If you’re planning to go to a music festival, you should think of what you’re going to wear. After all, dressing for festivals is great fun, and you can wear so many ridiculous things that you’d never think to wear outside. Bandanas and other unusual headgear, ponchos, wacky colors, and wild accessories are all cool to wear for a few days.

Many outlets offer advice on what to wear to festivals, often based on what celebrities have recently been spotted wearing. Copying them is a risky strategy, though. You need to pay more attention to function, and sadly that rules a few things out.

This short guide explains what to leave at home when you head off to a music festival. There might be some things you’ll miss, but it’s not all bad news – there will be more room in your backpack for drinks and snacks.

1. Heels

No matter how much better you think they’ll make your outfit look, leave pumps and dress shoes at home. There are several reasons why these are unsuitable for festivals. Firstly, they’re often painful after a few hours of dancing on a night out, so imagine how they’ll be if you’re on your feet moving for an entire day. Secondly, you’ll likely end up walking on grass, mud, or dirt, all things which your heels will sink into and which your pretty shoes will be caked in after a few minutes. Lastly, you might need to run between stages to catch the acts you want to see.

2. Flats

There’s just one very good reason for leaving these at home – saving your toes. You’ll be in crowds where thousands of people will be jumping up and down. You’ll want something that covers your feet a bit better. Sandals and flip-flops are best abandoned for this reason too.

3. Designer clothes

Everybody wants their festival outfits to stand out, and while fashion is important and essential, you do need to bear in mind that whatever you wear could get ruined. Your clothes will be constantly exposed to sweat, dirt, dust, and rain, and they’ll also be at a heightened risk of being stolen if you’re staying in a tent. Dress up by all means, but don’t conflate this with dressing your best. Leave the luxury gear at home.

4. Jumpsuits

These seem like a functional option, but only until you consider the bathroom situation.

5. Long dresses and trousers

You can expect anything that comes down to your ankles to end up muddy or wet, which will just make them feel heavy and uncomfortable to wear. You’ll end up spending all your time trying to hold them up.

6. Handbags and purses

You’ll hate carrying these around all day and try to dance while holding them, so just leave them behind. Anything you need to carry with you will be much safer and more comfortable in a figure-hugging belt bag or a lightweight backpack instead.

Conclusion

This still leaves a lot of scope for finding your own style. Just remember to think about function and safety first, and then worry about impressing everyone else.