Rave Clothes and Accessories
Get schooled on rave clothes. Learn to dress like a raver!
By BrianX | July 14th, 2002The rave scene grew to dominate the 1990s and continues to evolve even today as ravers from around the world continue to party. Just like clubbers and the club scene, when older ravers move on, younger generations quickly move in to fill the void. Rave DJs such as DJ Diamond, DJ Shortee and Miss Behavin’ continue do teach and create new sounds and rhythms while ravers dance to the beats. Aside from rave music, there is one distinct and noticeable aspect to ravers: rave clothes. Strangely enough, there is a general shortage of rave clothing stores online as ravers hunt for rave gear, rave pants, and general rave fashion.
Rave Fashion
To really be a part of rave culture, you’ve gotta be hip with rave clothes. Ravers wear clothing that is flexible, worn in, and comfortable. Since raves involve hours of dancing, rave wear such as rave pants is lightweight and loose-fitting.
Rave gear includes clothing that makes it easy to dress in layers which allows ravers to peel off their outer wear as they heat up from all the dancing. It’s not uncommon to see ravers wear baggy and wide-legged pants and then strip down to loose shorts.
Ravers wear airy clothing such as t-shirts, tank tops, tube tops, bikini tops, and open-back halter tops. These types of upper body clothes help partiers stay cool during long, intensive, after hours dance marathons.
Ravers tend to take ecstasy pills which provide the energy to dance all night (and sometimes all day) long. The truth is that the drug itself raises body temperature and so between the dancing and the drugs, ravers are frequently virtually clothing free by the end of the night.
Rave Clothes and Themes
Rave culture has grown beyond simple raves. There are now raves with themes to them and the girls at these gigs tend to take advantage of the occasion by dressing up. It’s like Halloween for a night in a month other than October. On a related note, goths who hang out at raves are called gravers. In any case, during themed rave events, ravers wear costumes such as dressing up cartoon characters, princesses, and other fantasy figures that go with the rave’s theme. Rave themes often include some sort of futuristic, space, or mystical theme.
Brand Name and Underground Rave Clothing
It’s kind of an oxymoron to say that raver clothing stores carry rave clothes that are popular brand names and underground at the same time. The truth is that stores are selling large quantities of rave clothes such as Triple Five Soul, Akademiks, Zoo York, Quiksilver, Rusty, Spiewak, Kitchen Orange, Billabong, HIC and Redsand.
It’s true that purists in the rave gear scene prefer to wear rave clothing that is from more underground type companies and stores but in fact, major labels and brand names in popular culture can be quite convenient when partying at a rave. Rave wear can be Adidas track pants, Nike running shoes, or a Reebok shirt. If you’re preparing for your first visit to a rave, don’t worry about shopping at rave clothing stores. Just wear what you have, as long as it’s comfortable.
Not everyone thinks raves are for them and after one visit, they have had enough of the rave scene. On the other hand, if you do plan on partying at a lot of raves, you might want to consider “popular” rave clothes.
Rave Clothing Store Accessories and Ecstasy
Aside from general rave clothing, there are always the accessories to consider! Alcohol is rarely served at raves. Instead, rave promoters sell smart drinks which are essentially energy drinks or fruit juice with extra caffeine. If you were every wondering how to make an energy drink, that’s all there is to it!
In any case, raves and illegal drugs go hand-in-hand and rave clothing stores sell accessories that can enhance the raver’s drug-induced sensations. Raver accessories include bright paraphernalia such as bracelets, necklaces, and earrings which typically have flashing lights built into them. Ravers trying to sneak their personal stash of ecstasy into a rave frequently place their pills into plastic beads, bring pill-shaped candies which look like store-bought sugar candies, or mix their drugs into a box of candies.
One of the most ubiquitous rave clothes accessories is the ever-present baby pacifiers which are typically worn around ravers’ necks and lollipops. While these are seemingly harmless, they are actually there to counterbalance the effects of ecstasy which can force involuntary teeth grinding. This is actually quite popular in regular clubs as well, not just rave culture.
