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It’s festival season in 2018, which means plenty of crop tops, body chains, and, of course, a flood of selfies capturing it all. It’s enough to send even the most dedicated Instagrammer on a social media detox.
Need a palate cleanser? Craving something with a bit more texture—or, let’s say, crunch? Take a look at Lilith Fair. The all-female touring festival was created by musician Sarah McLachlan and ran from 1997 to 1999. (It was later rebooted in 2010, but failed to garner the same amount of buzz.) McLachlan named the concert after the Jewish biblical character Lilith, the first wife of Adam who refused to follow his orders to exit Eden. Though Lilith had been branded as a sexual demon and baby-stealer, McLachlan considered her to be the “first feminist.”
Headliners of the festival included McLachlan herself, Paula Cole, Tracy Chapman, Fiona Apple, the Indigo Girls, and India.Arie. Vogue mentioned the festival in a cheeky charticle in the August 1998 issue, depicting the Lilith Fair–goer as a granola girl who attended UC Berkeley, carried a hemp book bag, and wore Missoni knits. She was also timepiece-less because, well, she had lost it at Lilith Fair.
Jokes aside, the fair was a pinnacle of late-’90s style. Call it woman power translated through macramé and linen: There was Sheryl Crow, who sported a white T-shirt and jeans with a pair of sturdy, thick-heeled boots. (She also brought her perpetually toned arms to the stage.) Another standout was a queenly Erykah Badu, who donned a verdant green head wrap and matching leather coat, an electric blue skirt, a yellow shirt, and, a favorite, a pair of yellow tinted bug-eye sunglasses. Liz Phair grooved on her guitar in a sporty jumpsuit and clunky sandals that were not so far from the ugly-pretty footwear of today. Jewel made a folky going-out top a bit risqué with plucky corset lacing in the front, and McLachlan, forever in something sleeveless and preferring bright colors, sported a handful of beaded necklaces and an orange (backless!) halter top with citrus-hued trousers.
Here, shop the best throwback festival attire to sport now.
