Music festival fashion is a class all its own. So how does one get dressed for Cali Roots?

The 2023 California Roots Music & Art Festival runs for four days which, for some people, means four distinct, carefully planned outfits.

“I will be playing with the feminine and masculine [aspect] this year,” says Emily James, a photographer from Santa Cruz. She has been to the festival before and wore a band tank top that she cut herself. She is going again this year – both to have fun and to shoot photos on one of the days. “I have this nice feminine, asymmetric skirt,” she says. “The plan is to match it with a masculine hat.”

Speaking of masculine and feminine, there do seem to be two main ways to approach festival fashion, and they easily align with gender stereotypes. Guys prefer simplicity – an old Good Vibes Only black T-shirt and jeans, perhaps. On the other side of the spectrum is the music festival’s signature sexy kitten, aka Boho Princess Lost in the Middle of the Indian Summer – typically a woman wearing ragged jean shorts with inside pockets sticking out, a tank top with fringed bottom and a naked belly or a flowery, see-through boho blouse with long, loose sleeves. Then, fortunately, you get everything in between.

James likes to “get funky and add color” to her outfits, she says, but notes that Cali Roots is “not an over-the-top” type of festival. The atmosphere is low-key and people want to be comfortable in what they wear. “Functionality,” she says, is the name of the game when it comes to fashion at Cali Roots. For James, putting together outfits for the festival is “an opportunity to be creative.” She makes jewelry out of organic materials like mushrooms and leaves, so she will be wearing that too, she says.

Alexis Carillo is another person striving to have four full outfits planned. Born and raised in Monterey, Carillo has been attending Cali Roots for over 10 years. More recently she moved to Santa Cruz, but will not miss the festival this year. Her 2023 outfits will include “some cool bell bottoms” for one of the days, and a jumper onesie for another. Color-wise, she is going with earth tones – “olive green, rust orange,” she says, and planning to wear earthy fabrics, like linen.

Shoes? “I don’t know, it gets pretty hot there,” Carillo thinks out loud – but bare feet are out of the question. At the same time, it would be good to be able to take the shoes off at some point.

Josh Ratsep is a Pebble Beach-based artist. He and his fiancée Leanna Humphrey will attend Cali Roots and are planning to have some fun with their clothes – with the emphasis on some.

“Feathers and bright colors,” Humphrey says. She’s considering incorporating a message into her outfit: “My baby is vibing with me” or something like that.

“It’s all about expressing yourself and being free,” Ratsep says. He will go with a “secret geometry” or a psychedelic motif for his top; “flower of life,” is another candidate.

The couple is planning to take their 5-year-old daughter to the festival during the daytime one of the days – hats for the sun and sandals are a must.

“Boots are too hot,” Humphrey says, “and no high heels, because that would be dumb.”

Forget a random search engine, Amazon has “reggae festival outfit for women” and “reggae festival gear” pre-chosen for you. A large chunk of the Cali Roots fashion market is dominated by band T-shirts, accessories and other gear. In addition to that, there are “reggae colors” – black, red, green and gold. Red stands for blood, gold for the riches, green for the Earth, and black for Africa. These four tones will undoubtedly dominate Cali Roots’ general look.

Even though Charlotte Snead has never before been to the festival, she has outfits ready and has done her research. After she explains “reggae colors” and their symbolism, she presents the prepared items on Zoom. In addition to reggae-colored bracelets and anklets, she will be wearing a long wispy skirt, a light, see-through knitted top, and a flower head wreath. She will also wear a choker.

Originally from Missouri, Snead has been living in California for the last five years. As a production manager overseeing robotic manufacturing in Silicon Valley, she is excited to forget about work and relax at the festival. She can’t stay for the whole Cali Roots weekend, but she is so ready for the days she will be attending and has booked a hotel right by the Fairgrounds.

“I’ve loved reggae my whole life,” she says.