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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

this "festivals as fashion show" thing gives me the Rage

112 replies

dirtyface · 14/07/2013 13:52

i am a music lover and as a teenager / early 20 something i used to go to festivals every summer

think the PROPER festivals, donington, ozzfest, reading festival etc. a fashion show they were Not. it was actually about the bands and music and just having a proper good time and not really giving a shit what you were wearing as long as you were reasonably comfortable. apart from maybe if you wore a t-shirt of your favourite band. not designer brands, a face full of make up, and artfully dishevelled "festival hair"

but "nowadays" its just soooooo cool to be "seen" at festivals. it doesn't seem to be about the music anymore. it seems to be more about posing. this whole "festival as fashion show" bandwagon thing only came about in the last 5 or 10 years. and now ever summer, every vacuous shitty womens mag is saturated with "festival fashion" articles and what celeb twats like kate moss are wearing at glastonbury. as if the paps will be snapping you every 5 minutes in your generic hunter wellies and ray bans.

bugs the shit out of me (but as i said i am an old gimmer of 33 who doesn't go to them anymore anyway so what do i know :o )

OP posts:

KellyElly · 15/07/2013 15:20

*Tinie even

MarmaladeTwatkins · 15/07/2013 16:06

But, Kelly, this "thing" of having teenybopper bands at festivals like Glastonbury is a very recent thing! They aren't, or weren't, about what's topping the charts.

In 1999, The Corrs played Glastonbury and loads of folk were grumbling about them being too poppy for it.

Also, when I first went to Glastonbury in 1994, it was a real mix of ages, and was so the years I went after. I remember dancing to Orbital in the dance tent with a 62 year old woman! It isn't anyone's "time" to be at a festival as they shouldn't be about who or what is fashionable (which makes the point of this thread made) but about people of all ages appreciating the music.

ImNotBloody14 · 15/07/2013 16:11

Umm festivals arent an exclusive event- the tickets are available to everyone the same way. Should there be an exam to decide who deserves tickets before others? How ridiculous- people wearing fashionable clothes having a good time eith their friends arent doing anything wrong. Unless its just because they dont do fun how you do and so must be banished from public places

MarmaladeTwatkins · 15/07/2013 16:15

"Umm festivals arent an exclusive event- the tickets are available to everyone the same way"

Yeah well they shouldn't be.

ImNotBloody14 · 15/07/2013 16:16

Oh you're just playing with me now!

MarmaladeTwatkins · 15/07/2013 16:18

There should be questions that people need to answer on the ticket hotline. And within a certain time to make sure they aren't Googling.

I am HARSH.

ImNotBloody14 · 15/07/2013 16:24

You need to chill- you should take some time off. Go to a festival or something

MarmaladeTwatkins · 15/07/2013 16:25

Going to a festival would NOT make me chill. I would be on a murder-spree of flower-haired/Hunter-wellied gap yah students within minutes of entering the compound.

ImNotBloody14 · 15/07/2013 16:33

do you think this might be your own personal issue? just a wee bit?

KellyElly · 15/07/2013 16:38

MarmaladeTwatkins It's not like like One Direction or Taylor Swift are playing though is it. It's not exactly teenie bopper stuff. It's rap/hip hop music that is outselling pretty much everything else in the charts. When I was a young teenager The Levellers, The Black Crows, The Prodigy, Oasis, Pulp, Radiohead were all topping the charts and have all headlined Glasto. Back in the early days so did Bowie - all massive artists of their time. Music has just moved on and the festivals are reflecting this. You may not like JayZ but he's not exactly teenybopper stuff - he's been about for years along with Snoop, Nars etc who've all played Glasto now. Also I'm not saying a 60 year old woman can't go and rave at a festival but the 'super festivals' have always had more young people at them (late teens - 30 somethings) and they did in the late 90's and 2000's when I was at them too!

GreenSkittles · 15/07/2013 17:08

My next door neighbours teenage daughters and their friends went off to a festival last weekend in the obligatory denim shorts, band tees and wellies.

Wellies.

In a heatwave.

MsRinky · 15/07/2013 17:38

I will admit to snickering at the youngsters who wear wellies in the blazing sunshine along with their Topshop festival fashions.

But I wore Doc Martens solidly for about a decade from 1989, so probably looked just as stupid.

whois · 15/07/2013 17:48

Aw people like dressing up - be it something funny or something pretty.

At glasto this year the 'uniform' seemed to be denim shorts, with or without leggings depending on the time of day and wellies. Actually quite practical! Short summer dresses (with/out) legging also pretty popular and practical.

