What to wear to SXSW: Austin sits at 24°C (75°F) by day and 12°C (54°F) at night in March, on city streets, with a moderate chance of rain. That means a light base with one warm layer you can carry, cushioned trainers or a low boot, and a bag small enough for the gate rules. The crowd leans indie, streetwear and urban, so anything that survives the day reads as right.
Women's outfits at SXSW have to clear the same three hurdles as everyone else's. 24°C (75°F) by day, 12°C (54°F) at night, city streets underfoot, with more options for solving them.
The dominant aesthetics at SXSW are indie, streetwear, urban and alternative. That is the visual language of the site, the stages, the merch, the crowd photos, and outfits that speak it look intentional rather than borrowed.
There is no enforced dress code. What the crowd rewards is a look that survives 9 days of city streets without you having to protect it.
What people actually wear: one good layer over a light base, because the temperature halves after sunset.
