"Chill time" doesn't have a dedicated date on the calendar. Instead, we all find ways to have a good time and escape from our routines. With the weather warming up, fun and exciting events , like Coachella in California, Lolapalooza in Chicago, Fiesta in the My Melrose headquarters city of San Antonio, Texas start to pop up providing ample opportunity to escape. This week, we want to talk about festival fashion derived from the mainly bohemian style and more vibrant and colorful inspirations for events like Fiesta.
The Birth of Modern Festival Fashion
Let's take it back to an era of a whole cultural shift and a year where fashion had no rules, where freedom was an entire experience outside of the superficial elements of style. The era in question is the 1960s, which combines the Civil Rights Movement, the Vietnam War, antiwar protests, counterculture, the moon landing, political assassinations, and Woodstock. It's the peak of the Baby Boomer generation; these days, boomers have received criticism from younger generations such as Millennials and Gen Z. However, these generations (which this author falls into the oldest part of Gen Z) tend to glaze past the significance boomers have in modern world history, especially those that used their voices in antiwar protests, Civil Rights marches, women's liberation, the sexual revolution and the famous musicians that used their R&B, soul and rock and roll to inspire crowds to pay attention to political issues and embrace natural human instincts.
During this era, there were hippies, also known as "flower children." This societal group often were young adults in their 20s that lived by the mantra of "make love, not war," practicing a more "open" idealistic lifestyle, open sexual relationships, various religious explorations, and experimentation with the recreational use of hallucinogenic drugs like marijuana and LSD.
Hippie fashion (more modernly known as bohemian or boho fashion) favored long hair and loose clothing that was unstructured and customized using methods like acid washing, tie dye, painting, beading, embroidery, and more. Using natural fabrics, retro patterns, and earth tones came into play. Women in this fashion subculture found comfort in men's clothing, like tees and pants, and bras were optional. More feminine ladies liked pieces such as smocked maxi dresses and A-line skirts. This fashion bent the rules of gendered clothing where men participated in wearing ornately patterned robes and tunics, grew their hair long, and wore sandals. In addition, all hippies added loads of jewelry, headbands, and round sunglasses to their look.
The looks showcased below have some celebrity inspiration; folks of the beginning of music festivals as we know them and some newer styles to wear to various festivals that deviate from the original hippie influences.
A Holistic Inspiration from Stevie Nicks
Stevie Nicks is a famous American Rock and Roll Hall of Famer that began her career with her work with the band Fleetwood Mac and made notable music as a solo artist; her most popular song on Spotify is "Edge of Seventeen." Many younger audiences might know Stevie Nicks from her American Horror Story appearance in the third season titled Coven. She played herself and portrayed a white witch. She performed "Rhiannon," "Has Anyone Ever Written Anything For You?" "Seven Wonders," and "Gypsy." Her most recent work is collaborating with the Gorillaz on "Oil," the second track of their newest album Cracker Island.
Nicks holistically has a hippie/bohemian-inspired style that features ruffles, flowing skirts, embellished tops, and shawls. She wears a lot of lace, cashmere, velvet, silk, and chiffon and is noted to wear black for its slimming effect. Her style has been described as "witchy."
The My Melrose take on Nicks's style blends trending colors like fuchsia with her signature black on a shawl/kimono featuring a floral print with tassels lining the bottom. Our "Wowo" 3/4 Sleeve Floral Kimono, in particular, is what we mainly pay homage to her with. Otherwise, our "EHL" 15" Sleeveless Johnny V-Neck Collared Crop Top shows vague similarity to Nicks's top in the last photo of our slideshow to the right of this text.
A Folk Goddess; Style Channeling Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell is a ten-time Grammy Award-winning Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and one of the most influential singer-songwriters in the folk music genre. She is best known among women of her time; a complex person who wanted to stand toe-to-toe with men but rejected being a feminist and notably was not part of the anti-war protests. Despite her claims, critics see Mitchell as a prominent performer representing women's perspectives in culture and politics.
