14 June 2022

The defining fashion for each decade of Glastonbury

14 June 2022

The first Glastonbury Festival was held in 1970, the day after Jimi Hendrix died.

Only 1,500 people were in attendance, and the entrance fee was just £1. Things have certainly changed since then – the last festival was held in 2019, with 203,000 music lovers decamping to Somerset, paying £248 for a ticket. After a few years break due to the pandemic, Glastonbury is back from June 22-26, with Billie Eilish, Paul McCartney and Kendrick Lamar in the headlining slots.

Some things have stayed the same since the first festival – such as getting burned at the first hint of sunshine and having mud up to your armpits, meaning hats and Wellington boots will forever be the key accessories of Glastonbury.

But style in general has changed dramatically since 1970, with each decade bringing new trends in festival fashion…

The 1970s…

Festival-goers descend on Glastonbury in 1971 (PA)

A lot of festival fashion in the Seventies was a hangover from the flower power, hippie styles popular in the late Sixties. Woodstock was in 1969, and that really set the tone for festival garms in the years that followed – think long, floaty dresses, flowing hair and a whole lot of flower crowns.

The 1980s…

Morrissey and The Smiths summed up Glastonbury style in the Eighties (Alamy/PA)

Glastonbury grew at great speed in the Eighties. In 1981, 18,000 people were in attendance, and this number rocketed to 65,000 by 1989. The festival was drawing in big-name performers – including Elvis Costello, Van Morrison and The Smiths – but fashion remained relatively relaxed.

Festival style wasn’t that different from what you would’ve seen on the streets, with attendants favouring relaxed t-shirts, casual trousers, and slouchy shirts and blazers.

The 1990s…

Keeping cool during the sunny 1999 festival (PA)

Nineties festival styles were all about grunge glamour – think low-waisted trousers, itty bitty bikini tops, simple vests and the occasional tie dye bucket hat.

A naked festivalgoer at Glastonbury in 1999 (James Arnold/PA)

There was also a fair amount of nudity at Glastonbury in the 1990s – not something you’d see quite as much of nowadays.

The 2000s…

Sienna Miller at Glastonbury in 2004 (Andy Butterton/PA)

Few people led trends quite like Sienna Miller did in the Noughties. She was responsible for our obsession with all things Boho, meaning we wore a lot of floaty skirts, big belts, clashing prints and flower crowns.

An iconic 2005 festival look from Kate Moss (Yui Mok/PA)

On the other side of the spectrum were the Kate Moss devotees, who would rock up to the festival in denim hotpants and some kind of waistcoat with nothing underneath (bonus points if it was actually from her Topshop collection).

Paolo Nutini backstage at the 2009 festival (Yui Mok/PA)

For men, styles were slightly more subdued – a lot of jeans, cargo shorts, plaid shirts, and some kind of obligatory trilby hat a la Pete Doherty. Everyone tended to wear a big pair of welly boots – you wouldn’t be able to survive the inevitable mud of Glastonbury without them.

The 2010s…

Festival goers enjoy hot weather in 2019 (Yui Mok/PA)

Festival fashion became a whole lot more fun in the 2010s, with bright colours and clashing prints reigning supreme.

It became less about following trends, and more about wearing something more outlandish than you would normally. Festivals like Glastonbury are seen as places where you can let loose and express yourself – so it doesn’t really matter what you wear, so long as you slap on some sunscreen and don’t forget your rain mac.

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