By Nicole Penny
The summer months are abundant with music festivals and if you’re one of the lucky ticket holders, you will need to begin preparation to avoid festival-induced fashion mishaps. Sunburn, rejection due to poor body odour, and injuries relating to improper footwear are some of the most common complaints.
Below are some important tips to remember to ensure such situations will not ruin your weekend:
Gumboots – heavily touted as a festival fashion staple by celebrities such as Kate Moss, these rubber fiends are lethal weapons when combined with hot sun and sweat. Think tinea and other bacterial foot infections! Not to mention, last year alone there were approximately 186 gumboot-related festival injuries recorded*.
The only fail-safe form of footwear for festivals is the humble sneaker. They can generally outlast almost any situation, and the covered toes resist pain from any trodders-of-feet in the mosh pit!
Denim is a great idea, but a denim skirt or any other above-the-knee skirt for that matter, is not particularly ideal. Unless of course, you plan to avoid running, jumping in mosh pits and any strong breezes. Best to stick with shorts and jeans.
Preparing for weather conditions is vital - bring sunglasses for those sunny days and sunscreen to make sure you don’t get burned. If the clouds look threatening, bring a jacket, preferably with a hood – a convenient substitute for an umbrella!
Good hygiene often goes astray when outdoor festivals are concerned; camping festivals can get very smelly as the days pass. Deodorant is an absolute must – your mosh pit neighbours will thank you for it! Dry shampoo also works wonders for hiding the fact that you haven’t showered in three days.
Try not to bring too many valuable items (a phone can be your camera, watch and erm…phone, all in one) as these can easily get misplaced or stolen at a festival.
Last but by no means least, do not forget your ticket and have fun!
*Gumboot injury statistic may not be entirely accurate.
Image credits:
Image 4 Image taken by author.
Image 5 Image taken by author.
