Coachella 2022: Predicting the Biggest Trends You Will Want to Recreate
It’s really happening. Music festivals have made a return after months of lockdown. But the party doesn’t truly start until Coachella returns. Which means this weekend, music festivals will be back in a big way. Hopefully this time, for good. With headliners including Harry Styles, Billie Eilish, Swedish House Mafia and The Weeknd (saving the day after Kanye West bowed out of his slot), this year’s Coachella is set to be a big deal. And with communal moshing comes the return of the proverbial drip.
The last time we scrolled through Coachella fit pics was back in 2019. Since then, fashion has evolved and so have we. The Vanessa Hudgens-fueled pseudo-hippie aesthetic is long gone, as is the Tumblr girl mystique that enthralled us a few years ago. With the issues we face today becoming less national and increasingly global, fashion trends will follow a similar tangent. Overseas trends are tipped to be adopted faster with fashion becoming less localized to a specific region. Though it’s difficult to say “Coachella” without sounding like a Valley Girl, the fashion frolicking around the festival grounds this weekend is likely to indicate less of a Californian aesthetic and more an amalgamation of the biggest trends creeping onto social media from all corners of the globe.
With the expectation that Coachella 2022 will reflect not so much a blank slate, but worldly influence, we are predicting that the renowned festival will evolve into a runway for experimenting with fashion and diverse influences, rather than the sacred grounds of flower crowns and flash tattoos.
So what will the first Coachella of the decade bring us? Here are our predictions:
Retrophilia
Retrophilia is Harry Styles' area of expertise, so chances are attendees looking to catch his eye (we can dream) will be wearing heavily 60s and 70s inspired looks. Flower power and psychedelic patterns are traditionally flaunted at Coachella, but this year we are expecting a less literal interpretation with more streetwear-inspired silhouettes. With the increase in woke global citizenship, feathers are expected to appear far less as attendees become aware of cultural appropriation. Instead, more considered looks that riff on a trend while injecting creativity and individuality will increase. Bold psychedelic patterns will be grounded by festival-ready lugged boots and patterned, button-down tops will be worn open over crop tops and bralettes. Pants in warm, nostalgic browns and corduroy fabrications will cater to those after a warmer outfit.
The Canadian Tuxedo
In that brief, brainwashed moment between 2010 and 2020 when double denim fell out of fashion, we truly strayed far from the light. Tried and tested in every other decade since the 50s, there’s a reason it has stood the test of time. Similar to the nostalgia principle, double denim riffs on Coachella’s penchant for being considered the modern-day Woodstock (it’s really not though). So this year, it’s expected to be championed by festival goers channeling the mythos of Woodstock. Attendees will opt for denim jackets or shirts with patchwork accents or Sherpa peeking over the collar. This will pair with the wearer’s go-to jeans – skinny, ripped, acid wash, straight and rigid, or flared and high-waisted. Versatile and adaptable, with the increase in individuality at Coachella, denim is still tipped to be a massive category on display in its many incarnations.
The Shacket
Three-day music festivals are a crime against humanity. Normally, camping trips come with copious backpacks and supplies, but camping at a festival tends to be much more restricted. Less Bear Grylls, more stumbling around looking for your tent at 4am. Owning a Jackirt – I mean - a Shacket, opens up a wardrobe of new possibilities. With the appeal of a button-up shirt and the utility of a jacket, Coachella ticket holders will be throwing this on and off as the hot and sunny festival turns into a chilly moon-lit night. And this ingenious hybrid will be your loyal companion on your three-day fight for survival.
Summer Knits
Knit tops bridge the gap between summer and winter, love and hate. And with a move towards global trends, winter fabrications are likely going to be seen everywhere at Coachella in summery iterations. This means knit singlets, dresses, skirts and crop tops. As the layers come on and off, outfits will evolve with the day, meaning more variation in Insta fit pics from the one outfit alone (trendyand thrifty). With a huge turnout expected for Phoebe Bridger’s set, fans will likely be experimenting with monochrome looks in warm materials, inspired by the singer’s own style.
Coachella 2022 will not only present the challenge of balancing the sartorial with survival but will reflect a different world order to when we last reveled in live music. Transforming into a dust bowl runway, there will be more experimentation, more trends from far-flung places, greater individuality, and increased reckless abandon. After all, it’s been a tough two and a half years.