Like most Gen Zers and millennials growing up on Beyoncé's internet in the mid-2010s, I had a slight obsession with grungy, celebrity-filled music festivals. You can probably attribute it to my hours logged on Tumblr—the user-first platform that splashed photos of starlets in gladiator sandals, bohemian crotchet tank tops, and metallic temporary tattoos casually galavanting around beaten grass fields when on their way to watch the Arctic Monkeys and The 1975. Whether it was Coachella, Glastonbury, or Lollapalooza, if there was a way to be there (even if it was via photos of Alexa Chung wearing her mud-soaked Wellington boots), I'd be there.
As I grew up and left the platform behind, my interest in the internet's fascination with the chic, lived-in way of musical festival fashion never waned. Every weekend in mid-April, I'd get up, log into Instagram, and scroll through photos of celebrities, influencers, and everyday people pulling out all stops to sweat and dance around in 90-degree heat like it was their job. There's nothing more thrilling than seeing festival fashion, especially at Coachella, the first big music festival of the season that often kicks off a summer of good vibes, pop girlies, and incredible fashion. I was lucky enough to go last year with a group of my friends and live out my tweenage fantasy.
In some ways, music festival fashion is connected to the nostalgic part of my brain. There's an inherent desire when I pack to look as cool as possible and accumulate pieces that my 13-year-old self (and now my 25-year-old self) sees as unabashedly fun. In my eyes, there's no retailer that does it better than Forever 21.
Although I've swapped out my flower crowns for cooler, more versatile pieces that fit my personality, I'm still shopping at Forever 21 for my Coachella outfits and beyond. The American retailer and music festivals are intrinsically linked in my mind—I even had a Coachella-themed birthday party during college and bought my denim fringe jacket from my local store.
When I went to browse the brand's newest festival shop ahead of my trip to Palm Springs this weekend, I knew I would strike gold. Forever 21's Forever Festival Collection is massive, spanning thousands of styles for any vibe you're going for this season, whether you're heading to Electric Daisy Carnival or your local indie rock gathering. The year, the brand is operating like a one-stop shop for all things festival gear, and thankfully, it won't cost you an arm and a leg to get dressed up and look on-trend.
Three hours and countless product views later, I've rounded up the three festival looks I'm buying ASAP ahead my trip out to Coachella Valley this weekend. Since I'm a grade A procrastinator, these are all guaranteed to arrive safely at my doorstep before I start packing the night before. Win-win!
Ahead, scroll through my favorite Forever 21 festival-shop pieces, including the ones I've sent to all of my friends going with me to the festival this year. Walk, don't run, to get these before everyone else does.
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