If you’re a fan of live music, you’re probably familiar with Coachella. The music festival occurs annually in Indio, California, over two weekends, from April 11-13 to April 18-20.
This year’s lineup was star-studded, with appearances on the main stage from Lady Gaga, Green Day, Post Malone and Travis Scott. Supporting acts include Charli XCX, Megan Thee Stallion, Jennie, Tyla, Benson Boone and more.
Luckily, you don’t have to fly across the country or stand in jam-packed lines to witness the wear or tears — I have prepared them for you! Sit back, relax and release your inner fashion critic.
WEAR: Lady Gaga Soars on Stage
While most attendees were either sporting casual attire or going full-out boho, Lady Gaga was giving us the theatrics. Her extravagant outfits make me feel like I’m living in 2009 again, and I don’t mind that. During her headlining performance, she sported feathers and bird claws in a custom look made by the label Fecal Matter. I’ve been loving the outfits that she’s been wearing since the release of her latest album, “MAYHEM,” and this easily joins that list. Caw-caw! WEAR!
TEAR: Addison Rae’s Polka Dot Catsuit
Apologies in advance — I know that Addison Rae is the supposed “it girl” right now, but I could do without her Coachella outfits. I respect her ability to commit to the aesthetic.
Clearly, she has an early 2000s vibe going on, but the polka dots mixed with hot pink are an eyesore. This outfit made an appearance on the stage when she joined Charli XCX to perform their “Von Dutch” remix. May polka dots remain out of style forever: TEAR!
WEAR: María Zardoya Goes Goth-Chic
If you’ve kept up with my past editions of wear or tear, you’ll know that I love goth gowns. The lead singer of The Marías stunned in this bridal-style ivory flowy dress. The long rhinestone cross necklace, choker, bracelet and microbang hairstyle elevated the outfit just the right amount, making this one of my favorite looks of the entire festival. Those who can pull off microbangs should be rewarded: WEAR!
TEAR: Charli D’Amelio’s Boho is a Bo-no
Okay, I understand the need to take the boho approach. It’s a festival, in California, in the sandy desert — clearly everyone got the memo. But coming from the alleged queen of TikTok, I would hope for some more fashion awareness.
There’s nothing explicitly wrong with this outfit, only that it’s straight off a Pinterest mood board and void of any personal touch. Not a huge fan of rompers, but this one in particular looks like a tablecloth. TEAR!
WEAR: Sabrina Carpenter Mixes Biker with Babydoll
I honestly struggled to find another Coachella outfit that I could stand behind, but this needs to end on a high note. So, instead, I pulled one out from the archives — Sabrina Carpenter’s 2024 headlining outfit.
Carpenter wore custom Frolov during her 2024 set, accessorizing this baby blue dress with a cropped biker jacket and a pair of sunglasses. Further into the set, she lost the jacket, showing us the cutout heart design on the back. The details of this outfit are my absolute favorite: WEAR!
Sadly, this will be my last edition of “wear or tear” with The Oakland Post. Thank you all for humoring me in my unwanted fashion opinions! I hope you loved my column and had as much fun reading it as I did writing it. I don’t like sappy goodbyes, so I’ll leave you with some wisdom: you can sound like a pro in anything if you act like you know what you’re talking about.
