What Are Chaps and How Should You Style Them?

Festival fashion is a huge part of rave culture. Half the fun is planning out what you will wear for each day of the festival. Every year there is a major trend shift in festival fashion. In the last couple of years a huge shift has leaned into the cowboy and cowgirl aesthetic. Alongside the rise of cowboy hats everywhere, rave chaps have been a staple at festivals all over the world. 

So You Want to Look Like a Cowboy

While caps have become a trendy festival accessory, they serve a practical purposes.When you think of a cowboy or the aesthetic around one you probably imagine a man on horseback wearing blue jeans, a cowboy hat, cowboy boots, and of course chaps. What are caps exactly? Well chaps cover parts of the leg and are worn over pants. For equestrian purposes, chaps are normally made from cowhide. While now it is used as a fashion accessory, chaps have been worn since the early 1500s.

Chaps with Chains

The first way you can style rave chaps is with chains. If you are joining for a more biker chic look we would recommend adding some chains to the sides of your chaps. Pick out blak chaps and match them with black combat boots. Then decide what color jewelry you plan on wearing during the rave. If you choose gold jewelry add gold chains to your chaps and vice versa with silver accessories. However, if you want to be bold you can mix and match metals for a unique look.

Bell Bottom Chaps

Another trendy look you can incorporate is styling a bohemian look. The bohemian aesthetic has been extremely popular at festivals and raves for the last decade. If you have noticed bell bottom jeans, work slacks, and yoga pants with bell bottoms have been more popular than skinny or straight leg cuts. This is no different with chaps. You can buy bell bottom chaps and accessorize them with other bohemian staples such as flower crowns and crochet tops. 

Matching Cowboy Hat

An obvious way to style chaps is to lean into the western aesthetic. Go all in with your cowboy look by adding a matching cowboy hat and boots. Rave chaps come in all materials and colors. Let’s say you really want to rock a hot pink pair of chaps. You can take them and turn yourself into a cowgirl Barbie. Match your chaps with a hot pink cowboy hat and some white cowboy boots. You will look super trendy and super cute giving homage to the wild wild west. This is a particularly cute outfit idea if you are going to a festival located in a desert climate.

Bikini Beach Chic

There is a clear reason why chaps have become so popular at raves and festivals alike. Most rave fashion is centered around wearing as little clothes as possible, fully embracing looks you cannot wear anywhere else. It is about being free and embracing yourself, even if it is just for a weekend. Popular looks incorporating chaps do not feature full length pants underneath chaps. In fact the reason why they are so popular is because there is so much fabric observing the bikini area. It is super common for those rocking rave chaps to a festival to rock a matching bikini underneath. There are infinite options when it comes to chaps and bathing suits. You can mix and match colors and fabrics and you can wear both a one piece or a bikini. If you are going to a rave this summer definitely consider rocking the beach aesthetic. 

Don’t Forget the Importance of a Good Belt

One of the main elements of wearing chaps is finding a great belt to go with them. Not only is this a practical accessory but one that can drastically change your look. One look that is super popular right now is a clip belt, ones that look like a seat belt. These belts are used frequently with rave chaps. Just like chaps themselves, belts come in all different colors and materials, but all black is by far the most popular. This could be your opportunity to add some color to your outfit. Regardless, do not forget your belt regardless of its design because you will need one to secure your outfit in place. 

Which Festivals Can I Wear Chaps To?

You may be wondering what festivals seem the most appropriate to wear chaps as one of your weekend outfits. Honestly, chaps have become such a trendy rave fashion statement it is safe to say you can wear them almost anywhere. However, we especially recommend chaps for Coachella, EDC, and Burning Man. All three of these festivals take place in the desert. We recommend adopting the bohemian aesthetic for Coachella, an iridescent or LED aesthetic for EDC, and full on cowboy for Burning Man to really appreciate the desert landscape. Regardless of which festival you choose you will look awesome in your rave chaps!