Aparna Sharma suggests eco-friendly outfits for your next music festival.

As a mother of a 17-year-old who loves music concerts and is extremely passionate about sustainability, both of us had so much fun creating our zero-waste style for the Taylor Swift concert we attended earlier this year. In fact, my daughter showed me videos on social media of how people are buying outfits from Shein and other fast fashion brands to wear once for the concert, and we discussed how wonderful it would be if their favourite singers could be more vocal about educating their fans on the harmful effects of buying a fast fashion item to wear once and discard.

Instead of doing the above, I wore what I already had in my wardrobe and my daughter wore a mix of swapped and thrifted items. This is the easiest and simplest way to be sustainable, as Bangkok now has an array of thrift stores, including some of our favourites, Loopers, Treasure Factory, Tokyo Joe and Khru Angoon Park. Loopers is an online store and they deliver within a day in Bangkok, while the swap we attend regularly is the monthly one organised by Bangkok Recycling Chain (Instagram: @bangkokrecyclingchain) at Earth House Café.

Here are five simple and fun ways to stay sustainable stylish for the next music festival you are attending:

RENTING

This is the most cost effective and eco-friendly way to dress up for a music festival. Check out rental options which have the style and outfit you are looking for. I personally don’t feel that the rental industry in Bangkok has evolved to accommodate music festival lovers, but you should be able to find beautiful clothes on rent.

SWAPPING:

This is my favourite way to dress up in a stylish and sustainable way. I always recommend this because it’s a tried and tested method. My daughter found the gold top she wore at the Bangkok Recycling Chain swap event. There are a lot of clothes in circulation and saving them is the need of the hour so consider swapping before buying something new made by fast fashion.

BORROWING:

Check with friends or other family members if they are willing to lend you any outfit which has the music festival theme vibe you are looking for. You can always return it to them after cleaning it, along with a small thank you gift.

UPCYCLING:

I have upcycled many clothes – for example, you can use old saris or tailor shop waste to create something super stylish and unique. There are so many tailors in Bangkok; if you don’t know how to sew, you can get it done by a professional tailor. The joy of wearing a ‘new’ outfit made from existing old clothes and waste is something I really enjoy.

CUSTOM MAKING:

If the above options don’t work for you and you are very particular about wanting an outfit similar to the singer, I would strongly recommend not buying something you will wear once and discard. You can find sustainable fabric similar to the kind you want to imitate, such as organic cotton, linen, and Thai silk. Then, get the outfit custom-made by a tailor. Try and think of creating it in a way that you can use it multiple times. You can play around with different accessories to create more bling instead of making the entire outfit very restrictive and blingy. Think of your personal style and design something which you will use multiple times.

As a 46-year-old mother of two teenagers, I have discovered that there is always a sustainable solution if we are willing to look for one. It’s easy to attend a music festival without creating unnecessary waste. Try the above recommendations and rock your next music festival look with your individual style and charm. We are currently preparing our sustainable look for Olivia Rodrigo, will you be attending that?

Aparna Sharma (Instagram: @stylishsuitcase) is a non-conformist who believes that fashion must become a force for good and style must meet sustainability. She breaks down the nuances of slow fashion and how we can stay stylish without being trendy.