Coachella 2023: Outfit Style, Inspiration, and Trends

Whether you’re a veteran or a newbie, the return of Coachella following a two-year pandemic hiatus is big news. You’ve got your tickets in your hot little hand but if you’re still planning your wardrobe, you’ll find plenty of inspiration here! I’ve selected several of 2023’s leading runway trends, slotting them into the context of Coachella.

The truth is that the acknowledged 400-pound gorilla of festivals is as much about fashion as it is about music. It’s a moment in the sun for festival-going fashionistas –- some of whom are celebrities — and you can’t let that slide by uncelebrated! So let’s talk about Coachella 2023: outfit style, inspiration, and trends to create an Instagram-worthy festival wardrobe.

The Practical Part

If you’re attending Coachella for the first time, this section is just for you. Veterans will know the secrets of the USA’s most-attended festival. But if you’re a newbie, you need the 411 on what to take along to help you survive Coachella. Inform yourself about amenities and safety resources, including first aid and hydration stations, by visiting Coachella online. Be prepared. Know your fest and it’ll be the amazing experience you envisioned!

You’re not attending this famed music festival to survive, but to thrive, so forewarned is forearmed. Remember that while California is renowned as a balmy paradise, the nights get cold, especially in the Colorado desert where Coachella takes place. Your skimpy festival outfits are not going to cut it at night, so be prepared for the chill and thrive!

Fashion Calling

Festivals, raves, and concerts have their own style. But there’s no question that the world of mainstream high fashion has plenty to do with festival style. In 2023, there are some key trends to consider, specifically with respect to how you’ll incorporate them into your Coachella looks.

Update something you’ve worn before, add a fest-friendly flourish to something simple, or start from scratch. Trends in runway fashion this year are uniquely suited to festival outfits. Fashion has returned to itself after the dry years of the pandemic, with a renewed love of embellishment, opulence, and most of all, fun. Tell me that doesn’t get your fashion mojo working!

Go West

Western styling is going to be a huge trend at 2023 festivals. Cowboy boots with denim are a match made in heaven. Just add a straw cowboy hat! But it’s not all about the daisy dukes. The Canadian Tuxedo (head-to-toe denim) is back and badder than Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison. Denim jackets, vests, skirts (mini to maxi), shorts, dresses, and overalls will be all over Coachella, so take your pick.

Metallic finishes represent another huge trend emerging this year, so choose metallic cowboy boots in an unexpected color, like green, magenta, or purple. A denim vest with a mini or shorts is ideal but be sure to pack that jean jacket to throw on after dark and a crocheted blanket for your legs. Your mom will have a stack of them in the hall closet!

The Statement Piece

Building your festival look around one show-stopping statement piece is a winning strategy. A festival jacket is that statement piece. Lightweight jackets that protect against the sun while crowning you as a fashion goddess take you from day to night. Whatever style you choose, remember that temperatures at Coachella can dip to as low as 50 degrees, so please, take my advice and be comfortable!

This year, the jacket that gets you noticed might be metallic, holographic, mesh, fringed (perfect for Western styling), or made of fine chainmail. Layer your jacket with a mesh one-piece, full-length bodysuit, a neoprene leotard, or a bikini. You’ll ooze attitude.

Blooming Glory

Flowers are blooming this year on jewelry, accessories, and clothing. Big, bold blooms or tiny, delicate buds, you’ll see flowers of all sizes, shapes, and colors bursting colorfully forth on your fellow fest-lovers. From prints that actually are groundbreaking (sorry, Miranda Priestly) to three-dimensional, sculptural flowers, the earth’s floral bounty is having a fashion moment.

Flower crowns are always in style, but give yours a twist. Add long black ribbons to a crown of black and purple silk roses and peonies. Or invent your own otherworldly flowers in glow-in-the-dark colors. Add your flower crown to hair braided with fabric, creating a diadem fit for a festival queen. The volume added by the fabric makes more of your crown and doubles as a means of keeping your hair off your dance-frenzied, sweaty body! Think “blooming glory” and you’re halfway there!

A Euphoric Face

With the sights and sounds of Coachella all around you, euphoria is inevitable. Wear your euphoria on your face with festival looks that thrill. HBO’s Euphoria prompted a massive 2020 makeup trend. The work of makeup artist Donni Davy has since penetrated fashion makeup, challenging its conventions.

Pushing the boundaries is what Davy’s work on Euphoria is all about. The Euphoria Face continues to influence makeup design with ideas that range from liner applied to the brow bone, sweeping to the outer corner of the eye to the use of rhinestones for daytime looks.

Get your Euphoria Face on your way, tailoring it to your Coachella wardrobe. Switch it up, go extreme or subtle. How you wear your euphoria is a highly personal matter. But color outside the lines for optimal impact. And don’t spare the glitter!

The Shades

Sunglasses are much more than eye protection. While protecting your eyes from UV light is crucial (especially at an outdoor festival in sunny California), your sunglasses need to be on point. These days, it’s the sunglasses people see first.

What’s hot this year are supersized, Jackie O-style shades and sports adjacent eyewear fit for motocross. Go big or go home in Jackie O shades that announce your fashion savvy. Or choose sporty eyewear that wraps comfortably around your head, keeping you chicly shaded.

These Coachella 2023 outfit style tips are a starting point for your imagination. Let it run wild in this year’s striking trends, from florals that break new ground to statement piece jackets and a face wreathed in euphoria. Your ideal festival wardrobe is about to be born. Coachella awaits!