By NASA MARIA ENTABAN
alltherage@thestar.com.my

EVERYONE is talking about the latest platform to showcase your individual style: festivals.

Music or art-related, festivals are fast becoming a key place to be seen and photographed by bloggers and fashion writers on the prowl for style.

Just like posh events and fancy dinners, dressing up for festivals does require some thought, but none of the stress – the whole idea of a festival is to be comfortable while rocking the latest trends. You can just be yourself and not worry about dress codes.

With so many concerts, bazaars and fun outdoor events popping up all over the country, there’ll be plenty of opportunities for you to embrace the “festival chic” trend.

Check out a few key items that fall under this category:

Hats on

One item you’ll definitely need for outdoor festivals is headgear of some sort to keep the heat at bay, and the hats of choice for this season are fedoras, trilbies (a type of fedora) and straw hats.

Fedoras and trilbies have come a long way from their origins. Once upon a time, the trilby was viewed as the rich man’s favoured hat, while the fedora is often associated with gangsters and detectives. Today, these hats are not even restricted to just men.

The trilby is also Annie Lennox's trademark headgear

Anyone can pull off the look, and they come in handy on bad-hair days and hot days, which is why festivals are the perfect place to rock this look.

Straw hats too, are gaining in popularity as stars like Jessica Alba and Kate Hudson have been spotted working this cowgirl trend.

In the shade

Protecting yourself from the heat also includes wearing sunglasses to avoid squinting in the sunlight and giving yourself a headache. While aviators and “Jackie O’s” are still very much in trend, the shape of shade to look out for at the moment is the circular shade – heaps of celebrities love this trend, including Lady Gaga, Dita Von Teese and the Olsen twins.

John Lennon is hugely responsible for popularising this trend back in the 1970s.

Lady Gaga loves her circular shades

They’re comfortable, they protect your eyes from the sun, and they’re the ultimate style item to go with your outfit.

Bag it

As much as you try to reduce the number of items to carry around, there are several things you’ll always have to have on you like your identity card, cellphone, car keys, cash and lip gloss.

Stuffing all these things into your pockets is next to impossible (unless you’re wearing baggy cargo pants), so let’s face it: we all need a bag to hold all these items.

The Mulberry 'Alexa' bag is a popular look for festivals

Where festivals are concerned, the sling or crossover is the most practical option, and also the most stylish at the moment.

Go for tan or rustic-looking messenger bags or satchels, which hang comfortably from one shoulder – they make moving around a little easier compared to hanging on to a clutch or worrying that someone is unzipping your backpack without you noticing.