Fashion Shock

The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is definitely not just about the music. This annual festival, which features alternative rock, hip-hop and electronica, is home to some of the world’s hottest fashions.

Celebrities, including Scarlett Johansson and Adam Brody, are among the many people who attended this famed music spectacle last year.

While Bloomington may not be home to California’s Coachella, it will host one of the hottest festivals of the year, Culture Shock 2008, which is scheduled to feature bands such as Beach House, The Dodos, Mahjongg, Dead Child and Blueprint.

Naturally, with an event of this magnitude, looking fashionable is of the utmost
importance.

Women, with an event like this, there is little room to go wrong when making those fashion choices. There is a wide variety of options – from short shorts to floral dresses to bulky sunglasses – that are appropriate. Denim short shorts are optimal, especially those with a few pockets.

But spring or summer dresses would be perfect. Think of a dress ScarJo would wear to this concert. It would be something casual, bright and short in length.

You can pair that dress off with a pair of leather boots, which seems to be a popular choice for many concertgoers.

Accessorize to the max. Throw on bangles, bandanas, rings, hats, necklaces, earrings and anything else you can think of. Think bulky, think vintage and think in large quantities.

Let your natural hair flow down and wear either light or dark makeup. In a case like this, hair and makeup depend on your mood and outfit. If you are wearing something springy and girlish opt for light makeup. If you’re wearing something funky and edgy, then go for some dark eye makeup and bold hair. When picking sunglasses think Victoria Beckham, the bigger the better; it’s in style and it’s hot.

Men, as usual, it is much easier for you to look stylish. Let your passion for music be your guide for style. Think of Adam Brody and his laid-back rocker style.

With that, there are a couple of options available to you. As far as T-shirts are concerned, you can go with either a v-neck, super v-neck or just a regular crew neck. Shirts with horizontal stripes are always more appealing than plain solid colored ones.
Throw on a vintage necklace – maybe one with a guitar – or another stylish music symbol attached to it.

Wear fitted jeans because they outline your body. Wearing fitted jeans only enhances the rest of your outfit and honestly, it just looks better than loose, saggy pants. Stick to tennis shoes or flip-flops. Lately I have seen some cool shoes with lots of colors and patterns, and those would definitely be OK for the concert. As far as sunglasses are concerned, my pick for you men would be aviators.

Do something fun with your hair; spike it up or do something crazy.

For a better idea of what to wear, check out the outfits to the right.

Clothes are accessories and in the end it is all about how you carry and present yourself. Wearing the perfect outfit means nothing if you don’t give it life and personality. So get out there at Dunn Meadow – sing, scream and most importantly, be yourself.