TUNE IN: Festival Fashion Essentials

Photo via American Eagle

Originally posted in The Fashion Scoop

I'm embarrassed to even talk about it. I hesitated before writing this post because I don't want you to judge my coolness based on the concerts I've attended over the years. But now I kind of have to tell you, don't I? Okay, fine, here goes:

The Bangles (first concert ever at Canada's Wonderland)

Celine Dion (free tickets - please don't judge me...)

Meatloaf (free tickets. dressed up. hilarious)

Ozzy Osbourne (free. this is getting worse, isn't it...)

Coldplay (free. way before the conscious uncoupling)

Jack Johnson (not free)

Sarah McLaughlin & Dixie Chicks & Sheryl Crow (at Lillith Fair)

Backstreet Boys (free courtesy of, to add insult to injury, my newly-ex-boyfriend) 

U2 (free but unfortunately past the point of them being cool)

You see, here's the thing...my dad worked for a classic rock radio station so I was given many free concert tickets over the years. When you're 15 and broke, any concert seems cool.  Then, I worked for a magazine so was again given the occasional concert ticket amidst all of the fashion shows. Of course, I rarely ever got free tickets to any of the cool concerts. Nobody ever said, 'Hey, I have 2 tickets to Arcade Fire...can you please take them for me?' Or 'Jay Z is in town and nobody else wants to go. Will you do me a huuuge favour and come with?' Except for the one time when my boss took me to Coldplay, we got front row and Chris Martin handed me his water bottle. Does this excuse my abysmal concert history? No. It really does not. But here's the thing: until recently, it's always been a question of spending my extra money on concerts or shoes. And as you can probably guess based on the above list and my area of expertise, shoes always won. And I expect they always will. Which is why I am all about dressing like a Coachella-regular with a wicked playlist on my iPod and the deep, dark, highly embarrassing secret of that free Weird Al Jankovic concert I once attended (front row) when I was 13...

Whether you're crossing the border for Bonnaroo, staying local at Northern Lights Festival Boreal, or just want to dress like a Coachella regular (like me), these rockstar-worthy pieces will help you look the part all spring and summer long....

SEE ALL OF MY FESTIVAL ESSENTIALS HERE...