At 2 p.m. on Saturday, the sun blazed down onto the dozens of tents and blankets that scattered the green lawn of the Mississippi State University Amphitheater. Students and visitors soared through the sky on a giant bungee jump, heads squeezed together around tables of tote bags and friendship bracelets, and shoppers milled around the artist village, home to various shops and pop-ups.

Music and laughter permeated the air at the Old Main Music Festival, an annual celebration of music hosted by Music Maker Productions, a student organization at MSU that hosts free concerts for MSU students and the Starkville community.

As the day continued, guests flooded the local and main stage space, transforming the amphitheater into Starkville’s own major music festival. Similar to large music festivals like Coachella and Lollapalooza, guests used this as an opportunity to express themselves through their fashion. From flowy white skirts to studded leather, music fans showed off a wide variety of aesthetics.

Treanna Thompson, a freshman biological sciences major, explained that she felt most drawn to the cottagecore aesthetic, a popular style that celebrates and romanticizes rural cottage life. She felt that it best matched the outdoor vibe of the music festival.

“I like outdoorsy, cottagecore looks, so I wanted something more floral or outdoorsy,” Thompson said. 

Thompson wore a flowy, maxi-length dress adorned with a mushroom-and-flower pattern and featuring puff sleeves.

Her friend Lauryn Brown, a freshman art major, agreed with the choice of cottagecore aesthetic. She explained that she has recently felt called to this style as she discovers her personal sense of style.

“I would say I’m trying to find my style, and I’ve been seeing cottagecore,” Brown said. “It’s become more of a big style for me.”

Brown showed off her cottagecore style in earth tones, wearing a simple black top, brown shorts and a statement belt.

Demi Thompson, a psychology major and friend of Brown and Thompson, took a different approach with her style. She centered her outfit around a new shirt she recently bought to create a more grunge aesthetic outfit with darker colors.

“This shirt that I got the other day,” Thompson said, gesturing to her green tank top. “I had to put something together!”

Her outfit featured patterned tights, a V-neck tank top adorned with an angel-wing graphic and bold jewelry to tie it all together.

The Old Main Music Festival fashion show also featured guests and visitors from outside Starkville, who were dressed in outfits that matched the band’s energy. Flipturn, this year’s headliner, is an indie rock band from Florida whose songs bring a chill, yet energetic, vibe. Their music is cinematic, evoking the nostalgic feel of a coming-of-age movie- and those in attendance dressed accordingly, wearing outfits that you could easily find in a classic college movie.

Friends Theodore Pitts and Ariana Ishee traveled from Louisiana to attend the festival. Ishee’s outfit was monochromatic black, but it was embellished with rhinestones to add dimension. She showed off a sparkly outfit featuring a cowboy hat with horns and a rhinestone veil, matching the rhinestones dangling from her top. She also wore black fringed pants. She revealed that almost the entire outfit was handmade by her friend.

“My friend made it,” Ishee said. “She made the pants, and then the hat and all of that herself, and then she let me borrow it.”

Ishee’s outfit reflected the fun and outgoing energy of the festival. The outfit was tied together with a pop of color from her brightly colored turquoise hair.

As the night came to a close, there was no doubt that headliner Flipturn delivered a memorable performance. However, attendees of Old Main Music Festival created an equally memorable show through their fashion. Each unique outfit captured a different element of the day. Some came dressed for a desert festival, wearing their best Coachella outfits, while others leaned into the indie vibe with florals and flowing fabrics. Although the aesthetics and clothing varied greatly from person to person, each was united by the festival’s energy and creativity.