Whenever I go on tumblr, I always see loads of people asking questions about what to wear to concerts or festivals, and sometimes the answers they receive are pretty disastrous. So as someone who has been to her fair share of concerts and festivals, ranging all the way from bands like A Day to Remember, where the crowd is pretty rowdy and can be difficult to maneuver, to performers more along the lines of Sigur Ros, where everyone is mellow, both inside and outside, I thought I would share some tips and tricks that I've learned over the years.
Starting from the bottom with the feet, you want to make sure you are comfortable. If you plan on doing any dancing at all, or standing in the middle of a crowd, you do not want to be wearing heels of any kind. So wedges, stilettos, even slightly heeled booties or flatforms are generally speaking out of the question. I personally don't like to wear anything but tennis shoes, but if you have a pair of comfy boots that you want to wear go right ahead. That being said, do not wear your new or favorite pair of shoes to a concert, because they will get ruined. Granted, shoes aren't always ruined, but it always ends up being the case that when you wear a pair of shoes you love you end up ruining them. As a final rule, do not wear open toed shoes. Flip flops may seem like a good idea when going to a festival in the summer, but again if you end up in a crowd (which is where you'll want to be, trust me) someone who made the bad decision of wearing heels will step on your feet, and it will hurt like a bitch. So basically, I would just always recommend tennis shoes. They're sturdy, replaceable, comfy, and its totally acceptable to have muddy or dirty sneakers.
As far as clothing goes, in general you should stay away from skirts or dresses. If you're going to a concert that's in a stadium or something, where you'll be way off in the stands in an assigned seat, then a skirt or a dress is fine so long as you're comfortable in it. If you're not comfy, don't wear it - when you're at a concert, you want to enjoy the show and lose yourself in the music, not constantly be worried that your skirt is riding up or your top is falling down. If you're going to a festival or you've got a general admission ticket where you'll be standing and dancing and pushed around in the crowd (it will happen, trust me) then I would recommend jeans and a t shirt. Again, do not wear your favorite pair of jeans or your favorite top, as it will get ruined. I'm not saying you should go in an outfit you hate, because you do want to look cute, but don't wear something that you'll be heartbroken if it gets ruined is all. Some people will tell you never to wear a band t shirt for the band you're going to see, but if you love the band or that shirt that much then I say go for it! I've certainly done that before, and it had no effect on my experience whatsoever. You might want to bring a jacket if it's outside or at night or you get cold easily, and for that I would recommend a sweatshirt that zips up and that can fit in a bag that's not too huge. No one wants to be lugging a giant jacket around with them, and no one wants to have a huge bag weighing them down in the middle of a crowd. There might be coat check at the concert you're going to, but chances are there won't be so be prepared to hold onto everything you bring.
As for hair and makeup, it is certainly fun to go all out, but it's very likely you'll get hot in the crowd and if you cake on the makeup, it could get quite messed up (and I doubt you'll want to carry around a giant makeup bag with you). Simple is always better, and for the most part foundation is not necessary, because the lighting will be terrible and most people won't be looking at you anyways. For hair, you can do whatever you like, but if you leave it down it will get messed up by the end, so I recommend bringing a hair tie with you to throw your hair up into a ponytail of it gets too messed up or it starts to get in the way.
And last but certainly not least, bring an attitude ready to have fun! Concerts can be absolutely amazing, but not everything will go perfectly. Don't let some little thing like your hair getting messed up or someone stepping on your shoes ruin the night. And if you want my advice, make sure you join the crowd. Even if you're at a festival and you've never heard of this band in your life, or its not your style of music, or its "just the opening act" for the band you really came to see, join the crowd! Dance your butt off! Be merry! Even if you walk away from it without a new band to love, you'll still have had a super fun time.
Love,
Caro
