South by Southwest is a shit show and a half, but like all good shit shows it’s half fashion show. What’s the point of getting super fucked up in a youth entertainment auditorium if you don’t look good enough that Lil Wayne might pull you up onstage to join his ever multiplying entourage for a selfie? When the meaningless, menial minions of society have the opportunity to brush shoulders with the movers and shakers of the music industry you better believe there’s going to be a tight fashion game in these streets—which also means there’ll be plenty of sartorial faux pas for us to guffaw over. For your viewing pleasure, here’s an assortment of fashion highs and lows that mimic the alternating realities of ecstasy and horror that SXSW itself encompasses, along with some overall #trends to help you plan your next #relevant #festival #look.
Sure, we know camouflage shit has been in style for a minute. That’s what happens when America’s stuck in a few wars and plenty of us have a relative or friend in the armed forces. Instead of pouring all the money and resources of the world into achieving world peace, it all goes into the fashion industry who decided that the best way to cope with post-traumatic stress from neverending military action was to incorporate the storied print into popular culture!
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Catch everyone you’ve ever met rocking a strong camo look, especially at a youth culture centric event like SXSW. It isn’t just pants or coats anymore—it’s hoodies with shark faces on them, t-shirts layered with denim and much much more. Dare I say it? Camo is the new black. Get used to the unsettling dissonance of its presence the same way you grew accustomed to knowing about the military industrial complex. Speaking of Complex, Cam’ron himself rocked a camo look at his brief appearance at their showcase. I was personally hoping he’d wear the pink fur coat but it was a lil muggy out.
This look is actually an excellent one for the warfare of festival-going because it offers breathability, flexibility and style. The crop top has returned in full force which means girls without washboard abs can even paint some skintight high-waisted leggings onto their lower torso, don a strip of fabric on top, and call it good. The look works best with bold, bright innovative patterns—basically, a #Doritos chip turned from corn into something comfortable. Perhaps #Doritos can figure out a branded look next year; non-sentient fabric is so much easier to work with than Lady Gaga.
Even if the rest of your festival look is decidedly #normcore because you spent all your disposable income on a $700 badge to come to this goddamn festival, a week’s worth of a shitty hotel room at the Super 8 and a daily dose of tacos to gorge on after you found every single open bar possible, there’s always accessories! A backpack is a great festival accessory because you can put a lot of contraband in it, keep a coat, or carry your laptop so you can upload a million selfies from the Red Bull GIF-making machines. Neon shoes were a huge ATX look this year, as were crafty leather bags and printed hats. Wide brimmed hats were in, too, or maybe that’s just because we were in Texas. If you had any of these, odds are other people just followed you directly to the best showcases each night. (This being Teen by Teenwest, weed prints were also very in.)
I can’t say enough about a dark lip. If you have the skin tone this is such a strong, badass look. Lorde and Charli XCX have been bringing back the hot goth girl look with incredible force and it’s great for festivals because it might intimidate the doorman into letting you into the show you definitely were lying about being on the list for.
Wearing almost nothing was, as always, a strong contender for the most ubiquitous festival look. But it was the women wearing nothing in the most creative ways that I really respected. Take this leather onesie for example—add a neon, printed backpack and your look is ***flawless. Beyonce would be proud.
Let’s all follow Jay-Z’s lead and incorporate brands into every aspect of our being, into the very core for our artistry and lives. (Brands is clothes too—go on brush your shoulders off.) To be completely honest with you, I loved this dress. America, beer and lowbrow values all combined into one. As patriotic as eating a side of ribs over a trash can while people stare at you.
This look is back, for whatever reason, and it remains my worst nightmare. I’m sorry, I know it’s practical and makes sense for festivals but I think it’s the Macklemore of fashion statements.
MVPs: Best looks I saw
On one of her boobs this girl has the Wu Tang Clan symbol tattooed; on the other, Texas. She also has a Nina Simone tattoo on her right calf that I fucking deleted the picture of to make room on my phone for a blurry picture of Lil Wayne. I’m sorry, because it was awesome and I deleted it on accident.
The sports influences bleed directly into the printed backpack, black cut out leggings, gold high tops and stunna shades. I would let this girl pick out my outfit every day for the rest of my life.
A normcore man in a suit fleeing the scene once I’d spotted him.
Combining high art with drug imagery, because Michelangelo was definitely high when he dreamed up that Sistine Chapel shit.
Imagen Garge perform at SXSW 2015.
Don’t forget to check out the rest of our SXSW coverage, too.
Caitlin White sent all these photos from a flagging WiFi connection, because she’s a trooper. She’s on Twitter. – @harmonicait
