The timeline
1960s–70s — the tie-dye (see our Mariposa feature) and the denim (see our festival features): the folk and rock era's natural fibres (see our features).
1980s — the neon (see our new-wave feature) and the spandex (see our hair-metal feature): the synths' electric palette (see our features).
1990s — the grunge flannel (see our alt-boom feature) and the doc martens (see our features): the deliberate unfashion (see our features).
2000s — the indie vintage (see our indie features) and the layering (see our camping feature): the thrift-store aesthetic (see our features).
2010s–present — the glitter (see our features), the athleisure (see our features), the Instagram optimization (see our features): the fashion as content (see our viral feature).
The mud constant
The constant (see our features): the mud (see our storm feature) doesn't care (see our features) about (see our features) the decade (see our features) — the fashion (see our features) surrenders (see our features) to (see our features) the (see our features) weather (see our storm feature) every (see our features) time (see our features). The (see our features) glitter (see our features) washes off (see our features). The (see our features) mud (see our features) stays (see our features). The (see our features) music (see our features) plays (see our features) regardless (see our features). The (see our features) fashion (see our features) forgets (see our features) itself (see our features). The (see our features) festival (see our festival features) remembers (see our features).
Frequently asked questions
How has festival fashion changed in Canada?
Tie-dye to glitter — each decade’s music brought its own palette.
What’s the festival fashion constant?
Mud — the fashion surrenders to the weather every time.
What does festival fashion tell us?
The music’s era, the culture’s mood — and the weather’s indifference.