Before I went to my first Burn, my was fashion aspirations were overly ambitious to say the least. I made over a dozen hand crafted outfits assuming I'd be moving about from one amazing playa art project to another amazing party and I'd need my best threads at all times. What I found myself doing instead was spending most of my days in outfits that were more comfortable, and easy to bike in. Turns out I only needed a couple of statement pieces to make my wardrobe complete, and I knew I needed to add more comfortable staples. The following year I ditched my sewing machine and picked up some essentials to make my daily outfits easier to store and wear. Below I'm sharing the five staple fashion items that I wear burn after burn, even as my handmade pieces come and go.
Capezio low-rise boy shorts for women. I have been wearing these shorts for a bunch of burns and here's why I love them - they come in every color you could possibly need, they generally run around $12 a piece, they hold up burn after burn, and they cover your butt better than a bikini for when you are cycling around. I always cut the top and bottom hems, which makes them shorter, and I love them! I pair them with tops I make, body chains, or pasties, and I have an outfit!
Now, these shorts might not be for you, but having simple, multi-color bottoms that you can dress up or dress down with a variety of tops, jewelry and pasties makes dressing a breeze.
One piece fringe swimsuit. I know this item isn't for everyone, but this is at the top of my top list, so bear with me. I wear my purple fringe swimsuit every year on the first day of my burn for one reason: simplicity. When I get on playa I want to dive right into the fray, which for me, means getting straight into burner attire. And this one-piece suit is no muss, no fuss. I can build camp, put up my tent, and get dusty without having to adjust my suit once. Now I will admit that using a port-o-potty on the playa in a one-piece can be daunting, so I don't make it a habit to wear it again during the week.
Sadly this suit is no longer available because I picked it up nearly ten years ago, but I found one online that I think is pretty close.
Patterned scarf. I wear my scarf every day on the playa. It doesn't matter, day or night, that thing is wrapped around my neck and has served as my shade, dust mask, blanket, towel, and more. Scarves are extremely versatile and add layer and depth to your look.
Pasties. Not every one is comfortable baring all at the burn, myself included. But I'm always happy to don a pair of pasties and head out on an adventure. And if you've never been to the burn, you might be thinking that you'll never be that bare. But I think you should make that decision when you arrive. They run about $10 on Amazon for a set of ten, and if you don't end up wearing them, you can gift them to your campmates.
Platform boots. Functional boots aside, I wear my platform boots every burn, nearly every day. I love the way they look and feel, how they up my outfits, and the general bad assness of adding six inches to my height (which is amazing when you're 5'1"). People always tell me they look hard to walk in, but they aren't, I even bike in them! I have found Demonia to be the best brand for this look, and while they are expensive, I have found them for sale on Poshmark at times for a lower price, and I got my pairs on eBay and didn't pay full price.
So there you have it, the five fashion staples that I wouldn't leave home without when I am playa bound. Check out my blog for outfit ideas for this years theme - Radical Ritual and my top ten items every burner needs.