Guide to Ethical Festival Outfits (No Single-Use Fast Fashion!)

Music, adrenaline, group photos, new memories… I love a good festival!

Unfortunately, though, traditional festival fashion is terrible for the environment.

So, over the past few years, I’ve been making changes to embrace more ethical festival outfits, without compromising on style and comfort.

Looking to do the same? 

Here’s my simple guide on what to wear to a day festival or longer event to be more sustainable.

Why switching to ethical festival outfits matters: the problem with traditional festival fashion

From single-use plastic to abandoned tents, festivals already produce lots of waste. In fact, the average waste per person for a 3-day event is over 2kg (multiply that by 100000 attendees, and you’ll see why it’s a scary stat).

But what’s festival fashion, specifically, got to do with the environment?

• There’s a lot of pressure to follow new trends and never be seen wearing the same outfits twice, especially on social media
• Many attendees buy festival clothing for the event itself (or even different new outfits for each day) and then never wear them again, fuelling waste. We’re looking at 7.5 million single-use outfits being bought by festival-goers every year in the UK alone
• Festival clothing usually consists of low-quality fast fashion items, made without caring about the environment and garment workers, from sweatshops to polluting fabrics
• Typical festival wear often involves sequins, glitter, and embellishments that make it impossible to recycle that garment at its end of life
• It also feeds into cultural appropriation, with many festival-goers (including celebrities) wearing Native American headdresses and other ‘boho’ pieces that are actually significant to some cultures but are stripped of their meaning

So, while I’m about to share more practical advice on what to wear at a festival to be more sustainable, the biggest change I’m inviting you to make is this:

from “buying throwaway fast fashion clothes just for that festival” to “using what you already own, and only investing in pieces you’ll happily rewear afterwards, too”.

Practical guide for your next ethical festival outfits

Know what to focus on when planning your sustainable festival outfits 

• Take the weather and type of event into account – I often get side-tracked looking for festival outfits ideas and festival outfits inspo, prioritising style and aesthetic, but I promise: if you skip practicality and comfort, you’ll regret it on the day.
  Seasons, weather, day festival or longer event with camping… This should impact whether you prioritise layers or breathable fabrics, pretty clothes you can rent and return or some that’ll withstand muddy conditions, and so on
  
  
• Plan your festival outfits around your versatile everyday favourites – Instead of starting from scratch, start from what you already own, love, and can easily repurpose. By pairing up the same clothes in different ways and rotating your accessories, you can also create new festival outfits every day, without needing lots of individual items
  
  
• Consider these sustainable swaps for your festival outfits:
  - Traditional cotton and polyester → Kinder fabrics like organic cotton, linen, bamboo, hemp, and recycled options
  - Sequins and plasticky embellishments → Styling your outfits with bold colour combinations, layers, and your favourite accessories instead
  - Single-use plastic poncho → Ethical waterproof jacket
  - Traditional wellies → Sustainable ones made with natural or recycled rubber

• Avoid cultural appropriation – I recommend avoiding festival clothing and accessories that mimic other cultures, especially when made by brands that have nothing to do with them (or downright stole from those communities and designers). I do however encourage supporting indigenous ones who keep their traditions alive or partner with local artisans

Shop your ethical festival outfit from your wardrobe 

The most sustainable festival outfit is the one you already own!

And before you mentally file this tip under ‘boring’ or dismiss it, give it a proper go.

It’s actually exciting (and cheaper) to embrace your self-expression, rediscover some forgotten gems, and pair up your existing garments and accessories in creative ways to unlock new outfits.

Consider second-hand pieces for your festival outfits

Unfortunately, the second-hand and vintage market isn’t as sustainable as we like to think, and it also fuels waste colonialism. 

However, “thrifting second-hand items that match your style and that you’ll happily rewear +30 times” is definitely more ethical and eco-friendly than “following trends or buying random fast fashion pieces that you’ll only wear for the festival”.

Swap clothes with friends to create new festival outfits 

My friend group recently did a clothing swap ahead of the festival season.

Not only was it a lot of fun (and perfect to get in the right mood for those events): we all walked away with lots of “new” festival outfits without buying a single piece.

Consider renting statement pieces for your festival outfits

One of the reasons why festival-goers end up discarding their outfits is because “I don’t know when and where else I could wear this bold and attention-grabbing piece”.

In that case, renting might be a better and more sustainable option for you.

Just be smart and realistic.

For example, I wouldn’t do that if it’s going to be muddy or I’d run the risk of ruining it.

I also made the mistake of going all out at the clothing library for a festival in July but then, because of working commitments and holidays I hadn’t considered, I only managed to return those pieces two months later (so, it turned out to be a pretty expensive one-time outfit).

Invest in new sustainable festival clothing mindfully

I’m obviously not implying that you should never, ever buy anything new, when planning your festival outfits!

However, if you’re trying to be more ethical with your wardrobe, I recommend choosing pieces that:

• Match your style, not temporary trends
• You can see yourself rewearing +30 times
• Go with the garments and accessories you already own
• Were made to last and ethically, by sustainable fashion brands that care about both the planet and garment workers (and while the price tag will probably be higher, you can actually save money in the long run by buying less but more mindfully and keeping it for longer)

At Project Cece, we brought hundreds of fair trade brands in one place, with filters to simplify your choice. So, shopping your festival fashion is now easier than ever.

Basically, dress for the festival, but think beyond it.