The hippie counterculture that began in the 1960s was more than a movement that advocated peace and freedom. What began as a peaceful protest against established social norms and the prevailing political arena, became an entire lifestyle that hippies lived from the time they woke up to the time they slept and from head to toe.
Many people followed the hippie movement. Some were motivated to become hippies themselves, while others found their views and how they expressed them quite interesting. Even if some weren’t exactly that passionate about what hippies lived for, the hippie trend still managed to catch on. From long-haired men to vegetarians to strange clothing, many people soon had a bit of the hippie in them.
Although the hippie statement of breaking free from society and seeking liberation and peace was the main theme of the movement, it became easier for people to know hippies more popularly because of their strange way of dressing and behaving. Due to their rather eccentric clothing, they stood out quite a bit from the crowd. That is why the term “hippie” often brings to mind a long-haired, sandal-clad, or sometimes even barefoot person, wearing colorfully dyed shirts, a vest, flared pants, and various other accessories. For ladies, the image can also consist of colorful peasant blouses and long, full skirts.
These fashion yarns have now been modernized and are accepted by the fashion world. Flared pants are now a worldwide hit. What used to be in style in the past, and went out of style for a long time, is now the “it” pair of jeans today. Long and wide skirts for hippie women are now an option for any woman who wants to become feminine. Skirts are now designed in new and creative ways, using different fabrics and come in various designs and colors. Peasant blouses are also a worldwide success. The blouses are even expanded to become peasant dresses while maintaining their basic design. Blouses now come in many different varieties, colors, designs, as long as they don’t lose the basic peasant look. The tie dye trend is now also used in a variety of garments. T-shirts, tank tops, skirts, dresses, sundresses, hats, and even underwear are now dyed. The mix of bright colors has made tie-dye garments popular especially during the summer season.
Due to the broad fashion arena that accepts almost anything as a fashion statement, no matter how strange a piece of clothing may seem at first, fashion can make it look modern and beautiful in the long run. As hippie fashion threads became popular, people began to see them as strong fashion statements: eccentric and unique garments that stood out from the crowd and were closely associated with freedom of expression. Many people, especially those who wanted to be unique, fully embraced the trend.
To this day, some of today’s hippies still wear the same strange clothes. But they are not so strange anymore, because they have become part of the fashion mainstream. Some of those wearing the outfit may not be true hippies at all. We also see many movie roles sporting the hippie outfit. It has also become somewhat of a stereotype, because of the popularity it gained.
However, no matter how commercialized the hippie fashion statement may become, in truth, it is still closely tied to hippie values. After all, when a hippie outfit is seen, it is still referred to as “the hippie outfit.” And it still epitomizes what the hippies stood for. Freedom from restrictions and self-expression, in the sense that they sported long, unkempt hair no matter what other people might think. Liberation and opposition from the corporate mainstays in the place, in which they often made their own clothes and went barefoot. Peace and love, in the sense that they use bright, happy colors that show a peaceful and positive outlook on a beautifully free life.