Don't see the problem - in your own way 'back in the day OP' you were still subscribing to the uniform c it was just a different one back then!

float62 · 15/07/2013 17:57

The main difference now is the hugeness of festivals like Glastonbury and the introduction of commercialism and therefore cost. They've definitely become more mainstream. Speaking as someone who had a 'magic' time in 1979 at Glastonbury, but started to go off it by 1981 (commercialism was creeping in, not a criticism btw as it's so successful, just my taste) and some festivals used to be Free. Stonehenge early 80s anyone? But that started to get a bit out of hand when the hardcore 'Anarchists' took it over from the 'hippies, et al' and understandably the Free Festival was made illegal. I never saw Hawkwind play there unfortunately so bought tickets for the Rhythm Festival last summer for me and DS (then 10) but the bloody thing got cancelled. I would still go to one with DS (or without given half a chance!) if I found the right one.

HairyGrotter · 15/07/2013 19:29

I think I'd wear a maxi dress if I wasn't planning on getting 'involved' in the pits, but for me, I need practical clothing as I like to get stuck in.

Despite weather, I'm usually in my wellies but they are just black Dunlop ones, I can't afford the wedge hunter ones

StuntGirl · 15/07/2013 19:36

It's not like like One Direction or Taylor Swift are playing though is it. It's not exactly teenie bopper stuff. It's rap/hip hop music that is outselling pretty much everything else in the charts. When I was a young teenager The Levellers, The Black Crows, The Prodigy, Oasis, Pulp, Radiohead were all topping the charts and have all headlined Glasto. Back in the early days so did Bowie - all massive artists of their time. Music has just moved on and the festivals are reflecting this. You may not like JayZ but he's not exactly teenybopper stuff - he's been about for years along with Snoop, Nars etc who've all played Glasto now. Also I'm not saying a 60 year old woman can't go and rave at a festival but the 'super festivals' have always had more young people at them (late teens - 30 somethings) and they did in the late 90's and 2000's when I was at them too!

This!

In 10 years time fashion will change and your daughters will be on here going "In my day it was some practical denim cut offs jazzed up with pretty floral headbands. These kids today in their [whatever fashion of 2023]".

DonDrapersAltrEgoBigglesDraper · 15/07/2013 19:46

Exactly, StuntGirl.

MarmaladeTwatkins · 15/07/2013 20:00

"In 10 years time fashion will change and your daughters will be on here going "In my day it was some practical denim cut offs jazzed up with pretty floral headbands. These kids today in their [whatever fashion of 2023]"."

But no! There weren't any "festival fashions" then! You just dressed for the weather. Hot = few vests/shorts. Raining = jeans/vests/jumpers/waterproof and boots. No make-up, no "done" hair. You had a wash with a wet wipe and maybe rubbed a bit of talc into your roots on day 4 if things were oily.

I went to V a few years back to watch Pixies and I shit you not, there was a GHD Hair Pod there and a nail bar.

Charlie Brooker is right, it is the plastification of everything until everything resembles everything else.

And I don't take your point about Bowie being comparable to Chase and bloody Status.

Goldenbear · 15/07/2013 20:57

I agree with you OP. I am 35 and the last festival I went to was Glastonbury in 2000. It was the last year that you could easily 'climb the fence' and I think that had an impact on the 'look' of the festival goers. Certainly, my friends and I did not wear any make up, have a shower or have a clothes rack in our tent.

StuntGirl · 15/07/2013 21:08

And that was the fashion of the time. Now it is different (or some). Lots of people still rock up in whatever and no make up/hair products. And of course people wore make up at festivals back then! You're looking through some very rose tinted glasses there marmalade

CheapBread · 15/07/2013 21:20

Agree with OP. When, this year even the Tesco magazine had a page on 'festival fashion' and the One Show was broadcast from Glastonbury I declared the party officially over.
It's all about selling you shit.

And no celeb spends a morning desperately refreshing a browser for tickets and they do not stay in tents.

MarmaladeTwatkins · 15/07/2013 21:24

It wasn't fashion! It was just clothes! Practical clothes! I wore other fashionable things outside of a festival situation (remembers PVC jeans and cringes) but I just wouldn't have worn them at a festival.

I have the pictures of my first time at Reading in 1995 and we all look homeless.

TravelinColour · 15/07/2013 22:55

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

StuntGirl · 15/07/2013 23:02

Yep travelin

And I bet they don't wear their chiffon dresses and sky high wedges to the festivals either, there will be 'going out clothes' they leave at home too.

Rose tinted glasses, I'm telling ya.

MarmaladeTwatkins · 16/07/2013 09:07

"Wasn't 'looking homeless' just 90's grunge though? Inside-out jumper with cuffs hanging out and Rimmel black cherries lipstick? No?"

Maybe. I don't see your point, though!

We just used to pack as if we were going for a weekend's camping (which we were) Would you ponce around a campsite in your naice clothes and a full face of make-up or would you dress sensibly, for the elements?

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