AfrikaBurn outfit prep – my tips & tricks

I attended my first AfrikaBurn back in 2016. It being my first time & therefore not being 100% sure of what to expect, I played it quite safe on the outfit front.  I’ll be attending this awesome desert festival again this year as my 2nd attempt & this time round I’m determined to go all out.

Dressing up is of course not mandatory.  You’ll find a lot of people just chilling in shorts & t-shirts, and that’s totally OK.  But for me personally, I really want to have fun with it this year.

My favourite pic from AfrikaBurn 2016

I’ve stumbled upon some really cool burn-outfit-prep options over the past couple of months and figured I’d share the love in case there’s anybody out there scratching their head & not quite sure where to start.

I can highly recommend the following Cape Town stores:

• For fun (and affordable) sunglasses:
  Third Eye Wear in Kloof Street
• For faux fur coats (you’ll need one of these as it gets very cold at night) & other vintage finds: 
  Voom Voom Records & Vintage in Observatory
• For all kinds of unique festival gear & headpieces:
  Alchymia in Sea Point
• For special effects make-up, contact lenses, body paints & more:
  Masque – Cnr of Glynn & Hope St, Gardens  (if you have a bit more cash to spend – their special effects department can also custom make pretty much anything for you)
• For all kinds of good stuff from outfits & accessories to budget-friendly camp decorations:
  China Town – Sable Square or Ottery
• For jewellery, particularly fun unicorn/bunny/cat-style alice bands & flower crowns:
  Claire’s – Canal Walk or Cavendish Square
• For arts & crafts supplies (if you’re planning on creating masks or anything like that):
  The Deckle Edge in Salt River
• For dress up outfits, hats, masks, wigs, tutus, colourful hair sprays & more:
  Party City in Gardens

Then two great online finds:

• I found this Cape Town-based brand that sells really nice face & body jewels on their online store:  Lakota Inspirations (speedy delivery too!)
• And then for the most beautiful head pieces, do check out Sunkissed Handmade.  She has the most amazing pieces, from mermaid crowns to sun goddess vibes, but the best part is that she also does custom orders to your specific requirements.

Finally there are some great markets & exhibitions coming up during the month of April where you can do a proper festival shop (click on the links below to head on over to their Facebook events pages for all the important details):

• The Burn Bazaar – Wed, 10 Apr 2019 – Trenchtown, Observatory
• Festival Wear & Gear Trade Market – Thu, 11 Apr 2019 – The Roundhouse & Rumbullion Restaurants, Camps Bay
• Africa Burns Exhibition – Sat, 13 Apr 2019 – 66 Albert Road, Woodstock

Some general outfit tips I can share:

• When it comes to shoes, keep it as comfortable as possible.  Hiking boots, sneakers & comfy walking shoes will be your best friend.  It’s super dusty out there & you’ll be walking around a lot.
• Pack cooler things for the day & warm things for the evenings.  The change in temperature can be quite dramatic.
• Pack a scarf or buff in the event there’s a sand storm (there was one when I was there in 2016).  A scarf or buff wrapped across your face helps to keep sand out of your mouth.  Cape Union Mart sells some nice buff options.
• Sunscreen & sunglasses are A BIG MUST.
• Bring comfy clothes for the drive there, the drive back & just chilling around camp in the mornings.
• If you feel like bearing it all, go for it.  Nudity is completely acceptable at Afrikaburn.  Just remember that sunscreen for your sensitive bits! 😉

Have any of your own AfrikaBurn outfit tips to share?  Please add them in the comments section below.  Would love to know where everyone else is sourcing their most amazing festival finds.

Getting really excited now… only 4 weeks to go! #letsdothis

xxx