Silence in Somerset

Something strange happened in a small town of Somerset this summer; the grasses stayed green and the wellingtons stayed clean. Unfortunately, this left my fashion thinking brain inquisitive about the hidden styles and forthcoming trends that would never be unleashed yet remain hidden at the back of Glastonbury goer’s closets. As a result I took inspiration from C.S Lewis’ character of Lucy, and decided to step inside the 2012 festival wardrobe to explore the delightful creation of styles that would have filled Glastonbury’s bare fields and stages with colour and vivacity.

In 2010 and 2011 Glastonbury witnessed an invasion of floral headdresses, earthy colours and abundance of denim; like the childhood stories on my rewindable tape cassettes, festival fashion seemed to be getting predictable. However, in 2012 fashion individualism and bravery regarding one’s style grew to an all new high, which was reflected in the choice of outfits worn by artists and attendees at this year’s festivals. Marina Diamandis stepped away from the black, and into femininity showcasing pretty ice-cream coloured pastels and tailoring, which added an element of glamour and elegance to the festival scene. Whilst Rita Ora embraced her position on stage to educate her audience on the benefits of texture with fringing, which flowed effortlessly with her movements and commanded the attention of her audience.

Come rain or shine, Glastonbury 2012 would have been a magpie’s heaven with festival goer’s displaying this year’s finest and most innovative jewellery and accessory creations. Slave bracelets, ear cuffs and delicate jewelled headdresses transported us away to Arabian beaches, whilst collar cuffs added a sparkle to the everyday shirt. It is this rejuvenation of classic staple pieces and timeless fabrics that 2012 festival fashion excelled at. Artists such as Jessie J rejuvenated an over worn leather look with fierce golden studs and vibrant red turned up sleeves, whilst Lana Del Ray added a pair of high tops to an outfit that from the knee up was surprisingly feminine.

Although we were unable to witness the eclectic fashion styles and even fashion faux pas at Glastonbury, the styles seen at this year’s festivals has been by no means predictable, with fields and stages coming alive with shiny metallic fabrics, summer pastels and daring prints, all of varying textures. Whilst some things will always remain the same, the rain, the mud and the unenviable task of finding one’s tent at the end of the night, festival goer’s and artists are slowly but surely venturing away from their festival comfort blankets of denim and printed t-shirts.

Hattie Lee