Could Festival Season Be The Confidence Boost You Need?
The summer months are inches away from us, and what does that mean? Festival season is almost upon us.
The Brits love a good festival. Glastonbury is considered one of the world’s best. We know how to drink, sing badly, and forget about personal hygiene for a few days. So naturally, us Brits adapt to festival life pretty well.
In attempts to psych myself up for the summer, sometimes I’ll fish out photos of last year’s adventures. I’ll reminisce over the poorly exposed images, taken on some battered disposable camera, which show little more than the bags under my eyes and last night’s glitter, now smeared unattractively around my face. Those were the days.
Meanwhile, fashion bloggers are uploading beautifully candid shots to their Instagram from last month’s Coachella. Their YouTube vlogs show clean, wide-eyed faces and tanned, bikini bodies. How do they look so photogenic amidst the muddy, messy environment that is a festival?
This isn't a dig at anyone who looks good at a festival. Girl, if you want to show off that body of yours, do it. If glitter tits are your thing, go wild. But that applies to everyone. It’s important to realise festivals are a great opportunity for all of us to boost our confidence.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned about festivals it's that, no matter what you wear, there will always be somebody dressed weirder than you. Fancy dress costumes, glow in the dark jumpsuits, unicorn-themed ponchos… and that’s just the PG stuff. Does anyone bat an eye? Not really.
Unfortunately, you may still encounter the odd fuckboy at festivals, ready to describe your lack of clothing as an invitation. Things are being done to make these places much safer and more welcoming, but just like a night out on the town can collide with the local lad army, you might meet some drunken bastards at a festival too. Should that put you off being yourself, having some fun and giving zero fucks? Never.
Festivals are generally described as happy atmospheres, where extroverted people thrive. But just because you don’t consider yourself a photogenic, social butterfly, don’t let that determine your self-confidence. If – by some miracle – the weather’s decent, it's a rarity that you don’t want to take for granted. Don’t do anything you aren’t comfortable with, but if you want to make the most of that sunshine, get those legs out. Wear a crop top. Hell, wear WHATEVER. YOU. LIKE.
And let that filter into your daily life too. Got a few belly rolls? No problem. Your legs look too pale to wear a skirt today? Says who? That outfit — the one that you’ll try on in front of the mirror, only to shrug it off and tell yourself you don’t have the body for — it’s done waiting. Just because you don’t look like the catalogue model (note: even the catalogue models don't), that doesn’t mean it’s not going to look fabulous on you.
Focus on self-love this summer. While everybody is getting bikini body ready, you can become your best self, too. But that doesn’t mean you have to change anything. Just embrace the authenticity and incredibility of your own skin. It’s about time people realised it’s not just about looking good, it’s about feeling good. Forget body art and glitter, when festival season kicks off, you’re already going to be glowing.
