ACL fashion centers fun and comfort

By Juliana Lightsey     10/22/24 11:26pm

While notable for its eclectic artist lineups and Texas weather, the Austin City Limits music festival is also known for its unique festival fashion. This year’s festival-goers balanced comfort in the hot sun, fashion trends, such as mini-shorts and riding boots, and matching the unique style of headliners such as Chappell Roan.

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Many ACL attendees opted for pieces tying in Western or Texan elements with traditional festival fashion, such as shorts paired with statement belts and cowboy boots. Even those from outside of Texas incorporated some quintessentially Southern elements into their outfits.

“Everyone’s excited to be in Texas, to go to a festival in Austin … even the performers are in Texas gear,” Styra Goldblatt said.

Goldblatt wore a sheer lace skirt paired with a studded belt, black tube top and brown cowboy boots. Although Goldblatt hails from San Antonio, Texas, she attended with three friends from Maryland, New Jersey and Chicago.

“I’m wearing denim on denim, so very Texas vibe with cowboy boots,” Samantha Topf, who attended the festival with Goldblatt, said. 

The group of four said that they all dressed according to their own taste, but ended up appearing stylistically cohesive, with dark brown and denim tones tying their outfits together.

When asked about any fashion trends they noticed at this year’s ACL Festival, Goldblatt pointed to a surge in the use of statement belts.

“Definitely a chunky belt, in any variation,” Goldblatt said. “I’m already seeing so many and they’re really cool — I followed that trend.”

Tracking the evolving festival fashion over the years, some attendees noticed a greater emphasis on function and comfort, particularly for hot afternoon concerts.

“I feel like people have gotten more comfortable with wearing less over the years,” Ava Riley said.

This year was Riley’s fourth time attending ACL, and she wore a brown lace top with a cutoff denim skirt. Riley attended with her friend Maggie Singleton, who said this was her first year at the festival.

Singleton noted a popular trend in the tiny, ruffled shorts that many chose to include in their outfits at ACL. 

“I’ve seen a lot of the bloomers, the shorts,” Singleton said. “The little belts are a big trend too.”

Singleton herself sported red checkered bloomers, and a denim vest paired with brown cowboy boots. When asked if the range of artists performing – and their respective styles – influenced her festival fashion at all, Singleton said that she felt like each day’s lineup impacted her stylistic choices.

“I feel like the days are different types of things,” Singleton said. “Like for Chappell Roan [on Sunday], I’m wearing pink and all the fun stuff.”

Regardless if their motivation came from the heat, the headliners or the overarching fashion trends, this year’s festival-goers expressed a diversity of unique pieces and outfit combinations authentic to the ACL festival atmosphere.

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