Hippie Fashion: A Journey from Woodstock to Coachella

We are sure you have heard about hippies and their way of life thousands of times. But do you really know who hippies are? Let us try to give you more information about the popular movement and see the main hippie style peculiarities specific to them. 

Before going deeper into the history of hippies let us first define what the hippie is. So hippy is a great counter cultural movement that originated in the USA in the 60s of the previous century and is still existing nowadays. Hippies stand against Puritan values, traditionalists and any kinds of wars and prefer to speak about equality, love and happiness, or to be more precise, how to find happiness. 

Hippie movement was extremely popular in the 1960s and 1970s in the US, Europe and USSR. At the height of it in 1967, about 300 000 adherents in the States were changing the culture and making new rules for further generation. Hippies didn’t care about their careers, success or money. They could just leave universities, run away from parent’s house and begin traveling from one music festival to another making their own culture that inspired citizens all around the world. 

Hippies were constantly trying to find ways to express themselves. The Woodstock Music & Art Fair, held in August 1969, became one of the main stages having gathered young men and women all around the country. It was more than a music festival itself. It was an event which furthered the development of the whole generation.The Woodstock Music & Art Fair somehow encapsulated the essence of the hippie movement, having become a beating heart and soul for the hippy. And despite the fact that it began to weaken by 1969, we can trace the key hippies style elements there. 

Functionality and comfort were the top priority for those gathered together in 1669. Young people didn’t care about how they looked. They adapted clothes to the muddy, rain-soaked environment  to look cute and different from others. Hippies really liked fringed jackets and vests, especially with embroidery, as it gave them feelings of movement and easiness. Speaking against The Vietnam War, hippies showed it through military jackets making it a kind of a statement. To emphasize the fact that they belong to the ground, hippies refused to wear any kind of shoes and were often seen barefoot. 

Hippie was not just the movement with its own ideology and beliefs. Hippy is also about a certain style which still influences the modern fashion world. Protest moods found its reflection in the way they dress. Perhaps, you might have guessed that they rejected traditional fashion in favor of one’s own fantasies. So what are the key style features of hippie fashion?

It was very important for hippies that clothes didn’t constrain movement so loose cuts were in favor. Besides, the loose cuts symbolized freedom of thought and action, the things hippies valued most of all. Many women refused to wear bras and made a choice for bright and luminous colors that accentuated their sexuality and made it easy to stand out. 

As hippies were the children of nature, it’s not surprising for them to choose materials of natural origin. Besides ideology, there was some practical attitude in that. Hippies spend most of their time outside so breathable and lightwear clothes were the absolute must. 

As for colors, they still look impressive, to say nothing of that time. The hippie wardrobe was a real riot of colors in saturated, acidic shades with bright unbelievable patches. Representatives of the new movement were not afraid to express themself. They were searching for new means, new ideas and new ideals and tried to find them in bold colors which had been rarely used before. 

As we have already told hippies didn’t care about how they looked. Same may be said about their hairstyle so it is not surprising that men as well as women preferred long hair. To make it look somehow not that messy they usually used colorful scarves, leather cords or textile bandages to tie them around the head. Bright bandanas were also in favor but they were usually worn tied around the neck or a belt. 

Hippie movement did not last long. It died down as quickly as it appeared. But as it turned out, it was destined to return. Nowadays the hippie movement and its fashion has experienced a revival, influenced by a great focus on sustainability, ethical problems, and individuality. And designers also help promote the hippy lifestyle by incorporating bohemian elements into high fashion and making it a trend around the world. 

In addition Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, launched in 1999 in California, contributes a lot to the incarnation of the hippy fashion. Over time it has become not just a music event but a real fashion spectacle where attendees showcase avant-garde and vintage-inspired looks making billions of people jealous of the lifestyle they are leading. At least for several days while the festival is held. 

From the fields of Woodstock to the stages of Coachella, hippie fashion has gone a long way bringing to the public the ideas of freedom, peace, and individuality. As fashion continues to evolve, the hippie aesthetic serves as a reminder of the enduring human desire for authenticity and connection.