The 1960s saw a revolution in fashion that was born, like most things new and hip in that era, of youth rebellion in the streets. Hippies expressed a personal style with clothing that went against everything about the previous generation’s notion of matching suits or ladylike ensembles mandated by social class or profession. For the first time, high-end designers didn’t dictate the trends. Instead, the latest looks trickled up into the top fashion houses, Halston and Yves Saint Laurent among them, by way of bohemian boutiques, avant-garde labels, and musicians like the Beatles, Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix. This book provides a fascinating introduction to the widespread hippie chic trend, with five chapters dedicated to its incarnations: ‘Trippy Hippie’ psychedelic patterns and textures, ‘Fantasy Hippie’ visions of gypsy maidens and ruffled dandies, ‘Retro Hippie’ tributes to the glamour of the 1920s and 30s, ‘Ethnic Hippie’ celebrations of non-Western and indigenous cultures, and ‘Craft Hippie’ do-it-yourself impulses. Sumptuous photography, dynamic design, and far-out images from the era take Hippie Chic beyond peace signs and patchouli to unearth how hippies forever changed the way fashion functions.
