Danielle Price shines in a gold jacket and a dress that she cut herself shortly before arriving to the festival. Photograph by Darice Chavira
It’s that time of year. Thousands seeking music from many different artists, all at once, and under the threat of extremely sunny skies, have gathered at Zilker Park for the Austin City Limits Music Festival. But what’re they wearing?
Most festgoers seem to have a finely tuned sense of how to put together a look that strikes the ideal balance of comfort and style. An art, yes, but call it what it really is: a survival tactic. Just like at sea, there are laws that exist only on the park’s notoriously shadeless slopes during ACL.And every year we see our fair share of outlaws.
A full jean? Godspeed, soldier. A pointy heel? We’ll remember you. An open toe? It sounds like a good idea, I know, but you’ll see. A jacket “just in case, for later”? You beautiful fool.
Having lived through this Instagram cycle for many years now, it’s my read that an optimal ACL outfit is comfort-driven at its core and embellished (mercilessly) with trending accoutrements. It’s like that Coco Chanel quote about taking one thing off before leaving the house, except if she instead suggested always adding a body chain. Yes to the fringe belt. Yes to the sunglasses. Yes to the kerchief, the earrings, the body jewels, and yes, absolutely yes, to the hat—bucket, cowboy, or otherwise. Because if there’s one event a year that’s meant for saying yes to a hat, it is upon us.
ACL fashion seems most effective when it serves to remind you that it’s not all that serious. That’s why there’s at least one person each year dressed as a banana. But what are some of the nonfruit trends we saw on the field? Hell-bent on staying cool, plenty of festers opted for the unique breathability offered by crocheted pieces. There also were notably more belly buttons this year. Low rise really is making a divisive reappearance. The playful and over-the-top seventies-inspired looks that have come to adorn Harry Styles’s entire fan base ruled the park. With flared and stretchy sets in floral and abstract patterns, the festival interpretation is loose and always colorful, if not neon. Sometimes it’s mixed with a big ol’ serving of yeehaw. As in years past, festgoers were big on Western wear and its many derivatives. At an event with both the Chicks and Kacey Musgraves as headliners, there was plenty of reason to don a cowboy hat or fringe—or a cowboy hat with a fringe curtain.
Also big were casual, custom band T-shirts with a favorite lyric or performer’s name, sometimes worn long and oversized as a dress. Many fans had their hair in bubble braids, and I heard from a friend that someone was doing the hairstyle on-site (complete with glitter) in one of the tents.
Obviously, though, the point (and joy) of festival fashion is wearing whatever you want; anything goes. Unless whatever you want would hamper your ability to comfortably walk the length of a large, dusty field several times over. In which case, add a body chain.
u0022Oh, no, nothing country,u0022 23-year-old Tiffany Chau said when I asked if she and her friend Amanda Baburam were going to see Kacey Musgraves. Both were wearing cowboy boots and hats, and oversized T-shirts with some mention of the word u0022cowboyu0022 on the front. I giggled. u003cbru003eu003cbru003eShe later clarified, “We like country music, but that’s just not the lineup of country music that we’re into.”u003cbru003eu003cbru003eInstead, Chau, who wore a shirt from Etsy and a hat from Amazon, touted the unique balance of EDM and country artists in the lineup and said her favorite act of the weekend was Flume.
Photograph by Darice Chavira
Is a friend the ultimate accessory? Maria and Minnie wore colorful and complementary crocheted dresses. The pair were excited to see Benee during the festival’s opening weekend.
Photograph by Darice Chavira
Friends Jessica, Ian, and Austin opted for glitter and bright patterns to see SZA. u003cbru003eu003cbru003e“This is my first time wearing eyeliner,” Austin, who’s originally from Salt Lake City, said. “You gotta go all out for ACL.” u003cbru003eu003cbru003eAustin kept comfortable throughout the weekend in high-top Vans but went all out with accessories and a pair of colorful printed overalls.
Photograph by Darice Chavira
Most excited to see the Chicks’ first Texas performance in six years, Kalee paired cow-print shorts with a “Goodbye Earl” T-shirt—a nod to what would be the band’s last song of the night.
Photograph by Darice Chavira
“He painted that hat himself,” 22-year-old Andrew Ricks’s friend whispered to me as our photographer took his picture. u003cbru003eu003cbru003eRicks did in fact take the cowboy hat, scavenged from Goodwill, and spray-paint it pink. He first found a bright pink fringe belt that he decided to build his—almost entirely thrifted—outfit around, and things progressed from there.u003cbru003eu003cbru003e“I had only one outfit planned the entire weekend, and it was for Kacey Musgraves,” Ricks said. “I wanted to be really representative of who I am and my own fashion taste.” u003cbru003eu003cbru003eAs our photographer snapped one last shot, Ricks’s friend again turned to me. “He really didn’t need this confidence boost,” she joked.
Photograph by Darice Chavira
Brittney and Blaine from Lubbock went full cow this year. “You’d think we’re here to see the Chicks, given how we’re dressed, but we’re actually here for SZA,” the couple told u003cemu003eTMu003c/emu003e.
Photograph by Darice Chavira
Danielle Price really didn’t know if this outfit was going to work out. She was down to the wire with few options to pair with a tinsel-like statement jacket before she happened upon this pearl dress. But when it turned out the proportions weren’t quite right, Price took a pair of scissors and shortened the dress. u003cbru003eu003cbru003e“It was giving bridesmaid. So I thought, ‘Okay, I’ll just cut it.’” But then, disaster struck when Price accidentally cut the dress too short. “It would have shown, like, the whole left side of my butt cheek.”u003cbru003eu003cbru003eUsing some of the courage allotted every music festival attendee, Price opted for safety pins and a prayer, then rocked the look seamlessly.
Photograph by Darice Chavira
A classic one-two, seventies-meets-Western punch! Inspired by her love for Goth Babe and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, LeAnn from Dallas stood out in the crowd in floral bell-bottoms and a cowboy hat.
Photograph by Darice Chavira
Ember Denison and her cowgirl calf tattoo both broke out their boots for this year’s festival.