Spring is pretty much on it’s way! With the temperature (slowly, but surely…) rising, we’ve decided to round up the best places to get one of this season’s hottest trends : The music festival look.
With the festival season rapidly approaching, it’s time to start planning for a summer of music. Once the tickets are bought and the camping is secured, all you have left to do is figure out what you’re going to wear. Easier said than done. Thankfully, this guide is here to help and can provide inspiration for any style, at any festival.
So whether you’ll be spotting celebrities at Coachella, discovering the next big thing at Osheaga, or raving the night away at Center of Gravity, packing can be a no brainer. Which leaves only one question — how much time can you get off work?
Forever 21 launched their festival collection last month and features an extensive array of options geared for the music festival style. Spring deals have also started online and in-stores at Forever 21, meaning tanks, tees and shorts can be found at pretty great prices. The retailer has introduced festival goodies such as blankets, parasols and even mini ‘hamburger’ speakers.
Retail giant H&M launched an official collaboration, H&M Loves Coachella, entering it’s sixth year as a fashion supporter of the arts and music festival. While the capsule collection is perfect for the festival season, we’ve seen the Spring 2015 collections that are coming into stores and there are some killer stylish pieces to keep you rocking from the festival to the streets back home. For a closer look at the H&M Loves Coachella collection click here.
We were recently introduced to ME TO WE this year and we have fallen in love with the brand. These accessories are hand crafted by women in under-developed parts of the world. Usually the problem with accessories developed for a charitable cause is that they are overpriced or just simply don’t look good. That is not the situation with Me to We. With style that is on the same par with large fashion labels and a fantastic price point, there is no reason not to do some good and looking great with Me to We.
Me to We measures the bottom line, not by dollars earned, but by the number of lives changed and the positive social and environmental impact made. Half of Me to We’s net profit is donated to Free The Children. The other half is reinvested to grow the enterprise and its social mission. We’ve been meaning to write a longer post on this awesome organization but haven’t found the time just yet. For now, visit Me to We, to learn more.
We love the latest collection from Sanuk! These are perfect for summer adventures and the stylish shoe is more versatile than it appears. The lightweight design doesn’t weigh down you (or your carry on), but the shoes are sturdy with flexible soles to help adapt to any terrain. Even better, the removable insole also had anti-microbial properties that protects against mold, fungus and bacteria.
Hot off the heels of their recent lingerie launch, the Canadian plus-size retailer released it’s Spring designs which included a festival collection. The new collection features standout pieces like the wide-leg pant, long duster kimono jacket and printed romper – all perfect for the festival season! The new summer offerings will be rolling into stores across Canada as of April 2015 and online at additionelle.com.
While flowers in your hair and hemp bracelets may not work for the 9 to 5 grind, at a summer festival anything goes and this guide is here to help give you a fresh take on a timeless style. Modern prints and updated classics provide a breathe of fresh air, while roomy silhouettes and neutrals help you stay true to your flower child roots. Light as air shoes keep your feet safe the without weighing you down, and sun smart accessories mean you won’t have to miss a minute of the fun with a bad sunburn.
Men’s –1. Minimum – Marley Tee (Dark Navy) $35 2. Minimum – Jake Shirt (Medium Blue) $100 3. Native – Apollo Chukka (Rocky Brown / Shell White) $100 4. Komono – Vivien Sunglasses (Frost Silver Mirror) $70 5.Minimum – Frede Shorts (Lion) $80 Women’s –6. Minimum – Capella Hat (Black) $45 7. Minimum – Kittie Shopper (Broken White) $35 8. Minimum – Lica Knit (Broken White) $105 9. Komono – Lulu Sunglasses (Gold) $75 10. Minimum – Mathilde Dress (Metal Grey) $110
Men’s –1. Komono – Allen Sunglasses (Paisley) $75 2. Minimum – Coberly Shirt (Navy) $75 3. Minimum – Bagley Shorts (Wave Blue) $90 4. Native – Miller Print (Pigeon Grey / Sprinkle) $65 5. Instance – Armor Sock (Navy) $19.50 6. Minimum – Frede Shorts (Greenlake) $80 Women’s –7. Minimum – Adelina Top (Oxford) $35 8. Komono – Wizard Print Watch (Leopard) $95 9. Minimum– Heather Pants (Blush Green) $70 10. Komono – Lulu Sunglasses (Crystal Giraffe) $70 11. Native – Verona (Glass Green / Shell White) $60 12. Minimum – Wicki Shorts (Black) $50
CALL IT SPRING is a go-to for coveted shoes, handbags and accessories, with accessible price-tags. Just slip-on some shoes with a little height (and traction) or throw on a backpack and some shades; they’re the easy 1-2-3’s to a killer festival outfit. It’s about discovery, freedom and making your fashion a show – and – tell for who you are.
Free People decided to make it extra accessible for shoppers this year by creating a dedicated festival shop online. This will be the first time Free People has built this shop on their website. The new shop won’t just include apparel that the brands sees as a perfect fit for festival but accessories and even games to get you through the hours between shows!
You want to travel light when you may be standing and dancing for hours on end. The more you bring with you, the more you have to carry. Limit the items to just the essentials and then throw in some of these goodies to your bag to make the most of your experience. Daneson, a company that produces flavoured toothpicks, are an easy way to help freshen breath or have just for the flavour. Either way, they’re pretty classy. Keep the party going with the super portable Jabra Soulmate Mini or indulge in some inner-you-time with the Jabra Rox earbuds. Both devices are wireless, connect through bluetooth and have crazy long battery life.
Mountain Equipment Co-Op offers a lot of essential and unique items for the festival life and more. Lightweight backpacks, super thermal water bottles, solar panel chargers and waterproof bags for cameras, phones and backpacks. We’ve been telling readers about OSIS by Schwarzkopf for a few years and we had to include two of our favourite hair products in this guide. Their dry shampoo and matte texturizing powder are useful for quick touch-ups when you may not have access to showers.
Two places we love for glasses and sunglasses are Clearly Contacts and Josephson Opticians. You can find great prices and a large selection to choose from including their own brands and labels which look great and have the best price points. The reason we love Josephson Opticians, although more expensive, the brand only carries unique and exclusive labels that are hard to find in Canada. We’ve chosen just a few for this festival guide but we recommend checking out these two brands for your summer shades.
Debuting right in sync to the feverish rhythm of summer festival season, DJ and musical style muse Mia Moretti curates a nostalgic collection for M·A·C that casts the warmth of the spotlight in colours such as sand-toasted peach, Riviera reds and poolside hues. For the playful romantic who dances to the beat of her own drum, Mia Moretti for M·A·C gives you the instruments you need to create your next smash hit.
* Hitting up a music festivals for the first time? Don’t forget to check out the official website of the event to see what items are allowed in. For example, Coachella doesn’t allow metal water bottles, blankets or chairs. While you can bring a backpack, it has to fit in one of those airport style carry-on luggage measuring devices to go through the gates.
Above: Check out the video Toronto Is Fashion shot for Canadian Club during our time at Toronto’s Digital Dreams music festival.
