THE GLASTO EFFECT
4 festival style icons (and why their looks still work)
Words
GILLIAN ORR
From Moss to Miller, these are the festival looks we never forgot – and how they still shape how we dress today.
Stars are made at Glastonbury, but it’s not just on the Pyramid stage that big names become icons. It also happens in the VIP area, at the side of stage, or on a well timed walk along a muddy field (as long as a photographer is nearby). Because as well as being a music festival, Glastonbury is one of the UK’s greatest showcases of style. If a celebrity nails a look, it will live rent free in the public’s mind for actual decades.
Kate Moss’s rock chick looks from the noughties and 2010s still inspire us to this day: the latex trousers, gold belts, waistcoats and the tiniest shorts we ever did see. And who can forget when Sienna Miller turned up at Glastonbury in 2004 in a boho skirt and fluorescent green aviators, so we all bought boho skirts and fluorescent green aviators? It’s why we still reference Alexa Chung and her indie sleaze meets English countryside looks. And then, more recently, the likes of Adwoa Aboah has turned heads by rocking bold co-ords and berets.
And these looks don’t live and die in a field in Somerset: they will be recreated up and down the country, in towns and cities for years to come. Let’s take a closer look at some of the best outfits and why we’re still thinking about them – and what we can learn from them – all these years later.
KATE MOSS, 2010
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This is so simple yet so cool – Kate takes everyday items such as denim shorts and a vest and then roughs them up with big black boots and a utility coat. But it’s the accessories that really make the look pop: the long necklace, the leather belt and the big dark glasses. Still to this day you will see tribes of people wearing utility coats at festivals and, indeed, in everyday settings. Khaki is basically a neutral and goes with everything. It makes the perfect summer cover up for park days or when the sun goes down in a pub garden. 10/10 no notes. Timeless – and accessible – festival style.
ALEXA CHUNG, 2022
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Yes, Alexa is responsible for some of the most copied Glastonbury looks ever, her noughties denim cut offs, Breton jumper and knee socks had festivalgoers in a chokehold for years to follow but Alexa also loves a statement dress at Glasto and this eye catching cobalt blue one is a brilliant example. And it’s a sensible choice, I’m a huge fan of dresses at festivals; styling them requires little thought, they’re excellent for going from day to night (just add tights), and for – I’ll be frank here – navigating Glastonbury’s notoriously tricky bathroom situation. Alexa usually adds some stylish boots and then throws on a barn jacket over the top of hers, a great way to style dresses during the UK’s famously mercurial summer. Job done.
SIENNA MILLER, 2010
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There are so many Sienna looks over the years to choose from but I’m partial to this laid back outfit from Glastonbury 2010, when she mixed short denim cut-offs with a slouchy grey tank and a crochet vest. Again, the accessories make it: lots of fab, clashing statement jewellery, a fedora and an oversized red bag (you could literally fit a change of clothes, snacks and a whole loo roll in that bag – ideal for Glasto). Boho and crochet are back in a big way in 2025 and there are so many ways to wear the look this summer, think crochet bags, broderie trousers and peasant blouses. I know many of us are thrilled boho is back and this is your chance to embrace it.
ADWOA ABOAH, 2017
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Model Adwoa is a newer style icon of Glastonbury and this 2017 look consisting of a pair of oversized camo print trousers and shirt co-ord, a green overcoat, orange-tinted sunglasses and a beret is confident and stylish. I love the matching top and trousers here (you really don’t want to be wearing a onesie at a festival so steer clear of those) and the good news is that co-ords are everywhere this summer. Long gone are the days of looking like you’re wearing pyjamas (although I definitely did wear my pyjamas one Sunday at Glastonbury) so choose your print of choice and don’t be afraid of matching separates. If anything, you won’t have to worry about styling them. Simple.
Gillian Orr is a London-based fashion editor and writer. Formerly editor in chief of Refinery 29, she writes for the likes of Vogue, Elle and more. Read more via her Substack, Slouching Towards Bethnal Green.