Day clothes at Burning Man

Admittedly, I’m not the person to turn to for tips on how to glam up, costume fabulously and rock some cute look on the playa, though sources abound on these subjects. I’m also a middle-aged woman and orient my clothing (and these tips) toward how I dress. That said, you may find some helpful tips here, even as a guy.

Know this: What you pack for day clothes and what you pack for night clothes at Burning Man are categorically different.

Natural fibers for the day outfits at Burning Man

I’ve packed synthetic-fabric daytime clothes for many years and they rarely come back home worn. Years of going to Burning Man have shown me that for my day clothes, I reach for the cotton, linen, flax and silk fabrics. And that’s about it. An occasional synthetic fabric makes its way onto my body, but only occasionally and usually only if it’s important to my camp’s theme or an event I’m attending.

So I offer this tip: remember when you’re trying on outfits in the air-conditioned comfort of your home that you’ll be wearing said outfits in desert-hot conditions. I love all of you in your metallic lamés, itchy tutus and clingy clothes hugging your sexy bodies. You all look fabulous! Rock on. Your beauty and expression make my heart sing.

Me? You’ll find me in natural fibers that breathe.

Sort all your day clothes in one bin and night clothes in another

Some great advice I found from Halcyon of Pink Heart (by way of YouTube) when I first attended Burning Man was to sort my day and night clothes in separate bins or suitcases. I thought, “why?” but I totally get it now. When it’s day, I’m only looking for day options: the cottons, the linens, the silks. At night, I’m prepping for a night out and only want to sort through night clothes (warmer layers, more glam outfits). I recommend you do this when you set up your tent and organize your space.

Put complete outfits in ziplock bags

Another great option is to pre-pack every single outfit in a ziplock bag. Lots of people do this, self included. In this baggie is often your undergarments to wear with a particular outfit, any accessories you need and all the pieces for that particular outfit. If a certain accessory or item is used in multiple outfits, pack all the items for the outfit, put them in a ziplock bag and then write the accessory to add and put that piece of paper in the bag. This tip is more relevant for night outfits.

This tip might sound crazy now, but it’s not, given how same-same everything starts to look on playa, how strewn your gear and items can become in your tent, how sparse mirrors are on playa (they often break) and how quickly you might be getting dressed to go out for the night with your campmates and not have time to check all the variations of accessories that go with a particular outfit.

Do as much pre-playa prep with things such as outfits and accessories.