Every week, Amber Bravo chooses one thing to totally obsess over on eBay. This week she explores the do's and don'ts of vintage Music "Festival" style.
Not sure what to wear to Coachella this weekend? eBay has that worked out for you, or at least some savvy sellers do. In an effort to better-describe the tone and style of their offerings, many are adding the tag "festival" to the clothes to put you in the mind of raging outdoors to collective summertime jams. But what exactly is "festival" style, and why is it different? Judging by the array on eBay, festival style is vaguely hippie, sometimes ironic, arguably utilitarian and often questionable. Last time I checked festival was not necessarily synonymous with Parisian circus, but style, like language, is fluid:
(Actually, in all fairness, you might be able to swing the above jumpsuit with a pair of black Repetto flats and messy bun—just sayin'!!!) In other words, you've got to have a mind's eye for context to see these some of these "looks" through. Festival style can veer dangerously into Halloween costume territory, like in this Spanish flamenco dancer number, which begs for a requisite rose in the hair and an artfully-placed beauty mark.
But my favorite thing about "festival" style on eBay, is that it's also functional, and not just in an ubiquitous rock t-shirt way. Some sellers have considered what you might need on an elemental level, like say, in a deluge:
Or they offer solutions for where to stash snacks, sunscreen, extra layers and water bottles (if they're allowed) when your leather "it" bag is just a little too hot (literally) for lounging outside on lawns.
That said, some festival looks will transition seamlessly back into normal, everyday urban life and are probably worth your best offer: