Festival Style: Coachella 2014, A Practical Guide

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(hypothetical outfit & essentials for day 1)

(yeah i forgot 7, whoops)

I think we're all aware by now that unfortunately Coachella has become this parade of "look at my cute outfit" instead of "my favorite band is playing at noon so we have to get there early!" Everyone and their mom knows blogs and big time street style photographers and your favorite clothing companies hang around the grounds to take photos of stylish kids. what you don't know is that most of these people always hang out in VIP during the actual festival so your chances of getting on Refinery29's coachella "best dressed" list is preeeeettty slim. 

I highly suggest that you throw all notions of being photographed out the door and focus on having fun and fine tuning your schedule so you can see as many bands possible. Not to mention think about the p r a c t i c a l i t y  of what you're going to wear. 

so, you're going to Coachella with all your friends and you're so stoked you don't even know what to bring. So here a few tips of what NOT to bring to Coachella:

• expensive jewelry (you'll be crying when you lose your expensive Vanessa Mooney cuff bracelet)
• heeled booties (you'll be walking on grass and DIRT all weekend. heeled booties need not apply)
• rompers (do i need to remind you about the porta potties? put two and two together)
• leggings (you do know you're in the desert right? you don't care? okay. enjoy your tan)
• leave your expensive dslr at home. bring a point and shoot instead
• expensive hats (they will get crushed and you will be sad)
• expensive sunglasses (you're probably going to lose them)
• okay well expensive anything because odds are you WILL lose them or they will get completely wrecked

take the advice from a four year coachella veteran. 

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(hypothetical outfit & essentials for day 2)

(obvi the sweater is for night time you guys)

If you're not camping I highly suggest you rent a locker. Bring all the goodies you would want when the sun goes down like a sweater or a blanket, extra water. Plus if you bring a hat or something you can always put your stuff away so you don't have to carry things with you. I rented a locker the last two times I went to coachella and I dont regret it! Super helpful and I only really paid $30 for it for the whole weekend (you get your deposit back when you turn in your key). 

And probably my most important tip: 

If you're going with friends odds are your schedules are going to have conflicts you wanna see band X but your BFF wants to see band Y. Don't compromise! Go see who you wanna see you won't regret it. It would be wise to compare schedules with your friends and find a meeting spot. Have a gameplan! I know I'm a stiff and I like plans but I kid you not having a plan at a festival helps out the most. obviously know that it's just a gameplan because you guys might at the last minute decide to go see band Z. 

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(hypothetical outfit & essentials for day 3)

(add a top if it gets chilly and you don't actually want to wear a sweater at night)

On a parting note, if you're not going for the music and you're just going to be seen, just.don't.even.go. 

If you are going for the music, then i hope you have a great time. stay hydrated, don't forget your sunblock and remember to eat. Please have a frozen lemonade and giant slice of pizza for me and go see Neutral Milk Hotel. 

xo, Leeds.

Festival Style: FYF Fest 2013

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...and the weekend of Summer everyone in LA | OC has been waiting for has finally arrived! Saturday kicks off FYF fest's 10th anniversary and it looks like some fun times. I'm going to sound like a broken record here and admit that the line-up is not really super impressive. Yes, they did manage to somehow get My Bloody Valentine but i'm just going to humble brag right now and tell you that i already saw them! and it was amazing and everything i ever dreamed it would be. so really after that, what could possibly impress me? oh my god that sounds snobby! i can't decide if this festival indifference i've been feeling is because i'm getting older (and crankier) or because i just truly have seen most of the bands on the bills. thats quite an accomplishment though, if i do say so myself. my goal of attending every big music festival at least once is still on though, come on, i have yet to make it out to Primavera, Glastonburry, Roskkilde---ONE DAY, one day. 

