
Nowadays the rave fashion is not the same as it was before. Over time, rave dress has evolved in accordance with dance music. Trends change throughout time, and some have even evolved to cater to a new generation of ravers.
When we go to a festival today, we don't see the traditional phat trousers and low-cut tops of the early 1990s. Instead, the vast majority of ravers have chosen to wear no pants at all, exposing even more skin. In the early 1990s, the rave community's clothing choices were more practical. The everyone-loved phat trousers not only looked wonderful when partygoers danced, but they also contained pockets for keeping goods. Phat trousers, boiler suits, overalls, smiling faces, headgear, and a little of the belly were the rave fashion highlights of this era.
LA's hip-hop culture has tremendously influenced rave-style by the late 1990s and early 2000s. Adidas shoes and bell bottoms, as well as cropped baby doll blouses, were style staples. Cyber style commanded the dance floor in the early 2000s, with simple blacks and strikingly contrasted UV and neon hues. Though the odd raver still wears their cyber locks, it was only really fashionable until roughly 2008. Then furry accessories grew popular, and partygoers began to incorporate go-go-inspired aspects into their ensembles, such as fluffies. Adidas shoes have lately made a resurgence in street style, although ravers now prefer Converse, Vans, and other tennis shoes, as well as platform shoes for the extremely stylish rave fashionistas.
Though ravers' shoe tastes may have evolved over the years, ravers' love of neon colors from this era has endured and is still quite popular among ravers in 2010. The EDM community's fashion trends are continuously changing and if you go back a few years, you'll notice that vivid neon colors and a lot of tulle were popular. Ravers still wear tutus today, but we've seen that more and more girls are opting for flirtatious micro-skirts and micro shorts with cutouts. Many festival-goers take their clothing very seriously, and some even custom order or make one-of-a-kind designs just for the occasion.
Plunge bras and samba bras have even made their way into festival clothing as a result of the creative flow. Rave bras and go-go-inspired savage wraps, while still popular, took a back seat as halters, pasties, and other sheer tops gradually took over festival attire. Onesies and, for the females, one-pieces and bodysuits have replaced boiler suits. Smiley faces from the early 1990s are still popular, and a new recognizable face is on the rise: aliens.
Aliens, mermaids, holograms, and psychedelic prints are festival favorites, and with the advancement of technology, all-over prints of galaxies, illusions, and more are now saturating the dance floor. Simple black has recently emerged as a new choice among ravers who want more edgy aesthetics. Strappy bottoms, bras, halters, and bralettes are becoming increasingly trendy, and they can be found at almost every festival or rave.
Despite many changes in the scene's ethos and shifting trends, rave dress has remained faithful to the empowering of self-expression and youthfulness. While today's ravers may dress more sensually, the inspiration stems from the same source as it always has: a need to be different, to escape reality, and to have a creative outlet. Rave fashion is and always will be anything you want it to be, a representation of oneself that is appreciated by everyone.