With the festival season fast approaching, Caitriona Kelly from the irresistible Irish country and lifestyle clothing brand, Jack Murphy, shares her top tips on essential festival clothing and fashion ‘festiquette’ to help people get the most out of the festival experience.
“Each festival has its own culture,” explains Caitriona, “however, regardless of the size and type of festival, most events share one thing in common – they are usually held outdoors and many take place in the countryside, usually in a field! With this in mind and, given the unpredictability of British summertime weather, it’s important to prepare for sun, wind and rain (and the inevitable mud bath that the latter creates).
“A lot of people worry about what to wear to a festival and, as each festival is different and has its own ‘festiquette’ it’s important to do your research to ensure you feel comfortable and able to cope with whatever the weather throws at you.”
To help festival-goers, Caitriona has created an essential checklist:
1. Do your homework
Whether it’s a food festival or a music extravaganza, each event will have its own culture and working out what to wear is easier with a little bit of research and preparation. If this is your first time talk to people who have been to the festival before, check-out photographs of the event on the internet and visit the festival’s website to get a flavour of what it’s all about. Remember, festivals are not fashion parades so you are aiming for stylish yet functional clothing that will keep you cool if the weather is hot, dry if it’s wet and warm if it turns chilly – that’s quite an ask if you are trying to pack light but when it comes to festival fashion you can never be too prepared!
2. Keep your possessions close
By their very nature, festivals are busy places and things can and do go missing (whether stolen or simply misplaced). Keep your money, phone and other possessions about your person – try Jack Murphy’s ‘Faith’ cross-body bags, which are lightweight and reversible.
3. Pack a Hat (or two)
Hats are a festival must-have! Sunstroke is not uncommon at festivals, particularly if you are outside all day and a wide-brimmed hat will help to keep you cool and protect your face, neck and ears from the sun’s harmful effects. In addition to being practical, hats are also great fun and, if you’ve gone a couple of days without washing your hair, the chance to cover-up in style will be a godsend. Try Jack Murphy’s Dolores quilted hat (which co-ordinates with the reversible cross-body bags) or the Emma reversible hats. For men, the Hugh Explorer hat or the Taylor Aussie hat will help you keep your cool if the sun does decide to make an appearance.
4. Apply some reverse thinking
Reversible clothing is big news on the festival circuit and it’s not hard to see why: a shirt you can simply turn inside out if it gets dirty is very appealing and effectively doubles your clothing choices without increasing the number of clothes in your bag!
Likewise, reversible hats, bags and other items are perfect festival items. Jack Murphy’s reversible shirts are a Godsend for both men and women, allowing you to look fresh as a daisy, even if you’re miles away from a washing machine! What’s more, they are made from 100% cotton, which is a great material for festival clothing as it allows for better air circulation and helps to keep you cool and dry.
5. Love your layers
As we all know the UK and Ireland are famous for unpredictable weather, which is why layers are your best friend at any festival. Summer evenings can still be chilly, so taking a lightweight knitted jumper or sweater that you can pop on if the temperature drops is a sensible idea. Try Jack Murphy’s Katie sweater, available in crushed berry or silver mint, for a stylish way to stave off early evening chills and prolong your festival enjoyment.
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Caitriona’s top festival fashion survival tip
“Take a spare set of clothes in a waterproof bag! In the event that everything else in your suitcase is wet-through and caked in mud, a clean, dry set of clothes is heaven and will help you enjoy that final day!”
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www.jackmurphy.co.uk