At the end of our slideshow, Mitchell is wearing an iconic look that features wide sleeves and legs with floral detail. The My Melrose interpretation incorporates the moss-colored "Love Tree" Spaghetti Strap Wide Leg Jumpsuit under the "Global Gold Twin Panel Front Tie Floral Kimono. While we had to recreate this idea with different articles of clothing, the idea of the folksy, chill vibe Mitchell emulates still translates into a modern look.
The Hippie Staple: Janis Joplin
Born in Port Arthur, Texas, was legendary Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Janis Joplin. She began her musical career with the psychedelic rock band Big Brother and the Holding Company. In 1969, Joplin went solo, leading her to perform at Woodstock '69. Toward the end of her life, Joplin formed her new band Full Tilt Boogie and toured with various bands like Grateful Dead. The unfortunate fate of her death was due to a heroin overdose in 1970 at 27. In 2013, Janice Joplin was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, honoring her long-lived legacy.
Janis Joplin had a bohemian sense of fashion with a little bit of an edge. She wore what was comfortable and was not fond of undergarments. Her clothes were carefree, colorful, and sometimes a little crazy; accessories were a must and were layered to the brim. The My Melrose interpretation isn't as loose as she might have preferred on the top. However, our bottoms would have caught her eye with their bold and wild print.
The Coachella Edit
If you're lucky enough to have scored tickets to the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, you'll see all kinds of artists like Bad Bunny, BLACKPINK, $uicideboy$, Frank Ocean, and so much more. The inaugural Coachella was held in 1999, featuring artists like Tool and Rage Against the Machine. Coachella was founded and established to highlight artistry which prompted bringing on a variety of musical and visual artistic talent to showcase to their ever-growing attendance. The festival's theme is the desert, and attendees can either book hotels or camp outside.
If you look at previous years of Coachella outfits, a wide variety includes boho, essential, and grunge. Our recommendation is fashionable, bohemian-inspired, and easy to keep cool in. Wear the My Melrose celery colored "Love Tree" Tube Top Jumpsuit and groove to some of the hottest artists and get lost in one of the most famous music festivals in the world.
Cool and Cute at Lollapalooza
What began as a farewell tour by Jane's Addition lead singer Perry Farrell in 1991 became an annual four-day music festival in Grant Park, Chicago. The event is home to genres like alternative rock, heavy metal, hip-hop, and electronic and dance music. If you're a concertgoer and scored tickets this year, you'll see headliners like Billie Eilish, Karol G, and Lana Del Rey, among many other artists performing.
Lolapalooza attire is somewhat similar to that of Coachella. However, it seems more geared toward alternative and rock fashion with boho mixed in. Since August is a hot time of year, we came up with something cool to wear featuring our white "Love Tree" 7 1/2" Lace Bralette paired with our light blue "Love tree" 3" Drawstring Linen Shorts.
A San Antonio Special: Fiesta Outfits
In the My Melrose headquarter city of San Antonio, there is Fiesta, an annual tradition celebrating the Battle of Flowers, which is meant to honor those who fought at the Alamo and Battle of San Jacinto. The event hosts a carnival, ball, and coronations of "royalty." Each year, a queen is chosen and has a court of twelve in-town duchesses and twelve from out of town. In addition, there are the Texas Cavaliers, the name of a king, and the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, that stage a pilgrimage to the Alamo to honor the heroes who fought. The expedition is silent with a wreath bearing and ends with a memorial service. Fiesta has become a more significant event, including attractions such as the St. Mary's Oyster Bake and the Pooch Parade.
Fiesta typically is a colorful event, and many attendees come decked out in vibrant multicolored looks. Come to Fiesta this year and collect some medals (especially ours) wearing one of two of My Melrose curated outfit options.
The first we showcase features the "Trendset" 1/2" Sleeve Multicolored V-Neck Top, "GV" 32" Dark Wash Denim Flare Jeans, and tan "Top" 3" Espadrille Wedge Sandals. This outfit leans more toward a conservative and traditional idea of fashion. Our second look is more modern and for a more daring and young crowd. Go out loud and proud wearing our "Love J" Short Sleeve Front Tie Top layered over the yellow "Love Tree" 7 1/2" Lace Bralette. Add the olive "Chocolate" Trousers and finish this look with the "Top" 2 3/4" X-Strap Block Heels.