oh damn! i'm just realizing that one thing i forgot to add to the guides above for fyf was a bandana and/or scarf! the dust/dirt at the Los Angeles Historic Park is NO JOKE. what is a joke is calling that little piece of land a park! seriously the amount of plain old dirt is crazy. and does anyone ever visit that park other than the craft fair, HARD, or Fyf? whatever, at least we have someplace to have a little festival--i'm not complaining...entirely. haha. but yes, back to the dirt, it is very important that you protect yourself from this nasty ass dirt, because it WILL fly in your face, trust me if you gather a bunch of excited folks about to see their favorite band and they start moshing, or dancing, or what have you, that dirt will fly in your face and if you dont protect yourself, you will be blowing your nose a week after and wondering where that nasty ass dirt came from. serious, true story. and while i'm on the dirt rant, i read some article earlier in the week that was like "bring your fashion game to FYF, this isn't roskkilde, your shoes won't get messed up"...UMMMMM. YES. ACTUALLY, THEY WILL. so bring boots or sneakers you just don't give a damn about. And please, please, for the love of god, leave your heeled booties at home. 

okay okay, i'll step down from my soap box now. but just don't forget to catch Glasser if you kids go. Cameron Mesirow is amazing! just AMAZING. you will not regret it. 

leeds out!

Festival Style: Outside Lands 2013

I know i said i would update this week buuuuuuuuuut i've been lazy,  let's be real. But anywayyyy, let's talk about Outside Lands! Outside Lands kicks off today and although this year has a rather unimpressive lineup if someone had handed me tickets i would not have said no! haha. Here's what i would deem appropriate to wear to this year's Outside Lands Festival in foggy San Francisco:

| dress | sweater | jacket | necklace | ring | sunglasses | sneakers | bracelet | socks |

| dress | backpack | sunglasses | bracelets | socks | rings | jacket | boots |

| parka | top | sunglasses | rings | boots | pants | necklace |

If you couldn't tell, I'm all about comfort at festivals. I know most girls want to look super cute and they like wearing really cute things like rompers but let's be real, you're probably going to be trippin on something and then you gotta go to the bathroom. SO you're trippin and trying to get out of your romper in porta-potty. That sounds like fun! Also, heeled booties? You know you're walking on all grass right? GET REAL LADIES! You can still be cute AND dress for comfort! Think about that for your next festival. Oh and don't forget your jacket and long socks for Outside Lands, it may be August, but it gets pretty chilly! Also, a good idea to wear some shorts under your dresses, like some lycra ones help out a lot, you know, unless you WANT people to see your undies. 

Ahhhh i wish i were going only so i could hang out with my sf bestie Mark-Adrian! I think a visit is overdue. 

p.s. if you're going do NOT miss Dublin folk rockers Little Green Cars. They're not really ideal for festivals but their music is so good anyway, just go see them. I'm pretty much girl crushin' on faye so bad! 

In Dreams: H&M Series

YOU GUYSSSSSSSS!!! The day has finally arrived. H&M online shop is now live! Okay, i know i live really close to an H&M buuuuut i always hate shopping there because the store is messy, there's never anything left in my size, and the mall gives me creeps so i can't ever stay too long. So this is obviously the better alternative. Not for my wallet obviously. Hahaha. The only downside is that you can't return anything you buy online to the store--you must ship it back and it'll cost ya the shipping. laaaame. but i mean, they're just trying it out right now so i'm sure that it will change later. such a big company--i doubt it would stay the same forever. 

i'm super stoked. i remember senior year of high school when my pal KC and i somehow conned my parents to drive us to San Francisco to visit the arboretum for our AP Bio project and used it as an excuse to shop at the only H&M in California. A year and half after and H&M's were opening up everywhere! H&M is super rad because i find that it's very affordable and everyone can find something there. Especially basics! My boy loves getting shirts there but he wishes he could fit into those pants. I do too, because damn those pants are awesome, but he got a booty so that don't work! hahaha. 

