How Rave Outfits Have Evolved Over The Years

How Rave Outfits Have Evolved Over The Years

 

Rave outfits have always been part and parcel of the scene. It has always had its own particular look as part of the crowd who followed it and, as with every scene, has changed and evolved as time has gone on. In fact, the rave and dance scene is so varied now that sub-genres have their own attire.

 

For those looking in from the outside, it would appear that rave outfits are nonsensical, stupid and outlandish. Whilst this may be the came in some instances, there are clearly defined pathways of how and why people end up dressing the way the do.

 

It’s really important to understand that the fashion was an important part of the movement of raves and free parties as it was a step away from the cultural and societal norms. You weren’t at these underground parties to look good or impress anyone. You were there simply to have a good time and escape the pressures and boredom of normal life.

 

What you also have to remember is that the rave scene exploded into the mainstream and youth culture in the mid 80’s, fuelled by the discover and subsequent mass distribution of ecstacy. When you combine emotion and mind altering drugs with an ideology that can be acted upon through music, you’re bound to get some pretty interesting and, dare I say, functional rave outfits.

 

In the 80’s there wasn’t so much a dress code for any of the free parties or underground raves. It was all new, but it tended to be people who were part of the travelling communities, hippie lifestyle or generally less concerned with their fashion than they were with their lifestyle. Remember that mainstream 80’s culture was big hair, over-the-top outfits and tonnes of makeup.

 

Early 90’s Rave Clothing

The early 90’s rave outfits were brightly coloured, tie-dyed and covered in acid house smiley faces. As rave music became a lot more prevalent in mainstream music, there was a definite separation and promotion of the alternative night out. People who were going to raves wanted to show they were fun, happy and friendly people. Their clothing represented that.

 

The great thing about the early 90’s rave gear was that it was also mostly functional. It was common place to see people wearing tie-dye shirts and bucket hats walking down the street so the fashion of the day was very much the in-fashion of the rave scene. Don’t forget that very early on at the free party, largely disorganised start of rave culture, they were outside. People needed some protection from the elements so wearing next to nothing was not really an option, especially in the cold night air of the British countryside. 

 

As time went on the criminal justice bill had dramatic ramifications on the locations of where raves could be held and so they had to become more organised and legitimate. This saw the rise of such legendary parties as Fatazia, Helter Skelter and clubs nights like Nude at The Hacienda and Shroom in Southwark in London. This brought the rave scene indoors which began to allow for more variety in clothing.

People were still taking a lot of ecstacy and the euphoric feeling combined with more sophisticated sound and light systems meant people were pushing for more psychedelic looks.

Enter the boiler suit.

 

The boiler suit came about from PA’s like Altern8 and Dye Witness who wore actual hazmat suits during their sets. This was copied by ravers up and down the nation and all of a sudden became the archetypal rave outfit for the hardcore ravers in the mid 90’s.

The masks people wore would usually be filled with vicks or other menthol substances to help open up the airways and enhance the effects of MDMA. The white gloves would give visual trails in the dark clubs from the lights in combination with the altered state of mind from the drugs.

Bum bags were widely used and were purely a practical thing. The boiler suits didn’t have pockets which made it hard to store your money, keys and anything else you wanted to bring along. You will still see people using bum bags at festivals today. They aren’t so much a throwback to the early 90’s, more a simple and practical raving accessory.

Late 90’s to Early 2000’s Rave Gear

The 2000’s saw a shift into a more wild and extravagant look that many people remember of their youth. Think of the Spice Girls on acid and you start to get an idea of what people were wearing at raves.

Fluffy boots, neon tank tops, string vests, day-glo paint, whistles and hair bands. The brighter the better. The rave scene was now a place to be seen and an element of alternative fashion came in to play. Girls wanted to look good and the guys were there to express themselves in ways that their day-to-day lives could let them.

The look was about wearing something small and sparkly and using the bright colours to enhance the night out. People were still doing a lot of ecstasy so the more neon and reflective the fashion, the better visuals that you would get from the lights and substances ingested.

