival time and time again, and while the looks will vary, we can always count on there being flower crowns. Always the flower crowns.
Leslie Lee, Fashion Writer
