The 8 Craziest Style Trends at Lollapalooza Music Festival

Ah, Lollapalooza.

Nestled right in the middle of summer, this music festival–which just celebrated its 25th year in existence–serves as a nice weekend getaway for many high school and college students across the Midwest and beyond. It's home to some pretty crazy style, too.

As a first timer to #Lolla–which featured performances this year by Lana Del Rey, The 1975, Alessia Cara, Flume, Haim, Ellie Goulding and so many more–I was pretty excited to explore Chicago, frolic around Grant Park (where the event takes place) and, of course, see the festival fashion.

I have been going to Coachella for more than a decade, so I was eager to see how the style at Lollapalooza–a festival in the heart of the country–compares to that of LA… or should I say the desert. At this point, I have seen just about everything when it comes to fashion on the fairgrounds, so the bar was set unintentionally high. And I must say, I was pretty impressed!

Even with the overwhelming size of Lolla (approx 400,000 people) I managed to find a few of the whackiest trends in Chicago.

 

1. Cage Gladiator Sandals

By far one of the least practical trends I spotted during the four-day festival, but one that surely can't be ignored: the cage gladiator sandal. I can't even express how many of these I saw, but one thing I do know, is they are not the most comfortable. I know because I am a proud owner of a pair. However, my festival mantra can be summed up to comfort, so kudos to all the stylish gals who dared to rock these!

 

2. Scrunchies

So cute, right? As someone who grew up with scrunchies, this made my heart smile. I love how stylishly the girl pictured pulled off the look. She perfectly paired it with an equally '90s get-up of Docs, a crop top and floral shorts. Dare I say I kind of want a scrunchie now?

 

3. No Shirt, No Problem

The most popular trend at Lollapalooza 2016 hands down goes to the bra top. Perhaps it's because of style-setters like Kylie and Kendall Jenner or Bella Hadid, but regardless, the bra top ruled the fairgrounds. From Calvin Klein cloth sports bras to dainty lace bralettes, this trend was interpreted in so many different ways. My personal fave was this cool chick sporting an embroidered top, a choker, kicks and hot pants.

 

4. Jelly Sandals

Okay, I kind of freaked out when I started noticing girls in jelly sandals. They are so cool! I remember begging my mom for a pair from Gap back in the day, and I had to stop this fashionable chick to ask where she got hers. Sadly, they're vintage, but you can buy a similar pair by JellyBeans here.

 

5. Bodysuits

Coming in second place behind the bralette, the bodysuit also was a trend that didn't go unnoticed. Sure, there's the classic black leo, or even a swimsuit, but my fave is the lace up bodysuit. It's sweet, sexy and looks great with denim shorts and a bandana.

 

6. Baseball Caps

I have a major girl crush on this little lady. I love everything about this outfit: the funky tee, the hiking boots, and yes, the baseball cap. The baseball cap trend hit a high note about a year ago, and I like how she incorporated it by matching the cap with her red tee. Besides, a baseball cap is a pretty practical thing to have at Lolla, considering it takes 15 minutes to walk in between the two main stages! Note: No. 4 is also sporting a cap!

 

7. Tie Dye

I couldn't help but notice all of the Woodstock vibes at Lolla, thanks to the unnecessary amount of tie dye. Personally, I don't love when people wear things that are so cliché, but I did love the way this gal selected a tie dye dress with a cool color palette and then tempered it with gothic accessories.

 

8. Twinning

There was so much twinning going on at the festival. At first, I was not into this trend. Like really not into it. I even saw two women in their 40s wearing the exact same outfit, even down to the bag and the wellies! But then, I saw these gorgeous girls who changed my mind. There is a way to match with your bestie without looking like MK and Ashley circa the home video days. The trick? Pick a theme and stick to it. In this case, they went for monochromatic black and white looks, high waisted skinnies, body con tops and cool accessories.

 

So there you have it: eight of the craziest trends at Lollapalooza. If you're thinking about hitting up Lolla next year, you should! Tons of great bands, delicious food and superb people watching.

 

Now that you're all caught up on music festival fashion trends, HERE are the summer looks you should splurge and save on.