Even if you don't have a ticket...

...you can still enjoy the idea of Coachella. I myself have never actually been (though I came extremely close to going this year) but I almost like it that way, like I have this idea of what a three-day music festival in Indio should be like and that's kind of enough to satisfy my eagerness to actually go. A lot of people have told me that while the music is great and the festival is so much fun there are a lot of things that detract, like running out of water and finding parking and turning into a puddle of sweat in the heat- you know, real things. So for now I have this perfect image in my head of all the wonderful things and I can ignore everything else.

It doesn't matter if you are making the pilgrimage out to the desert this year, because there's one thing we can all learn from the festivities in the valley: how to dress for the summer. Seriously, dudes, the girls at Coachella always impress me. Maybe they are fairies that don't sweat and can therefore manage to look adorable in 100-degree weather, but somehow these chicks always rock the festival like they are on the main stage.

Everything is very eclectic and yet you secretly know those girls spent hours curating the contents of their hemp suitcases before making their way to the desert. The Coachella goer almost always packs the following:

1. Denim Cutoffs- shorts are necessary to stay cool in desert heat, preferably if they are unraveling at the hems, full of rips, and stone-washed to a pulp
2. Cross-body Bag- you want a bag that can function when you are moving around, something small enough that it won't weigh you down, but also something that can hold all your necessities
3. Maxi Dress- embrace the "New Age Woodstock" vibes and make like a hippie in a light, flowy dress
4. Sweet Shades-When you are out all day in the bright sun, your eyes need some stylin' sunglasses to keep your eyes protected. Ray-Bans are always a hit
5. Gladiator Sandals- You want sandals that will stay on your feet even when you are rocking out to the Black Keys, so straps and buckles are your new best friends

And some more of the essentials:

 (Coachella images from Harper's Bazaar; Clothing items from net-a-porter)