How To Sustainably Dress On Trend This Festival Season

Glastonbury is just around the corner, which means festival season is upon us! 

But before you add that new dress to your basket, we’ve found out how you can dress on trend while being sustainable.

According to Keep Britain Tidy, a staggering 10,000 items of clothing are sent to landfill every five minutes, and this throw-away-culture is something that needs to change.  

With many people following the latest trends, we conducted our own research to see which trends would be dominating the fields this year, with Y2K, Cowgirl Chic, Crochet and All-White expected to be the styles we will be seeing around the main stage! 

We caught up with three sustainable fashion experts to find out how you can rock the latest styles whilst still being conscious of our environment. 

Y2K

We’re going back to one of the most iconic decades with one trend expected to dominate the fields this year - the noughties! 

In the past month alone in the UK, there have been 26,000 online searches for ‘Y2K’, with a 750% spike for ‘Y2K cargo pants’ and a 40% increase for ‘Y2K outfits’. 

So, we caught up with Oxfam’s Festival Shop Deputy Manager, Megan Brown, who shared her reasons as to why charity shops are the ideal places to pick up Y2K fits!

“Some people may clear out their wardrobes, not looking at a top they once loved as being 'Y2K', donate it to their local charity shop and someone else will come along and see it as just that.”

“There was a lot going on in the early 2000's, and every person is going to wear the trend differently. Charity shops are so unique in that everything in them is, well, unique! Plus, we have a fabulous variety of trained staff and volunteers who keep themselves familiar with trends – so it might not be a coincidence that the mannequin in the window is wearing a Britney Spears themed denim look!”

“Also, clothes that are donated to us at Oxfam, constantly circle – meaning nothing goes to landfill; we find a home for everything. We know that trends come and go, and come back again, and this works with how our circular process runs.”

Cowgirl Chic

Howdy, partner! 

It’s time to embrace the Wild, Wild West for our next trend - Cowgirl Chic! 

Many Coachella goers donned western style garments to dance by the ferris wheel this year, so it’s no surprise that searches for cowboy-inspired items are on the rise. 

In the past 12 months, there has been a whopping 650% spike in Google searches for ‘white cowboy boots’ and a 350% increase for ‘cowgirl outfit ideas’. 

Co-founder of the Charity Shop Gift Card, Sarah Cox: “The cowgirl look was around in the early noughties and so there’s definitely a lot of that era kicking around in the charity shops still. If you’re thinking leather and denim (cowboy boots, fringing etc) are made from fabrics that are built to last so will still be usable long after the trend has faded away.”

And, if you're off to Glastonbury this year, you’ll be able to create your own Cowboy look at the Oxfam pop-up shop, which will have a Cowperson/Space Sheriff theme!

Megan explains that: “One thing I have found when sorting for our Glastonbury shop is that the majority of things – more than you think – can fit into a trend, because it comes down to the styling. An example of this is vintage brown leather jackets – they look a bit too worn and aged, so they have been donated after years of use, but they are perfect for our space sheriff theme!”

Crochet

Crochet hooks at the ready! This is one trend you can really let your creative side shine with!

With a 300% spike in searches for ‘crochet co-ord’ and a 160% increase in ‘crochet halter top’, there are a number of ways you can enjoy the crochet trend sustainably. 

Expanding on this, Sarah said: “If you are willing to get creative you can look for crocheted blankets and upcycle them (there are some great tutorials online and you will have a truly original piece of clothing).  If crafts are your thing, there are always lots of wools, yarns, crochet hooks and patterns so you could get making your own outfit using these preloved materials that would have otherwise gone to landfill.”

All White

Okay, so we know white isn’t exactly the most practical colour for dancing around in the fields, but searches for ‘white jumpsuit’ and ‘white corset top’ have spiked 250% in the past year in the UK. 

Sarah says that:  “The great thing about charity shops is that they often group items by colour – so if you are looking for something in white head straight to that section and see what you can find.”

But with white clothing and green grass never being the best combination, Megan shares a great tip to be able to still wear the garments all year round, even if they do get a little ruined in the fields:

“If you were to get a stain on your all-white outfit whilst in a field this Summer, you can just dye the stained item a different colour when you get home!”

Bold Prints

Festival season is renowned for bold prints, bright colours and sparkles of glitter, but these aren’t  always the best options for the environment. 

However, to overcome this problem, Lucy Carter, owner of Ethical Roots, says: “The great thing about fair trade clothing is the variety of techniques artisans can use to hand make beautifully bold prints. Whether it’s Indian block print, kutch embroidery or Indonesian batik, you are wearing something special, made with love. “

There are also plenty of biodegradable glitter options now, so you can still sparkle in the fields without causing any lasting damage!

If you’re heading to a festival this year, make sure you’re stocked up with the right accessories. At Wave, we have the perfect reusable bottle to reduce your plastic consumption, as well as a handy backpack to ensure all your belongings are kept safe while you sit back, relax and enjoy the music!