Vanessa Hudgens is to Coachella what Blake Lively is to Met Gala — even though she doesn’t always attend her signature event, she still set the gold standard for it. So much so, Baby V’s whimsical lewks can serve as inspo for allll festival season events throughout the year. If you’re looking for a masterclass in outdoor concert fashion, Hudgens’ music festival style evolution can teach you more than a few lessons.
As much as the High School Musical alum can rock red-carpet glam, her #festivalSZN wardrobe is the reason behind her “Queen of Coachella” title. So far, she has attended the annual event in Indio, California, a whopping 10 times, plus a whole bunch of other similar attractions, which means there’s more than a decade’s worth of ‘fits deserving of your music festival mood boards on Pinterest. Through the years, Hudgens’ outfits have come a long way, from cutoffs and flower crowns to elaborate, holographic butterfly ensembles and even onesie Halloween costumes. From start to finish, though, she’s proven that she understands the assignment every time.
Whether you’re looking for inspiration for your own festival look, or you’re simply a fan of Vanessa Hudgens’ attire, below you’ll see how Coachella’s It Girl earned her crown.
April 2012: Vanessa Hudgens’ Effortless Beginnings
When you think of festival style, this is probably the image you have in mind. At one of the Tick, Tick… Boom! actor’s earliest Coachellas, she kept it simple yet true to the early 2010s with a flower crown, floral crop top, flowy cardigan, distressed denim shorts, and, in true earthy fashion, no shoes. To pull it all together, she kept it cute with staple accessories like gold bangles and round sunnies.
April 2013: Vanessa Hudgens’ Relaxed Style
The following year, Hudgens stuck with what she knew in a deep plunge white tank top with a peekaboo black bralette, black sun hat, and low-rise striped pants. The stack of bracelets and layered necklaces really elevated this look to the next level. It’s a relic to the breezy Coachella style that was trendy at the time.
April 2014: Vanessa Hudgens’ Barbiecore Flair
The “Say OK” singer committed to not one, but two new looks for Coachella 2014. For Weekend 1, she rocked pink dip-dye ends, paired with an embellished bandeau with matching fuchsia accents and a black fitted midi skirt with macrame tassels; for Weekend 2, she swapped the pink out for a teal shade using hair chalk, paired with a coordinating top and accessories.
April 2016: Vanessa Hudgens’ Romantic Florals
After missing Coachella in 2015, the former Disney Channel star made her big return with a colorful, floral vibe. The flowy dress is perfect for dancing late into the night, plus it keeps things airy. (That desert heat is *real*, y’all.) The colors and mixed patterns made a bold statement, but she kept her beauty look more low-key, adding a flower to her wavy locks and using blue eyeliner for a pop of color.
May 2016: Vanessa Hudgens #SquadGoals
Hudgens and her “Ladiesss” banded together at Lightning in a Bottle Music Festival for this iconic pic that screams festival season. Her tan crochet top was the perfect vibe for the event (hello, breathability), and the accessories were the MVPs of this look, especially the colorful fan and mirrored sunglasses.
August 2016: Vanessa Hudgens’ 1970s Realness
For Outside Lands in 2016, the Princess Switch star put a modern twist on ‘70s style with a red furry jacket, yellow retro crop top, bell bottoms, and a sun hat. Embellished with oversized sunnies, a belt chain, and a choker, this marked a total crossroads moment between the different decades.
April 2017: Vanessa Hudgens’ Ethereal Glam
A look V-Hud considers one of her faves, this stunning ensemble is, arguably, her most unique to date. She paired a multi-patterned pink and orange maxi dress with mesmerizing, holographic butterfly-style wings to fly her way through Coachella like the main character she was clearly born to be.
April 2018: Vanessa Hudgens’ Bedazzled Set
The sunset was beautiful, but Hudgens was even more breathtaking. At Coachella 2018, she kept things coordinated with a sparkly black and silver set. The black bikini top with belted trousers paired perfectly with her leather hat. And who says that a lighter can’t be an accessory?
June 2018: Vanessa Hudgens’ Carefree Neutrals
At the Full Moon Festival in 2018, Hudgens made things easy yet sophisticated with a beige jumpsuit and chose to amp up the look with some statement accessories, like a rainbow-studded purse, circle sunnies, and layered gold necklaces. She also rocked her naturally curly hair in a chic bob, amplifying her clean girl aesthetic.
April 2019: Vanessa Hudgens’ Western Vibes
Hudgens was a country cutie at Coachella 2019 in a white eyelet crop top and maxi skirt set. The straw hat and brown belt with an oversized buckle gave a subtle Western flair, and the lighter necklace (like the one she rocked a year prior) actually made for a stylish accessory.
October 2021: Vanessa Hudgens’ Matching Moment
Outside Lands 2021 took place over Halloween weekend, one of Hudgens’ fave holidays. (She changes her Insta theme to black and white in October and pulls multiple looks every year.) On Day 1, she and her then-boyfriend (and now-fiancé) Cole Tucker wore matching Grogu onesies from The Mandalorian; she kept to the onesie theme throughout Halloweekend, with a My Little Pony moment too. Normalize comfy clothes at festivals!
April 2022: Vanessa Hudgens’ Disco Cowgirl Couture
In 2022, Hudgens returned to Coachella for the first time in three years after the event was canceled in 2020 and 2021 amid the pandemic. Her comeback was the ultimate bang, with fire ‘fit after fire ‘fit. One that really stood out was her sparkly see-through dress with a black bikini layered underneath — it gave peak Coachella energy, but she chose to mix styles with a straw cowboy hat and platform combat boots.
April 2022: Vanessa Hudgens’ Y2K Throwback
Hudgens channeled her inner ‘00s girlie with a fur-trimmed green coat, sequin tassel top, and high-rise jeans with a sequin butterfly cutout — the same ones Taylor Swift was spotted wearing post-split from longtime boyfriend Joe Alwyn. (Baby V wore them first, though.) Mariah Carey, who was among the first celebs to break out the butterfly crop top in 2000, would probably be so proud of this drip.
Vanessa, 2023 called, and it’s waiting for your next music festival style moment.
