What happened to Coachella fashion?
It Used to Be About Individuality—Now It’s Just PR Packages in the Desert
I might just be coping with the fact that I’m extremely jealous and want to be there, but I am disappointed (to say the least) in the outfits I saw this weekend. I was brought back to seeing Vanessa Hudgens in the 2010s rocking boho-chic, and even Emma Chamberlain’s Coachella outfit YouTube videos later. Dare I say James Charles’ ass-out chaps look in 2019???
What has happened to Coachella fashion?
Every year at this time, I’m reminded of when we treated Coachella like Tumblr’s Woodstock. Think Vanessa Hudgens at Coachella 2012 in a flower crown, macrame duster, and big orange sunnies. Probably one of the best Coachella ensembles of all time.
Or her chunky diamond top with a tie-dye scarf and head wrap in 2013? She really is the queen of Coachella fashion.
Another individual who has pulled some iconic looks in the valley past weekends is Kylie Jenner. The King Kylie era was everything for festival fashion. The blue hair? The wide rimmed hats? The chokers? It was everything. This year, we saw her in…a white baby tee…and white jeans. Wow!!
Now, I understand that times have changed. We shouldn’t be dressing exactly like we did in the 2010’s, but there are definitely ways to dress modern while keeping it true to the Coachella nature.
If I were styling someone for Coachella or picking an outfit for myself, this is what I would come up with. Let's look at this picture of Fergie from 2015 as an example. The leopard print neck scarf and belt are so good. Someone could easily wear this today and have it be considered “trendy.” I’d probably swap the ankle boots for some cowboy kicks, and it would be a 10/10.
Here are some of my other favorite Coachella looks from the past that I’d use as inspiration:
Look at Alexa Chung in 2015! This dress is absolutely stunning. It really reminds me of what Chloé has been producing recently. In fact, Addison Rae wore a dress from their most recent collection during her surprise appearance at Arca’s set. It was a sheer maxi-babydoll dress that she wore over custom Victoria’s Secret panties reading “June 6th” as a way to announce her album release date. So iconic.
I would have loved to seen someone in this dress from look 24 in Chloé SS25. This entire look is fabulous. I love the shell earrings and pendant. Totally something I’d style for a weekend in the desert.
Another missed opportunity, the Indie Sleaze revival!! I was begging for someone to roll up in a shredded shoulder tee, a fedora, smudged eyeliner. Something that looked like a 2009 Tumblr post come to life. Instead, everything felt too curated. Too crisp.
It’s clear that most people showing up to Coachella now are being dressed by brands—not themselves. It shows. Half the time, it feels like everyone’s just wearing what they were sent in a PR box–there’s no personal touch. No character.
That’s the difference between curated and creative. Styling for content is not the same as dressing for self-expression. Coachella used to be about turning heads, making statements, and having fun with fashion. Now it’s about what photographs well and fits the brand deal. And honestly? That’s boring.
Moral of the story, the girls (for the most part) did not give me what I needed this weekend. Here’s to weekend two and hoping for some better looks!
What would you wear to Coachella?