When you think about raves, the first thing which comes to your mind might be music, lights, and skimpy clothing. Unfortunately, raves are sometimes looked down upon with it being associated with drugs and nudity. 

While it is true that rave clothingis revealing most times, there’s a long history and tradition that explains why the outfits are the way they are. To understand rave clothing, you need to look at the history and philosophy behind raves. 

What makes Raves different?

Raves follow the philosophy of self-expression wherein you’re encouraged to let loose of the usual societal boundaries you usually follow in your day-to-day life. It’s an artistic form of expression where creativity and freedom are primary elements. Adding on to the fact is the rave environment. Raves create a very energetic and active atmosphere with lights, confetti, and loud music. This leads to rave clothing being different. All this combines to form a memorable experience, which makes raves stand out from other everyday events. 

Philosophy of Raves

The philosophy of Raves boils down to a community that is accepting and emphasizes mutual understanding and acceptance. Peace, Love, Unity, and Respect (P.L.U.R.) is the main motto of the rave community. In short, it makes you feel safe. While there are no real restrictions even in the real world, unlike places like your workplace, there’s still an inhibition on freely dressing the way you want.

Rave tends to break the shackles of the ordinary world and presents an environment that embodies breaking stereotypes and boundaries. Rave clothing is one such way to break the stereotype. 

Art

Rave is a form of art, after all. Art encourages expressing yourself through different mediums. The human body is considered a medium of expression. Tattoos, piercings, hairstyles, and colors are all regarded as ways of expressing yourself through the medium of art. 

Rave delves into this philosophy and presents a unique environment where everyone around you looks to express themselves one way or another. This, in furtherance, boosts your confidence and gives you the courage to speak yourself through your body. 

Group Environment

The Environment present in raves is very different from anything you’ve experienced. Loud music, flashy lights, and an environment that can be defined as chaotic sometimes Rave aim to make you feel you’re on a different planet altogether. 

This gave birth to the philosophy of breaking already existing boundaries. While in the real world, you might focus on dressing modestly due to society or people around you. In raves, the Environment and people around all try to break the stereotypes one way or another. To fulfill the unique experience, clothing is one such way to express themselves. 

While it’s absolutely not necessary to dress a particular way. Since the rave philosophy follows Mutual Respect and Understanding and gives you the freedom to be who you want to be, ultimately, the choice boils down to how you choose to express yourself. 

You can choose to decide on your own idea of rave clothing without any hard and fast rules, but don’t confine yourself to how you would typically act in the normal Environment as Raves are a unique experience, and you might end up discovering a new side of yourself.