Perhaps the most creative integration of rave accessories is the invention of baby pacifiers that actually have flashing lights built into them and have candy-beaded necklaces for ravers to wear around their necks.
The hallucinogenic properties of ecstasy has certainly had a large influence on rave culture including the clothes and accessories that ravers include in their party gear. Ecstasy can cause visual distortions which is why ravers walk around with glow sticks, flashing bracelets and necklaces which are waved around. Similarly, raver girls frequently wear pins with blinking lights as belly-button rings, earrings, and regualr clothing pins, frequently in the shape of stars and hearts.
Finally, ravers chew strong mint gum and rub strong smelling menthol lotion onto their bodies to try and max out the effects of the drugs. Sadly, many ravers don’t realize that rubbing items such as Vicks VapoRub all over their body and continually inhaling the menthol fumes, they are enhancing they may be adding to their risk of hyperthermia (getting dangerously overheated) because the fumes cause the raver’s eyes and nasal passages to dry out. Gross but true and you don’t need to buy this type of “party item” at rave clothing stores because the local pharmacy probably carries these products.
The Future of Rave Clothing and Accessories
As long as there are raves, rave culture will include rave clothing and accessories to get the “full effect” of the music and drugs. If you plan on attending a rave and you’re a newbie, this article should be enough to get your groove started. Party smart.
(By the way, ecstasy is also known as ex, x, extasy, exstasy, and ecstacy)
This isn’t a very accurate article. None of the brands you listed are make any kind of rave clothing. These brands are not what ravers wear. People that where brands like Quiksilver aren’t ravers. Those are the people who don’t even like the music and just show up to bum ex off of people. It’s really anoying when your partying and someone who’s been sitting on a couch the whole time out of no-where says “Do you have any ex?” The rest of stuff about the pacifiers and blinking lights only pertains to kandy kids, who make up only a tiny portion of rave culture. Btw, ravers don’t do even near as much ex as you think and it’s not as big a part of rave culture as you make it seem.
July 1, 2009 at 9:58 am
I disagree. This is totally true. Rave culture has a huge following and ex is at the heart of most of it. Maybe you’re new to raving or maybe the rave scene in your area doesn’t have a lot of kandy kids but we have tons of them and most scenes are full of them. If you really love to party at raves, this article tells it like it is.
July 1, 2009 at 7:48 pm
Agreed with FiveFoFlow, inaccurate article. For many many reasons. Most of the time the real ravers don’t do x as much as you’d think.
July 9, 2009 at 4:47 pm
Most of this article is not really something to be debated and agreed. It’s much more matter of fact than “I say ravers do ex and you say ravers don’t do ex”.
Raves are supported by gangs who want to move mass quantities of drugs. You have to be naive (or ignorant of reality in this case) to not see what’s going on for what it is.
Also, look at the date! It was written in 2002. Things may have changed in some areas and stayed the same in others.
July 9, 2009 at 10:59 pm
There’s a major migration in the rave scene. A few years ago, lots of ravers in big cities got tired of the giant raves with thousands of people. They actually got tired of the scene itself. The rave promoters had to do something to get people interested so they can keep making money. They stil pull off large parties but also hold smaller ones in smaller towns.
July 10, 2009 at 5:02 pm
Unless you talk to everybody at the party (and really get to know them), how can you pretend to know what’s going on in their world? Are they drunk, on coke, spun or are they just diggin’ the music? How would you know? Oh, and for the record, I like acid… and the way it makes me move.
July 16, 2009 at 8:57 pm
Ok so the chick that wrote this is wrong is some parts and so-so on others. I agree that none of the brands names have anything to do with Rave Culture. While there is that select group of people that only go to bum bombs off people, there are also many people that go to raves and stay sober the whole time.
