The hippie look is a fashion style that originated as an aspect of the hippie movement during the 1960s. It is a laid-back look that can be easily achieved with regular everyday clothes. So, you can easily pull off this look if you want to change your fashion style or you want to dress up for a costume party.
However, dressing up as a hippie without having any idea of whom or what they represent in history is all shades of wrong and you do not want to be guilty of this. Therefore, the first step we would take in this article is to give a concise but detailed overview of the hippie movement.
Brief History of the Hippie Movement
In the 1960s, a movement started on United States College campuses and then began to spread to countries like Britain and Canada. Members of this movement were tagged “hippie” or “hippy” and felt that the middle-class culture was dominated by repression and materialism and so they felt alienated from it. They developed and pushed a distinctive lifestyle that was characterized by their somewhat outrageous dressing, communal living, and vegetarian diets of unprocessed foods.
One reason the movement started was the United States’ involvement during the Vietnam War, hippies were in opposition to this. However, they were never engaged directly with politics. This is unlike their counterparts, the Yippies. Click here to find out more about the Yippies. Hippies were preachers of love and shun all forms of violence; they were popular for the phrase “Make love, not war” which earned them the moniker “flower children”. And they practiced religions outside the traditional Judeo-Christian religion and promoted recreational drugs in a bid to expand their consciousness.
The movement started waning in the mid-1970s and by 1980, and another generation more concerned with creating careers in the business world sprang up. The new generation was known as the Yuppies. Despite that the hippies’ time is long gone; their influence can still be felt in a lot of industries, particularly the fashion industry.
How to Nail the Hippie Look
You may get the styling right but may not get the perfect hippy looks. Hippies were known to be simplistic and believed a person should use clothes to express rather than to enhance themselves. Therefore, you would have to ensure you go for accessories that are expressive and not the norms. Handcrafted pieces of jewelry like peace charms, natural stones, seashells, large ethic earrings, are perfect.
If you are daring, then you can put on an ankle bell, or even get dreadlocks to seal the deal. You may visit http://www.aurathelabel.com to learn more on how to get quality hippie clothing. Also, ensure that the clothes you intend to use have a worn-out or faded look to them.
Everyday Clothes You Can Achieve the Hippie Look With
With the following everyday clothes and the right accessories, you are well on your way to looking nothing short of the original 1960 hippy.
1. Tees
Retro tees, tie-dyed tops, dashikis, peasant blouses with long sleeves were very popular among hippies.
2. Vests
At the height of the movement, vests with suede fringes were very popular. Styling one of these with an equally hippy top will scream “hippy” from a mile away. Other alternatives to this are floral, beaded, and colorful vests.
3. Bell Bottom Denim
Bell bottoms were like the holy grail of hippie fashion and were worn by both men and women. You can make the bell bottom hipper by embroidering some design, like a peace sign on it. If you don’t have denim, you can make use of patterned pants or corduroy.
4. Denim Shorts
The denim shorts will have to be torn or ripped. If a short is not handy, then you can turn old jeans into a short. You do not even have to be precise with your cuttings; they can be as grungy and ripped out as much as you want. Watch this instructional video on how to turn your old jeans into ripped shorts and achieve a perfect hippie look.
Conclusion
If you want that hippie look, you do not need to search far; all you need may be in your wardrobe. So get in there and dig until you find the perfect clothing to pull off this fun look.