Cyber wear became popular during the early 200’s which took on a natural evolution from the fluffy boots and neon clothes. Glow sticks and dummies were part and parcel of the rave outfits that were worn. Again, the glow sticks enhanced the experience and the dummies were to help people stop grinding their teeth from all of the ecstasy that they had taken that night.

Mid to late 2000’s Rave Clothing

From the mid to late 2000’s rave outfits gradually toned down. The reason for this was that going to a drum and bass, hardcore, techno or other hard dance night became a more common occurrence. They weren’t one off nights any more and were far more prevalent that they were 15 years earlier. These nights and events were put on with so much frequency that it was possible to go to one every weekend, anywhere in the country.

Whilst this can be seen as a huge victory for the movement and culture it certainly became the demise of the fashion within the scene.

So, what did rave gear look like in the mid 2000’s? There were still elements of the neon and fluff, but it was far more toned down. People were going to raves in dedicated clubs and venues more often than they were in abandoned warehouses and fields. A dress code was starting to be imposed on the ravers.

You could say the street wear style started to move into effect here as people were simply wearing whatever clothes they would normally wear on the street. Jeans, tracksuits, hoodies and trainers could be seen at raves, which in turn became the normal attire. By this time, many of the people who were part of the original rave scene were moving on with their lives and had families to think about. The new party-goers were the younger generation who were being influenced by modern street and fashion styles.

 

Modern Day Rave Attire

What can you see at raves today? Well, much like the late 2000’s you will see people wearing pretty much whatever they want. Most of the day-glo and neon is gone, you won’t see much in the way of string vests or fluffy boots and it would appear that glow sticks and dummies are a thing of the past.

Long ago you could hear the sound of a whistle being blasted out, but that sound too has died out. What can be seen though are much more genre specific, artist and club line attire being worn. People who go to drum and bass nights will happily wear their favourite artists name on a shirt.

People are still taking all kinds of substances at raves as this goes hand in hand with the culture and experience (we don’t condone taking any kind of illegal substances by the way, but you can’t deny that it is still a huge part of many people’s nights out).

Most people are going to raves to have a good time, that much has never changed. What we are also seeing is that people want something functional to wear as well as the ability to express themselves and show appreciation for the music they love to dance to.

There are also big differences in the kind of rave outfits that people will wear when going to a club versus when at a festival. Festivals tend to be in the summer outside. This means that it’s usually hot and people will want to wear as little as possible. You will find girls wearing very short shorts, bikini tops and very little else. The guys will usually be in shorts and that’s about it. A snapback here and there will be thrown in to keep the sun off.

You will, however, find people who make the return to the old days of rave fashion. They will wear extravagant outfits, bright colours and have loads of accessories with them. It’s a festival so people want to display their excitement and enthusiasm for the event, but this doesn;t necessarily mean that they’re heralding back to the early days of raving. It simply is a fun way for people to fit in with the scene.

 

How Rave Outfits Differ In America

Things are quite different across the pond. The Americans seem to be going through the late 90’s early 200’s phase with their rave gear. EDM is absolutely massive over there and several large festivals such as UMF, EDC and Coachella have big followings.

Both guys and girls use these events as opportunities to go as big and as wild as they possibly can, with tight and skimpy clothing being worn. Bright colours, neon body paint and anything unicorn looking are the preferred attire here.

This, we believe this is great. People are actively expressing themselves and showing love for a scene they wholeheartedly believe in. Say what you like about it, the Americans are loving their rave scene and embracing the fashion that goes along with it.

 

Pick Something For Your Next Rave

The rave outfits of yesteryear were bright, colourful and expressive. They helped to position the scene and grow it over a number of years. They were a source of identity and freedom as much as any other genre throughout history which in turn shaped the culture we know and love today.

 

Whilst we don’t have any of the old school outfits or anything fluffy, we do have rave gear that you can express your love for any genre in. With festival season just around the corner, there are loads of items that you can proudly wear and rave in for many years to come.

 

Browse the range now and be part of our amazing culture and scene today.