I live in Seattle and i can tell you for a fact that by an hour or so after the rave starts half the people there are already rollin balls or trying to find bombs. Granted most of the money these drugs make is sent to gangs and what not, but do you honestly think that the people doing them care? i don’t i say do what you want while you can. Live for the moment and dont worry about the gang wars in different countries/cities/states. In any case everyone has their own opinion about raves and the culture behind them. no need to get all but hurt about it when someone says something you dont agree with.
July 25, 2009 at 5:55 pm
I’m sorry but this article is very accurate. I don’t know what planet some of the other commenters live on, but there’s a lot of reality in what’s written. Isn’t it amazing that people are quick to downplay the brand names but then don’t offer alternatives to what ravers wear. Let’s hear your view rather than just denouncing the article. Anyone can come along and spread their comments on someone else’s work. Let’s hear you come up with something original. Why don’t you offer some alternative details and explanations? I’m waiting…
August 2, 2009 at 12:51 am
Interesting article.
August 11, 2009 at 2:27 am
This article is pretty acurate in the rave scene in Tx. Kandi kids are everywhere and people are already rolling balls in the line to get in. But on the clothes a lot of people around here make their own clothes and their own personal and unique and creative style to it. It gets them more noticed as real ravers a lot of the time, but anyone can really wear anything. It’s about peace love unity and respect. It’s what everyone i know lives by so it’s not to say THIS IS THE WAY but all ways are the way :) Whatever makes you happy and excited and pumped up and feeling good is what a rave is all about. Whatever it takes.
August 13, 2009 at 7:48 pm
Well I went to a rave a few weeks ago. There were no candy kids but after I read about them, I thought “I totally want to be like that!”, but with the 24 relation… my parents would never let me rave even though I want to.
September 25, 2009 at 4:26 pm
Jane… don’t be so naive! People who rave are there for one thing and one thing only, ask a true raver of 1987-2009 it’s all about the music. people who go to raves just to take drugs are not ravers. Any raver will tell you the same its all about the music sweetheart. It just so happens that X gives you the energy to do what we love best and it heightens your senses to the trax taking over your mind body and soul. Ravers live for the music not the X.
September 28, 2009 at 7:23 am
It’s true a lot of “ravers” rave just so they can take the drug X. But for the people that live by plur & the positive vibe that comes from raving they do know its really about the music. It’s about that drum and bass, at a rave the Dj is a god! It just so happens that X enhances your ability to connect with the music and the people around you. As for the money going to gangs… would you rather it be taxed?
October 17, 2009 at 6:23 pm
I dont know what raves some of you guys are talking about. Candy kids + ex = raves. . im old, been clubbin and raving for 10 years. at raves, and even clubs that have rave music, your gonna find candy kids and ecstacy. and who the hell ever heard of a “rave” brand of clothing. thats rediculous.
October 18, 2009 at 11:48 pm
o yea, one more thing. i have to agree the main reason for going to rave or club w/ rave music is the MUSIC. From my experience (and have far too much of it) the line up of dj’s is what brings the crowds. Normally just dont show up at a rave or club to do drugs, I go for the music. Rolling just intensifies the feelings of peace, love and unity.
October 18, 2009 at 11:54 pm
I read the article and the comments and I think many fellow ravers are missing the point. I brought “outsider” friends to a rave once. They were dressed up after going to posh nightclubs. My peeps felt totally out of place and looked down on everyone. I think it was partly a reaction to others being dressed in more “rave gear” as it says above.
So, I do agree that wearing the right clothes to a rave can be helpful to fit in. I don’t think there’s a rave brand like amy said (I didn’t see that above either - you on somethin’?!). I don’t think that everyone who comes to par-tay is there for the E but a large part is for sure.
I don’t know how wild your parties have been but I’ve been to tons of raves (mostly about 7-14 years ago) and the blinking lights and smells and touch and all of that was always going on. Maybe things have changed or the parties you go to aren’t as wild but that was my experience.
October 21, 2009 at 2:35 pm