Pack Your Bags, You're Going to Coac-HELL-a

Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.

Grid View

Expand

• Batik bag, Forever 21, $15.80
• Little cross-body bag that comes in a mess of cute prints, available at Le Sports Sac
• It's got that boho vibe, but it's a functional cross-body with a slim profile that you'll use long past Coachella.
• Space-aged and slim: take it off, and you've got a nice place to sit your butt down. Available online at Otaat.
• This small but mighty Cleobella bag is another bag you'll be proud to tote well into summer.
• Hot, rockin', not leather. Available at Nasty Gal for
• Collina Strada's retooled backpack is functional and cute. This model is sold out on the CD website, but you can find stockists that still carry it.
• This George Gina + Lucy bag is sturdy nylon, but still has a more fashiony look. Tons of VERY secure pockets to stow your stuff, too. Available at Emphatic at Fred Segal Santa Monica, among other places.
• If we were totally loaded -- with either money or booze, this gorgeous Matthew Williamson bag would be OURS. We imagine it's something Nicole Richie would be carrying, in her fancy ivory tower VIP section or wherever. <a href="http://www.shopbop.c
• Bone leather cummerbund belt bag by MM6. Yes, technically, WE KNOW IT'S A FANNY PACK. But it's Margiela! And it's 0 at Creatures of Comfort

If a normal, all-day festival is like a marathon, Coachella is like an Ironman Triathalon, or an ultra-marathon. Right now, there are about a billion blogs out there telling you what you should and shouldn't wear -- and frankly, we're questioning if they even know what Coachella is -- white jeans and platform wedges, REALLY? We've got a few suggestions for awesome, practical bags, and what you need to pack in your purse to make the most of your day. Even though Coachella is like a great big runway, you don't have to spend a ton of cash to find a great bag that expresses your personal style and carries your crap. Click through the gallery for our suggestions, and where to find them.
Packing light is the way to go. It's easier, and you don't want to be that biotch who incessantly rams those around you with a bulky bag. Our big recommendation is to pack double-duty makeup that you don't need a mirror to apply. It's just less hassle. And for another thing, after spending 8 hours in the sun and the wind, trust us, you are going to be horrified if you look in the mirror. Go for light and natural colors -- and from personal experience, we are swearing up and down that the Clinique tinted moisturizer with SPF 15 is a miracle in a little pink tube. For a little lippy, you can go department store (Philosophy glosses, in yummy flavors) or drug store, with L'oreal Infallible lipgloss (with plumping action!) -- we love it because it stays put and doesn't get gummy, and it has a groovy little applicator that even those of us who screw it up without a mirror can love.

More advice: leave your bulky wallet at home. It may look like a coin purse you had when you were in the eight grade -- and admittedly, with everything that's going on, it does pain us to give a thumbs-up to an American Apparel product, but their shiny coin purse is the perfect size to hold an ID, ATM card, a couple of bills, a key, and a lipstick or Chapstick. It fits into the smallest of bags, or even a pocket.

As far as sunscreen for your body goes, the palest, whitest, fairest Racked contributor -- who goes out to Palm Springs a lot, so she knows her SPF -- recommends Aveeno. Nothing fancy, works like a charm, and it's under $10.

On the sunnies front: if you're looking to cheap out (which isn't a bad idea, considering how much money you spent just for your ticket and travels), Forever 21 offers a smorgasbord of designer ripoffs inspirations: in addition to Wayfarer wannabes, you'll find styles inspired by Chloe, Tom Ford, Oliver Peoples and Gucci. And if you want to go ULTRA cheap, try any one of the 99 Cent Only stores around town, as they sometimes stock discontinued styles from Target and Charlotte Russe. But if you want to make an investment, let us steer you towards the Prada cateye. Here's why we love it: the cat-eye is a huge trend right now, but Prada's take is basically shaped like an oversize Wayfarer, which means they're almost universally flattering. And $205 may not be gas station sunglasses, but they're half the price of the Tom Ford options. (For more suggestions, look out for our sunglasses post on Monday.)

If you have the budget and a little room in your bag (or on your body), consider taking along the Lotta Stennson convertible scarf/tunic/belt/wrap/dress. It's packable (it's silk, so you can pack it down to a size barely bigger than a bandanna). It's got that boho vibe, without trying too hard. And there are about a billion (ok, at least six) different ways you can wear it. Including as a head scarf, after you've been out in the sun and the wind and need to hide your nappy dreads from the world. Oh, is that just our hair that happens to?
· Coachella [Official Site]
· All Racked LA trend coverage [Racked LA]