Festival fashion from the 1970s — think free-flowing maxi dresses, bell-bottoms and boho chic — remains a key influence for Coachella and other music festivals.
Festival fashion draws much of its nostalgic inspiration from the 1970s — a decade defined by its transformative approach to self-expression. Legendary festivals like Woodstock and the Newport Jazz Festival — including both their venues and music — helped shape the free-spirited style that reflected the era’s social and cultural shifts. From flowing maxi dresses and bell-bottom denim to halter tops, fringe and crochet, ’70s fashion embodied creative individualism.
Fast forward to modern festivals like Coachella and Lollapalooza, where guests continue to embrace those vintage influences. By merging the ’70s boho aesthetics — like fringe, cowboy boots, denim and patterned jumpsuit styles — today’s festival looks are steeped in the nostalgic mood of gatherings from the past.
For some inspiration on what to wear, WWD took a step back into the Fairchild Archive and WWD’s “They Are Wearing” coverage of guests attending festivals and concerts in the 1970s. Known as the decade that changed the zeitgeist, it remains the key influence on festival fashion.
