I have to wonder if they've ever been to a festival before

Summer is here and with it comes the smorgasbord of festivals, concerts and outdoor events.

My Instagram stories were awash at the weekend with people at the various gigs taking place in Cork and I felt like I was the only person who didn’t secure tickets to a music event.

I’m currently frantically seeing what I can go to next week and hoping the weather stays fine. I also notice there are a wealth of festival fashion edits on the go with which to draw inspiration and while these are all stunning edits featuring beautiful clothing I have to wonder if the people doing the edits have ever been to a festival before. Practical they are not.

Kate Moss has done a festival wear edit/collab with a well-known high street chain and it looks very dreamy and boho but looks much more suited to Moss’s VIP festival areas rather than with the regular festival goers navigating portaloos and muddy fields.

I speak as someone who has been in the festival trenches and after many days of rain at Glastonbury one year, my wellington boot became stuck in the mud and was promptly ripped in half as two people tried to pull it out. I had to try and find industrial tape and do a repair on the welly thus spending the rest of the weekend with a wellington boot taped to my leg.

So, forgive me if I think that white lacy slip skirts and suede jackets are not ideal for weekend camping festivals in countries where torrential downpours are a very real possibility. These looks are much more suited to concerts where you can throw on a rain poncho and you get to go home to a warm bed at the end of the night.

Now, it goes without saying a good tent and sleeping bag are essential and a blow-up mattress is an absolute game changer for festivals. Some people will manage to sleep at festivals, others will not but personally a good night’s sleep for me is essential. Ear plugs and eye mask are also well worth packing to drown out the noise of fellow campers.

It’s also a no brainer that your outerwear has to be suitable for all sorts of weather and so a good windbreaker/rain jacket is top of my list always. Buy well and buy less is the motto to live by for festival outerwear and boots so shop around and invest in the best that suits your budget.

Uniqlo and Rains provide good mid budget rain jackets and if you want to spend a bit more then you can’t go wrong with the classic Barbour coats. Think Alexa Chung at every single Glastonbury. These jackets are pricey but made to last.

Another essential item to put some thought into are boots. A wellington of course is the way to go when the rain is pouring but if it’s a little bit drier you could easily spend the whole weekend in a pair of Doc Martens but make sure you have them worn in before the festival or you will be in a world of foot pain. Office on Opera Lane has a great selection of Docs and they are definitely worth the investment as they last for years and never date. Dare I say it’s also worth having a pair of Crocs on hand for around the tent and for queuing for bathrooms and showers in the morning. I would not normally endorse a Croc but I can make an exception for such circumstances.