The woes of festival dressing

I was driving through the city a week or so ago, and saw quite a few girls dressed like, well... how to say this nicely... let's just say like they were off to the beach, rather than walking around the city. It baffled me as to how they had come to be dressed like that, not to mention why they thought it was acceptable to insult the general public's eyes. Did they consider the weather and say, "Ooh, 26 degrees, showers... I couldn't possibly bear to go out in anything more than teeny denim shorts and a bikini top"???

I continued on my journey and soon came across another girl in similar attire, although she had the decency to "cover up" in a singlet top, albeit one with largely gaping arm holes that pretty much left everything on show anyway. The only logical explanation that I could grasp at to explain this outbreak of public indecency was that there must be some sort of festival.

The festival. It seems to condescend all regular dress codes and as a result one feels as though they have somehow ended up amidst a conference for General Pants sales assistants. I hate festival dressing. So why go to festivals at all? Well, I enjoy live music. And, being in Brisbane, I can't always rely on my favourite bands doing sideshows.

So this summer, I will be trooping along to one, maybe two, music festivals. And I am faced with the dilemma of what to wear. For me, there are certain considerations for dressing for such an event:

1. Sun safety. It's not that I'm really pale, but being outdoors for so long does require either covering up or sunscreen, and I usually prefer the former. Music festivals that start in the late afternoon are therefore much easier for me.
2. Changing temperatures. As the sun goes down, often so too does the temperature. I cannot bear to be too hot or too cold, so I may need an adaptable outfit.
3. Footwear. This is the hardest one. My usual preferred footwear is just not suitable, and besides, I prefer not to get it dirty, or worse, wet (why does it always seem to rain when I go to music festivals?) The wrong footwear can result in blisters or hot, sweaty feet.

I sound like a whinger. But really, I just want to be comfortable enough to relax and watch my favourite bands.

Here are some possible outfits:

Top: Gorman; Shorts: Kloset



Top: Country Road; Shorts and Sunglasses: Karen Walker



Top: Sportsgirl; Shorts and Sunglasses: Karen Walker

Any advice on shoes would be most appreciated :)