Festival fashion really can be sustainable, and this is how

Written by Naomi May

Dressing for festival season needn’t cost the earth – these are the eco-conscious tips to make your festival fashion more sustainable. 

The time is upon us once again. It’s time to flat-pack our lives into the confines of a rucksack, bulk-buy cheap tinnies and hit the road to spend the equivalent of a long weekend dancing in a field. Indeed, festivals are back – and so too is festival fashion.

Glastonbury! Wireless! Latitude! It’s no wonder that “festival outfits” has asserted itself among Depop’s top 10 search terms over the past few weeks, with searches for cowboy boots and bucket hats among the app’s most desired items.

“Festival season is my favourite,” says Jevgenija Dorosenko, owner of Snake Cake Vintage. “This is the time when you could be your wildest self or be someone else – you choose. Make it extra. More colour, more volume, more detail. Break away from reality.” 

But if there’s one thing more synonymous with festivals than a warm tinny, it’s fashions that aren’t particularly earth-first. From sequins to glitter (both of which might be sparkling, but not in terms of their eco-credentials) and throwaway barely-there dresses, festival fashion has developed a reputation for itself as a fleeting fad.

“Festival fashion is usually about as throwaway as it comes,” says Lauren Bravo, author of How To Break Up With Fast Fashion. “Those cheap-and-cheerful outfits and accessories are most often made from polyester, nylon and other synthetic materials – mainly plastic by another name, which will take up to 200 years to break down in landfill.” 

All is not lost though, dear fashion lovers. Festival fashion can be attained just as easily by looking to re-sale apps such as Depop and Vinted – both of which are a veritable treasure trove of other people’s pre-loved pieces that are perfect for field dressing.

“The most sustainable option, to be honest, is buying nothing new at all,” says Bravo. “Try upcycling something you already own – apps like The Seam and Sojo will help you find a local tailor – or borrow something from your friends’ wardrobes.”

For Glastonbury, I’ve stocked up on pre-loved skorts, vintage tank tops (trawling Depop for Miss Sixty iterations has been my go-to) and cardigans. My footwear of choice will be my raggedy trainers or a pair of Moon Boots I’ve had for forever. 

“The best thing about festival style is that really anything goes and there’s no judgment,” adds Pascale of vintage Depop account @Pascaleeliza. “So try pushing yourself a bit out of your comfort zone. As long as you’re comfortable, festivals are the ideal time to have some fun with your style and experiment. Wear comfortable shoes and definitely style your outfits with layers for the turbulent British weather.”

In short, conscious festival fashion is just about “sharing the love”, in the words of Bravo. Happy dancing.  

BEST DEPOP ACCOUNTS FOR FESTIVAL FASHION

• Snake Cake Vintage

  Looking for a one-of-a-kind top or a slinky pre-loved dress? Snake Cake Vintage’s curated selection of secondhand pieces has garnered it a following just shy of 70,000. Top tip: if you see something you like, think quick and snap it up as soon as you can.

  SHOP HERE

• Pascale Eliza

  Pascale Eliza is a curated edit of the best one-off pieces that will have everybody fawning over them, from vintage Dior T-shirts to Moschino minis. 

  SHOP HERE

• Isabella Vrana

  Isabella Vrana has become one of Depop’s biggest success stories, with a following shy of 200,000 and pre-loved collections full of 00s staples. 

  SHOP HERE

Images: courtesy of Getty

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