What Reading Festival Taught Me About Style and Self-Expression

Long before I knew I would become a Berkshire based Image Consultant, I realised style was about so much more than clothes. It was about identity, confidence and giving yourself permission to be seen.

Every August throughout my childhood, Reading would transform. Festival weekend was electric, the streets filled with people who dressed exactly how they wanted to. It wasn’t about blending in or following rules; it was about being bold, colourful, and unapologetically yourself.

My friends and I would get the bus into town, to go window shopping down “smelly alley” and watch in awe as the most confident looking people we had ever seen, filled the streets.

Reading Festival: A Burst of Colour and Confidence

First up, I must be completely honest and tell you, I have never actually been to Reading festival. The noise, the crowds, the lack of clean toilets - none of this appeals to me. No, thank you. I will help you pack and drop you at the Station while I have a lovely weekend reading my book and drinking white Sangria.

But what I absolutely love about Reading festival, is admiring the individual style of those who do attend.

As a teenager I remember the total excitement as our, somewhat, boring little Town transformed into an art exhibition of colour, style and confidence. I had never seen so many tattoos, piercing’s, brightly coloured hair and unique clothing before.

Smelly Alley and Doc Martens

Anyone from Reading has likely visited Smelly Alley. A small side street between the main Broad street in town and the more lively Friar street. Nicknamed Smelly alley in the 1940’s due to the fish mongers and butchers but possibly more famous for its Dr Martens shop.

I likely spent longer in Dr Martens than I did revising for my GCSE’s (sorry mum and dad!) Friends and I would go and admire the different coloured boots, sometimes try them on but never buy.

I didn’t know it at the time but even then, the Romantic in my style personality shone through and as much as I admired those boots, there was no way they would ever be coming home with me.

My apologies to all those who worked in Dr Martens in the late 90s. every time you saw us coming you must have rolled your eyes and thought “here we go again”.

What Festivals Taught Me About Style

Reading festival is not about what is “on trend.” For that one weekend of the year I so admired everyone who didn’t care about the the latest Kickers shoes. What a sense of freedom to just show up confident and unapologetically you.

Smelly Alley, Broad street and Friar street became catwalks for the weekend. DIY outfits, vintage pieces, brightly coloured hair and total individuality. People looked authentic because they were dressing for themselves and not for the cool kids approval.

We may have moved on and its no longer about impressing the kids in school with your latest Kickers… but have those cool kids in school just become the influencers showing the latest trends they are “literally obsessed” with?

Style Personalities: Your Everyday Festival of Self-Expression

When I found out my style personality for the first time, it was like finally understanding myself and why those DM’s had never felt right on me.

Style personalities are a tool to understand your authentic self and express it outwardly. They act as a guide to help you make clothing choices that are organic to who you are, fostering confidence and allowing you to present yourselves authentically to the world.

In my work as a Berkshire based Image Consultant, I work with eight different style personalities, giving a whopping 56 possible style profiles!

Just like at festivals, you don’t need “permission” to dress in your own way. With style personalities, you can bring that festival-level confidence into your everyday wardrobe.

dressing as your authentic self

Dressing authentically doesn’t mean dressing loudly, unless you want it to. That is the beauty of it, it’s about reflecting who you are inside, whether that’s bold and dramatic, soft and romantic, relaxed and natural, or something else entirely.

When your outside matches your inside, you feel more comfortable, confident, and at ease in the world.

From Festivals to Finding Your Style

Looking back, I see that Reading festival planted the first seed of what I now do every day: helping people discover a style that feels truly theirs. You don’t need a festival wristband to find that same freedom and confidence. When you understand your style personality, dressing becomes less about “what’s in fashion” and more about reflecting who you really are inside.

Reading festival taught me that style can be joy, rebellion, confidence, and art all at once — and that’s exactly what I want for every client I work with.

Love

Lucy x