Sustainable Fashion Expert Reveals How to Dress on Trend for Festival Season
With Glastonbury just weeks away, sustainable accessories brand, Wave, has revealed the trends we’re expecting to take over the fields for this year’s festival season.
New data has shown a surge in searches for outfits inspired by the noughties and the Wild West, but how can festival-goers jump on these trends sustainably? Wave spoke to Oxfam’s Festival Shop manager, Megan Brown, who shared her top tips for dressing on-trend while taking into consideration the impact it has on the planet.
Y2K
In the past month 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’.
According to Megan: ‘Y2K is my most searched term on second-hand selling sites at the moment and this includes online charity shopping.’ With the noughties fashion being a hot trend this year, it’s the perfect time to explore the wonders of charity shops and pre-loved clothing, to create unique, yet on-trend fits to wear around the main stage.
Megan explains that: ‘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.’
‘A lot was going on in the early 2000s, 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
There were plenty of Wild West-inspired outfits at Coachella this year, and with a 650% spike in Google searches for ‘white cowboy boots and a 350% increase for ‘cowgirl outfit ideas’ in the past 12 months, festival-goers will be able to recreate this trend at Glastonbury’s Oxfam pop-up shop, which will have a Cowperson/Space Sheriff theme.
Speaking about hunting for items to fit into certain trends, Megan says: ‘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.’
‘Charity shops allow extra room for creativity because you are working with what you have, and I love that. I imagine if I asked a few people to dress to the trend using fast fashion brands, the outcome could be a variation of rather similar outfits, whereas if I said the same thing but you could only shop it at charity shops – how much would those outfits vary?’
Crochet
The 60s crochet trend is a firm favourite among festival-goers, and with a 300% spike in searches for ‘crochet co-ord and a 160% increase in ‘crochet halter top’, there are several ways for Brits to enjoy the crochet trend sustainably.
It appears Brits are already trying to find ways to sustainably enjoy the latest trends, with a 100% increase in searches for ‘how to crochet a top’ in the past year.
At Oxfam, Megan has found that: ‘Many of our volunteers create crochet tops, skirts, co-ords etc out of old nana style blankets.’ Learning to make your own clothes doesn’t only contribute to reducing waste, but it also means you aren’t contributing to the exploitation of workers, many of whom work in poor conditions for very little money.
All-white
Although white isn’t always the most practical colour, searches for ‘white jumpsuit’ and ‘white corset top’ have spiked 250% in the past year in the UK. ‘White co-ord has also seen a 180% surge and searches for ‘white dress’ have increased 170%. 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.’
Founder of Wave, Ross Longhorn, commented: ‘Before starting Wave, I used to volunteer at Oxfam, and I noticed an increase in younger generations shopping second-hand, which was great to see. I think the fashion industry is starting to see progress when it comes to sustainability, and the latest announcement of Love Island partnering with eBay, it’s another step in the right direction to a greener future. Festival season is the perfect time to explore charity shops, and I hope we see more people choosing second-hand this year.’
