October brings midterms, shorter days, football games and registration anxiety. Amid all the fun and stress, many students attend Austin City Limits, a music festival with the tagline, “Once in a lifetime experience, twice a year.” Students bought tickets as soon as ACL announced the lineup, mainly because of popular artists like Chappell Roan, Tyler, the Creator and Dom Dolla.
Unlike many other festivals, ACL attendees must factor in the extreme heat when planning their outfits. Because of this, ACL goers have developed an “urban-western” baseline for outfits, with lots of flowy skirts paired with cowboy boots. However, this doesn’t mean that other trends don’t make their way into the crowd. Prevalent trends this year include pashminas (headscarves), flowy and sheer dresses, and chunky boots.
Many fans credit house music artist Dom Dolla for popularizing pashminas at ACL this year. Looking around on the festival grounds, colorful, silky pashminas wrapped heads everywhere. Besides wearing them for stylish reasons, pashminas also provided protection from the hot Texas sun and prevented breathing in the infamous ACL dust.
Kelsey Simmons, a sophomore at UT, wore pashminas with all of her friends on Sunday during the first ACL weekend when Dom Dolla performed.
“We had seen people on TikTok wearing pashminas to house music concerts, and we all really love house music. So even though it was only for one performer, we wanted to center our outfit around it,” Kelsey said.
Kelsey said she didn’t have a problem finding one that not only matched well with her ACL outfit but would also become a staple in her wardrobe.
“I knew I wanted to do a fun pashmina and (a) more neutral, all-black outfit,” Kelsey said. “I was able to find a sparkly silver one on Amazon that I could definitely rewear in the future.”
Though this trend has become popular for many house music lovers, it’s important to note that it has been criticized online for appropriating cultural head coverings worn traditionally by Black, Indigenous and other people of color.
Another trend that came from weather concerns was ACL participants wearing clothing with white, sheer and flowy material. Not only do these pieces pair well with cowboy boots, but they keep you cool while still looking fashionable.
UT sophomore Reagan Needleman wore a sheer, open-front maxi dress from the clothing brand ASOS to ACL. When finding it online, Reagan explained that she thought it matched the vibe she wanted to have that day.
Fans like Reagan often try to match an artist’s aesthetic at ACL. Chris Stapleton’s Western romance aesthetic is a great example of Austin’s modern, western culture that so many people emulate for ACL. Reagan’s outfit was inspired by Stapleton’s aesthetic.
“ACL is hard to plan for since there are so many different vibes you could do,” Reagan said. “You can dress ravey, boho, casual, etc. When I saw this (dress) online I felt that it matched the vibe I was wanting to give, which had to do with me seeing Chris Stapleton that day.”
With Austin being such a relevant city with so much life, trends are constantly evolving within it. Many people who have attended ACL repeatedly recall people wearing certain outfits for just that year because of how trendy they were at the time.
“I remember I went during my senior year of high school and dressed very middle school-esque,” Reagan, who just attended her third ACL, said. “I wore a tube top and denim shorts every day I attended. Now I like to dress up more, and try to only dress casually for one of the three days I normally attend.”
Those who attend ACL likely see most guys in the crowd sporting their favorite basketball team’s jersey paired with shorts. It can be hard for people who dress masculine to get creative with weather-friendly outfits, but shoes are an easy way to express personal style and boost an outfit. Doc Martens and other chunky boots made a resurgence at ACL this year.
Jake Anderson, a sophomore at the University of Oklahoma, attended his second ACL this year. He said it has been interesting to see the fashion change.
“I had been thinking about outfits before I had even gotten the tickets,” Jake said. “I was looking on Pinterest and then on Instagram to see what people had worn in the past.”
While the Instagram photo shoot to capture an ACL outfit only takes a few minutes, much more time goes into carefully crafting the perfect outfit.
Jake explained how he incorporated his sense of style into his shoe choices.
“One day I wore my Docs and I feel like that is such a thing right now, especially at ACL,” Jake said. “I feel like the fashion vibe is a crossover between Stagecoach and Coachella, and the Docs provide a great contrast with lighter outfits and are still comfortable.”
With a change of artists each year comes a change in fashion trends at ACL. The blend of boho chic, contemporary western and casual is what makes ACL special for so many attendees. With trends like chunky boots making a comeback, people are finding creative ways to express their individuality while still feeling comfortable enough to wait at the barricade for artists like Chappell Roan. As this iconic festival continues to be marked on so many calendars each year, it will always be a must-see for music and fashion lovers combined.
