By Kalena Reynolds | Editor-in-Chief, Sophia Monson | Opinion Editor, Arden Berry | Arts & Life Editor
Austin City Limits is Texas’ most iconic music festival, so it should be no surprise that attendees show up wearing iconic looks. Here are some of the outfits and accessories we saw at ACL’s second, dust-filled weekend.
While ACL 2025 included seas of cowboy hats and western adjacent wear, 2026 fashion was more grungy. There were lots of chunky accessories like silver necklaces or embellished head scarves.
Overall, especially on the first day with Charli xcx performing, there were a lot of dark colors. Black tank tops, skirts and skin-tight dresses were popular choices. However, as the days went on, brighter colors became more common. Pink dresses, red bandanas and lime green mesh tops all made an appearance
Mesh and knit tops were a big hit for festival-goer fashion. Lots of these tops included embellishments like rhinestones or charms. A perfect combination of stylish and breathable, these mesh tops were the perfect way to dress up for the smoldering three-day festival.
Most attendees paired the mesh tops with tank tops or bikinis, making layered outfits a common appearance. Others opted to layer with fishnets, chunky belts and chains.
On the more unusual side, for some, it seemed like Halloween came early. There were several pairs and groups with matching outfits. One group had “Where’s Waldo” getups, there was a pair in Buc-ee’s onesies, a couple girls walked by with peanut butter and jelly costumes and two people showed up with matching cow-related accessories.
Speaking of which, animal print was also common. Attendees wore leopard-print skirts, cow-print overalls and zebra-print outfits. Additionally, some people wore cat ears that matched the color of the rest of their ensemble.
Some groups had adorable sprout clips in their hair and on their hats. Most of them were completely green sprouts, but there were a few colorful flowers as well. Apparently these accessories are called rave sprouts, and people often give or trade them at festivals like ACL.
Micro sunglasses and chunky sandals were in no shortage, and while these pieces didn’t seem the most practical, they were certainly stylish. People often paired these with micro shorts and chunky belts.
Surprisingly, platform high-rise boots were a frequent footwear choice for festival attendees. And yes, they looked sick, but possibly too much of an ankle risk after the mud-filled first weekend left the park with rolling dips and holes.
For the guys, khaki shorts, baggy jeans and cowboy hats were the go-to. Some guys accessorized with bandanas or muscle-tees, while others wore band-tees and funky prints.
Baggy jorts were also a frequent style item for people of all genders at the festival. Doubling as both climate-appropriate and on brand with the grunge influence of the festival, the jorts were a favorite of ours.
And of course, the classic T-shirt was a frequent complement to these jorts. Many people wore band T-shirts with artists performing at the festival on them and ACL shirts from past festivals.
