Dress for Love (Not War)

The counter cultural hippie movement started with the youth, and famously their path into alternative lifestyles  declaring that they would not go to work, college, or  even remain part of  society. In response to the strict social standards of the 1950s in America, the beat generation swung the pendulum into the opposite direction as they focused on community, Eastern philosophies, and creative, eco-friendly practices. Politically they advocated peace, love, equality, and what everyone seemed to deem the most notable: the usage of drugs. 

As with so many controversial and disruptive political movements and subcultures, Hippies came with their own sense of style one that purposely subverted gender norms, countered buttoned up corporate clothing, and leant in to the environmentalism and creative expansion that was core to their beliefs. 

The hippies brought colour into the then very blatant and black and white world, where the fashion (outside of other subcultures)  mostly consisted of pin straight dresses, suits, and equally strictly kept hair. These people breaking out their colourful, unruly and very revealing clothes, combined with their long hair flying freely shocked the public and brought a lot of stereotypes and controversy down on Hippies. The movement stood not only for human, but animal and ecological rights. Hippies very frequently started vegetarian diets, changed to herbal and bio medicines, and also tried producing most of their own clothing, and jewellery which they were very famous for wearing a lot of. The music changed too, rock and folk music such as The Beatles got very popular due to the rules the movement was breaking, leading to the opening of the Woodstock festival in 1969, and the opening of the musical ‘Hair’ on Broadway in 1968 which celebrated the hippie values. Fashion and music have always been so intrinsically linked, and looking back through history we can start to see where political shifts have been the subconscious driving force behind these trends. 

Hippies morals came only from the heart, not from greed, comparison or capitalism. Women were heavily involved in the hippie movement and began owning businesses, teaching yoga, offering guidance in lifestyles, selling organic medicine and food,  really gaining a sense of economic power they were never allowed on a free scale before.(which is not to say the movement didn’t have its own patriarchal issues)  

The deeds of female hippies and the movements overarching politics led to the 2nd wave of feminism. For new feminists, feminism can be broken down into distinct waves: 

First wave feminism:  (late 19th - early 20th century) Primarily focused on gaining women's right to vote, property ownership, and legal equality through political activism; largely led by middle-class white women. (ie. suffragettes) 

Second wave feminism (1960s-1980s) which expanded feminist agendas to address societal and cultural rights such as reproductive rights, workplace rights, rights to education, etc. (in conversational context - ‘bra burning’ feminists who were stereotyped as women embracing masculinity and rejecting the confines of femininity) 

Third Wave Feminism: (1990s - 2000s) feminists who began to expand the fight further, making sure the cause was intersectional and included broader complexities of genders intersections with sexuality, gender and pluralism. 

And now - fourth wave feminism! 

The hippie feminists further moved to advocate their own sexual freedom, as women were historically very frequently only looked upon as nothing more than wives,often being exploited, left in vulnerable situations, and suffering the blame of these situations unfairly.So here, they challenged those norms, taking a part equally important as the men did, merging the clothing’s ‘feminine’ and ‘masculine’ side, refusing to shave, to wear makeup  and sometimes to wed or to be with men at all. 

The Hippie movement's impact on fashion can’t be understated, as it introduced the more experimental and free practices of gender expression, and more usage of colours, denim, of using mixed materials in an outfit, of wearing more jewellery and the introduction of informal dressing.

Even after the movement quieted down and  gave way to the so-called “yuppies” the message and lifestyle still remains an influence on popular culture. More people are aware of environmentalism, more people advocate for cruelty free products, for veganism or vegetarianism.

Introducing these ideas back then wasn’t only revolutionary, but a wake up society much needed at the time, the wake up that would serve as inspiration for free thinkers and people with a sense of justice for generations after the hippies established it. As with all new waves of consciousness and protest, hippies were somewhat looked down on by the mainstream, but with hindsight we see their emotionally driven, humanitarian politics as hugely progressive. And they serve as a perfect testament to the powerful change making power of image and fashion in shifting the narrative for wider society. 

By Jessica Orion, a writer who you can find as @jessorion._ on tiktok, and @jess_astro on instagram.