So in celebration i went a little crazy on polyvore and created 7 outfit sets of my favorite items:     

H&M Series 1 by atthisvolume featuring a magnetic purse

H&M Series 2 by atthisvolume featuring h&m purses

H&M Series 3 by atthisvolume featuring a leopard print messenger bag

H&M Series 4 by atthisvolume featuring h&m

H&M Series 5 by atthisvolume featuring high heels

H&M Series 6 by atthisvolume featuring h&m cardigan

H&M Series 7 by atthisvolume featuring vegan leather handbags

I went a little crazy, i know! Whoops! haha

In Dreams: Midsummer Wishlist

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currently obsessing over these little guys. Got an email from Ruche highlighting this little dress so i know it will be gone by the time i'll have $ for it so i'm already sad about it. haha. but i can still dream! this cute fit and flare style is so flattering for everyone and always in fashion. And that print! man it's quite something. I would totally pair this dress with this rad anorak from Nasty Gal and i'm pretty sure if i bought it i would probably want to live in it forever haha. Also, these shoes. ugh. THESE SHOES. dear Madewell, why must you always always always be out of my price range? If you guys know of any similar shoe styles for a broke-ass let me know!

Festival Style: Bonnaroo 2013 Edition

Bonnaroo begins today and I couldn't be any sadder about not being there. I knew i'd have to do an internship this summer or find a job, and I couldn't do any of that if I went off gallivanting throughout the U.S. coasting festival to festival like I have spent other years. Being an adult sucks. hhahaha. Anyway, since I am not able to spend the next four days with my good pal, Mark-Adrian, complaining about the humidity and drinking cold lemonades while watching some of my favorite bands, all I can do is coordinate pretend outfits!

Bonnaroo Day 1 would consist of:

Bonnaroo 2013, Day 1 by atthisvolume featuring a white umbrella

yeah that's right, actually comfortable shoes. none of that "heeled booties" crap. Don't get me wrong, heeled ankle booties are pretty great, but they do not belong at a music festival where the only ground to walk on is GRASS. Obviously a parasol is a given if not wearing a hat, because the killer sun rays are not my friend. And because the sun is not my friend, you bet i'd be lugging around 70+spf plus another set of sunscreen moisturizer for my face (the new coola brand is so rad and smells like cucumbers!) and you know i'd be reapplying every 2 hours. I'm just that crazy. Limited jewelry of course, because who wants accidental weird tans? 

Bonnaroo Day 2:

Bonnaroo 2013, Day 2 by atthisvolume featuring dr.martens sneakers

I'm serious about the comfortable shoes thing, you guys. I know it'd probably be suuuuper hot, but you shouldn't wear sandals at a festival! Take care of your feet! Do you really want a bro to step on your feet while you're trying to dance to Animal Collective? Didn't think so. 

Bonnaroo Day 3:

Bonnaroo 2013, Day 3 by atthisvolume featuring a heart shaped umbrella

How great is this Jen's Pirate Booty tunic? You know what would make it better? Slit sides! Because i'm gonna need maximum wind power coming at me from all sides. Okay, i wouldn't slit it all the way up obviously, just would make it more comfortable. I did this before for a similar tunic I wore to Coachella in 2008 and it was 100 times much more comfortable than it originally was. Also can I mention how much I love my Fjallraven Kanken backpacks? I hate that the yellow one is nearly impossible to clean, but damn, I still love it so much. Why do I love backpacks so much more now that i'm NOT in school? sigh.

My blue kanken is actually a mini, so the parasol would definitely not fit in it (even sticking out), but I would totally come up with some way to ghetto rig a strap by tying some ribbon or something to the top of the parasol and right before the handle. Something to make it easier to lug around after sundown. Unless of course Bonnaroo has lockers! I'm not sure if they do, but if they do I highly recommend getting one so you don't have to carry things around all day. If a festival ever offers lockers, you get one! It'll make your life easier.  

Bonnaroo Day 4:

Bonnaroo 2013, Day 4 by atthisvolume featuring an agate bracelet

Have you guys tried the tarte lip tints? They are amazing! They smell good and they last ALL DAY. If there's something I truly hate about make-up it's having to reapply. Who has time for that? Who wants to look vain by reapplying their makeup several times a day? NOT ME. Plus, i'm lazy. Sorry i'm not sorry. haha. 

Okay. Man. I sure wish I was at Bonnaroo right now. I think i'll go make myself a nice cold lemonade and lurk instagram for Bonnaroo updates.