FESTIVAL ESSENTIALS

It's officially festival season, kids. And though I couldn't need it more, I myself have a long while to wait, isn't that how it always goes? Unfortunately, Dani and I passed on Coachella this year. (Unfortunate because of my FOMO, fortunate however, for my bank account). And since I don't regularly allot funding for flights to Austin or Miami, I won't be revving up my festival engines til June for EDC.

I do, however, understand the need of my fellow hautegeeks, and have compiled a list of my favorite essentials to keep you fab throughout the heat, the beats and the daze that are festival weekends. (Alright, so its partly to keep my sanity while I wait out the ones I can't attend.) Whatever. You're not judging.

Given the nature of this blog, it's safe to assume many of my essentials will be clothing and gadget based- shocker. But over the years I've compiled a few tricks of the trade to keep you from hating life during what's supposed to be the best days of it. So let's get started.

1. Mophie Juice Pack 2. Someday's Lovin Outfit 3. Evian Spray 4. Moo Cards

Universal Charger and/or Spare Battery
Spare power cords work too, so make sure to map out the tents and lounges with charging stations. This will be essential to covering the bands/sets/after party gossip and anything else you plan to live blog or tweet while your phone is in a constant state of searching for service. Oh and, you know, finding your missing compadres, because even when you set an ultra-specific time and meeting location, you won't actually find them without it.

Low-Fuss Wardrobe
Not to be confused with low-effort wardrobe or low-style wardrobe. The "low" factor is strictly concerned with maintenance. This means no rompers, no heels, no running-between-set-hindering accessories, including but not limited to large cameras and purses. Stick with something chic and easy-going like a cropped top and maxi skirt.

Evian Spray
I guarentee you're only laughing if you've never tried it. We discovered this little miracle during Kaskade's Coachella set two years ago when, even after dark the day was still scorching. Luckily for us, a few friendly ravers were willing to share the wealth. The refreshing mist hydrates skin, revives makeup and keeps you cool. It's called The Sahara Tent for a reason, people.

Business Cards
No, seriously. If you're a blogger, a musician, a fashionista or any combination of the three, why aren't you traveling with them already? Besides the hordes of trend spotters and taste makers in the crowd, you're liable to literally bump into your dream connection. Standing behind Tim Smith in the beer garden for almost an hour last year before realizing it, was a bit of a "doh" moment to say the least.... If nothing else, at least you'll get accurate credit on street style blogs.

Besides an open mind and a great crew, that about sums it up!
What are your favorite festival tips or rituals?

YOUR KLOUT CAN EARN YOU GILT- THE GOOD KIND

Finally a Klout Perk I'm giddy to get! Klout's partnership with Gilt launches this week, where your influence score correlates to a major discount on, well, Gilt Groupe's already discounted designer duds. *Insert fashion-girl squeal here*

If you're not already a member of Klout or Gilt, I suggest signing up pronto to ensure you won't miss out on cashing-in on your social media influence. Users with a score of 1-20 can claim their perk today, and word to the wise for my higher influencers: flash sales going live this week include DVF shoes (Wednesday), Free People (Thursday) and Missoni (Friday).

Along with the e-commerce site's regular flash sales, Gilt will be running special Klout sales curated by four top-Influencers. Get to networking and rack up those scores, you know you want the bigger discount!

MAD HATTER

It's no secret that I love a great hat. And in all honesty, I'm happiest when wearing one. It gives me just enough mystery and personal space to give me a sense of security...and sass.

They've become my favorite accessory for shopping trips and dinners out, but I've recently been rocking them indoors at work. An unexpected environment seems to make headwear all the more unique. As with my entire aesthetic as of late, I'm drawn to anything witchy or bohemian. Since January has been unusually warm here on the West Coast, my wool, wide-brimmed styles have been in heavy rotation. 

I love pairing my Nixon floppy hat with a maxi skirt or dress for a Coachella-esque look.

The Mossimo Indiana Jones-style fedora (similar)  I got from Target a few months back has been the perfect topper to rock-inspired ensembles.

Even if you're indoors most days like me, if you're a hat girl, give some a whirl to shake-up your accessory routine!

FABULOUSLY FASHIONABLE FEBRUARY

It's no secret that February is my favorite month. Not only is it the time of year we celebrate my glorious birthday (25 this year, can you believe it!?) but it's also a time for celebrating fashion. Between #NYFW, StyleCaster's #StateofStyle Summit, Independent Fashion Bloggers #IFBCON, StyleCoalition's #Fashion20 Awards and more...you can do the math.

Hautegeek Heaven!

Twitter seems to be the main social media hub for catching all the action, so be sure to check out the hashtags above for some MAJOR insight into 2012's fashion and technology directions.

I wish I had the time (and money) to attend all the AMAZING conferences, shows, etc that are going on this month, but thanks to facebook livestreams and twitter chats (I know, right?), I've been able to keep up on all the East Coast happenings from here in California. I'll leave you with some of my favorite intel from this week o' info...

Speakers Rebecca Minkoff and brother, @UriMinkoff spoke on molding a truly socially-dialed in brand. Rebecca engages with consumers herself, and uses social media as the ultimate focus group to determine what customers want and like. Uri touched on facebook's "hacker mentality" and the idea of constantly pumping ideas out to the masses (whether good or bad) to push the envelope of innovation.

IFBCon reiterated what a lot of fashion bloggers have been picking up on...the rise of micro-blogging. Instagram and Pinterest (with 10 million monthly unique visits) have become essential tools to brands and bloggers, as a means of curating both consumer insight and interest. "Authentic" and "organic" were the buzz words of the week, proving that nothing sells and succeeds as greatly as originality and realness, i.e. posting when you legitimately have something to say, and staying true to your OWN voice and style.

TECH TOY TUESDAY

Eww...not like that.

When you're as dependent on technology as I am, the great Blackberry/iPhone debate is a serious, drawn-out affair. I've weighed the pros and cons, considered my obsession with the iPad, and researched who my favorite digital darlings are carrying and why.

Then, like any love-struck fashionista, I threw it all out the window when I saw this:

Needless to say I'll be getting the 4s at the end of the month and badgering P-Tran to make me a black one so my new toy can withstand the drops and tumbles of celebratory birthday drinks and, you know, double as a weapon if anybody gets too crazy. Cheers.

THE UNIFORM

It's no shocker that the black boyfriend blazer/skinny jean combo has become the unofficial #hautegeek uniform. You'll see it as a go-to for conferences, meetings, and interviews, and for good reason: it says 'I'm chic...and smart.' It's dressy enough to match our killer stacked heels, but comfy enough for us to run the gammet of our jam-packed days. Not to mention it means extra pockets for all our gadgets and the uber-ease of seamlessly matching any office-cas outfit to instantly up the professionalism level.

While I too am guilty of the look, I challenge my fellow #hautegeeks to spice it up for Spring. A lightweight trench, breezy kimono, or spunky novelty jacket is the perfect way to stir the fashion pot. Don't let tried and true, turn into tired. We're leaders, and if we're the first to know about new tech and trends, we should be the first to rock innovation in our wardrobe as well. Leave the pocket space to your handbag.

SH*T THE INTERNET SAYS

The fashion and internet meme stars have aligned to present us all with this gem. #SOAMAZE