Festival fashion: Crocs, crochet and the unexpected rise of dryrobes

Festival season is back to its former pre-pandemic glory… which means that festival fashion has made a comeback too. 

The first time in almost three years that we’ve been able to congregate in a muddy field and collectively celebrate our love of live music, this year’s festivities mark a ceremonious return to the golden festival days of yore.

A time of year dominated by loud in-your-face colours, brash prints and lots of glitter, festival season is one characterised by uninhibited joy – and the fashion certainly reflects that. 

Pulling some of their most obnoxious items of clothing out of storage for the occasion, music lovers always bring the style and I expect to be surrounded by a sea of sh*t shirts, sequins and neon this weekend. One thing’s for certain though: Irish festival-goers dress for the weather they want, and not the weather they have. The only time the woolies come out is well after sundown, once we’ve all retreated to our tents for a nightcap… at which point I usually pile on a pair of fluffy pyjamas, thermal socks, a hoodie and an oversized onesie too. Oh, the glamour. 

From bucket hats to crochet, to the unexpected (but not unfathomable) rise of dryrobes, here are some of the trends we expect to see at Electric Picnic this weekend. 

Crocs

I’m very pro-Croc so seeing these take over is a win in my eyes. Easy to slip on in the middle of the night when you need to run to the portaloo, easy to clean and easy on the eye. What’s not to like? Your socks will not emerge intact, but that’s a small price to pay in the name of fash-hun.

Dryrobes

Considered the *must-have* accessory of the year back in 2020, dryrobes caused quite the divide when they first hit the market two years ago. A byproduct of the nation’s newfound love for wild swimming, they surged in popularity during lockdown when we all began extolling the virtues of cold-water therapy and throwing ourselves en masse into the freezing Irish sea. Loved and loathed in equal measure, they quickly became known as the “marmite” of swimming attire and it wasn’t long before two distinct camps emerged: those in favour and those vehemently against. Fast forward to present day and festival-goers have now claimed dryrobes as their own… they are essentially insulated tents with arms, so I guess this was always to be expected.

Crochet

The influence of Vanessa Hudgens and her boho era lives on with crochet still dominating festival fashion all these years later. Dubbed the Queen of Coachella thanks to her laidback lewks, the High School Musical star set the precedent for what constitutes a good festival outfit… and the Irish public is still adhering to it, it seems. I predict the grounds of Electric Picnic will be awash with people in brightly coloured crochet sets – most of them boasting some sort of floral design or pattern, all of them screaming “I’m cold and wish I was on a beach somewhere tropical instead”.

Neon

Highlighter yellow, hot pink, fluorescent green – the more visually offensive the colour, the better. Neon may be an intimidating trend to tackle (it’s an assault on the senses!), but going for one piece of clothing/accessory and incorporating it into your existing wardrobe helps to make it feel more wearable.  A neon rain jacket or pair of socks is a great way to try the style out as they’re subtle, but are still things you’re likely to wear time and time again.

Sportswear

Festival outfits that are both comfortable and warm? Now that’s something we can get on board with. The key to nailing this trend is to opt for varying silhouettes; think baggy, low-rise sweatpants and tight crop tops, oversized t-shirts and form-fitting bike shorts, Adidas tracksuit bottoms and glittery halter tops… it shouldn’t work, but the contrasting styles are surprisingly complimentary. Sporty Spice is your muse here.

Bucket hats

Try as I might to avoid it, I too fell victim to the humble bucket hat at other festivals earlier this year. Yes, it’s a cliché, but who cares? Oftentimes, the making of an outfit is in the accessories and hats are a great way to bring personality and flair to your festival get-ups. They’re also very necessary companions in helping to disguise unwashed hair. Dry shampoo and French plaits can only get you so far.

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