Festival attire

Beat the heat, support local: What to wear to Free Press Summer Festival

You've secured your wristband for the highly-anticipated, sold-out Free Press Summer Festival this weekend. You've consulted with your friends on an itinerary for hitting all of your favorite bands and even managed to come up with a game plan for catching Calvin Harris and The Postal Service on Saturday night.

Now comes the hardest part: Figuring out what to wear.

The "festival outfit" must be easy, breezy and comfortable, with just the right balance of style and function. And for a fest that celebrates everything Houston — picturesquely perched along the Buffalo Bayou with views of downtown, locally-grown acts and neighborhood bartenders and chefs serving up drinks and food — it's only right to shop locally for the necessary gear.

CultureMap has hit up some of our favorite area shops and boutiques, sorted through the noise and picked out some festival must-haves. Find out where to buy locally below.

For gals (from left)

Ace & Jig Pop Boardwalk Dress from Myth & Symbol ($174)
San Diego Hat Company Ultrabraid Hat with Ribbon (and built-in SPF) from La Mode Swim ($52);
Ray-Ban RB4171 from Abejas Boutique ($110);
Soleil Organique Sun Stick SPF 30 from Kuhl-Linscomb ($18);
Lulu Organics Hair Powder from Myth & Symbol ($30);
bkr water bottle from Define Mind & Body ($28);
Serape from Casa Ramirez Folkart Gallery ($18 to $28);
Chacos sport sandals from Whole Earth Provision Co. ($100);
Baggu Backpack from Kuhl-Linscomb ($42);
Uzi Cream Disko Woven Tank from Myth & Symbol ($68);
Citizens of Humanity Ava Cut Off Shorts from Abejas Boutique ($215);
Rachel Comey Tune Sandals from Leap ($395).

For guys (from left)

Rogue Territory Jumper Chambray Buttondown from The Class Room ($125);
Warriors of Radness Phases Trunk from Settlement Goods ($104);
New Balance Men 1300 Made in the USA from Reserve Supply Company ($160);
DSPTCH Heavy Camera Sling from The Class Room ($46);
Augustus Rag from Myth & Symbol ($25);
Ray-Ban Original Wayfarer from Reserve Supply Company ($150);
Klean Kanteen from Whole Earth Provision Co. ($15 to $30);
Topo Designs Light Daypack from Sole Purpose ($89);
Guatemalan Palm Hat from Casa Ramirez Folkart Gallery ($22 to $52);
Jungmaven Shortsleeve Basic Tee from The Class Room ($28);
Left Field NYC Burgundy Shorts from Settlement Goods ($110).

Free Press Summer Fest Houston May 2013 outfits

Collage by Whitney Radley

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Thanks, Queen Bey

Pop icon Beyoncé donates $100,000 to University of Houston Law School

Photo by Erza Shaw Getty Images

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Pop megastar Beyoncé Knowles-Carter has donated $100,000 to the University of Houston Law Center Criminal Justice Clinic through her BeyGOOD Foundation. The gift will allow the clinic to hire fill-time faculty to head it, benefiting the students who study there.

“I am delighted that the BeyGOOD Foundation has made this very generous gift to the UH Law Center,” said Leonard Baynes, dean of the UH Law Center. “Not only will this funding help establish a full-time criminal justice clinic that provides pro bono legal services in our community, but it will also supercharge our already excellent criminal law and justice programming.”

The clinic is one of nine at UHLC. It helps students learn to navigate the criminal justice system, especially on behalf of clients that are underserved by skilled attorneys. People of color are affected disproportionately by a lack of good, ethical representation.

Beyoncé, the most decorated artist in Grammy history and easily the biggest musical star native to Houston, has a long history of advocating for criminal justice reform. She was a staunch supporter of the police reform following the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, asking law enforcement to “stop killing us” in a web post. In 2020, she penned an open letter to the Kentucky attorney general asking for justice in the death of Breonna Taylor.

Through her BeyGOOD Foundation, established in 2013, Beyoncé has focused mostly on expanding the prospects of Black-owned business and offering education opportunities to students. Forwarding the cause of legal representation in Texas while also helping out marginalized communities compliments her other philanthropic work.

“At UH Law, we envision a legal profession where ‘everyone has the opportunity to prosper,’ as BeyGOOD envisions, and we will achieve this vision by providing access to strong and effective legal representation in criminal proceedings,” Baynes said. “And together, through this gift, the BeyGOOD Foundation and UHLC will shepherd the next generation of criminal justice attorneys in the city of Houston, the state of Texas and the nation.”