In the late 60s, the center of the universe shifted from London to San Francisco. London, England had been the locus of hip fashion throughout the mid sixties, but that changed when the hippie movement (and hippie bands) took hold of American teens, in 1967.
This was a time when the whims of young Baby Boomers controlled the marketplace. Boomer teens had enough spending power to drive manufacturers and Madison Avenue mad with lust.
Mod Women’s Clothing
In early 1967, London had a monopoly on fashion trends because it was the center of the music world. Yes, except for Bob Dylan, The Mamas and the Papas, and a few others, all interesting music came from The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Animals, The Yardbirds, and other British bands. (For younger readers: It's as if all musicians, including Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Nelly, and all the others lived on Maui and gave concerts on Maui; if that were true, you would become obsessed with Hawaiian-print clothing...right? But, for teens in the 60s, we were obsessed with London and the Mod fashions worn by Twiggy and George Harrison's girlfriend.)
Here’s a video with London birds wearing Mod clothing, but you should also pay attention to:
- The retarded background music. If it weren’t for the rebellious Baby Boomers, you’d be listening to a polka right now, for God’s sake.
- The commentator’s putdown of “conformists” and television. (Goths and other subcultures will relate.)
- The dorky style of most people on the street. Man, those goofballs were the people that Boomers were rebelling against, using music and fashion to define their own tribes. But, rebellion in England was against social hierarchies and "fat cats," while American boys (and their girlfriends) were rebelling to stay alive by staying out of Viet Nam.
California Hippie Style
In the early months of 1967, all hip American chicks wore Mary Quant style miniskirts and mini dresses, though casual bellbottom jeans were starting to creeping into many girls’ closets. However, females were not allowed to wear pants or jeans to school.
Jeans were easier than mini dresses. You didn’t have to hassle with tights, shoes, or hemlines. Jeans were cheap and lasted forever, leaving time and money left over for more important things…like “The Meaning of Life,” which was becoming ever more important (in America) as more and more young men were being shipped off to war.
60s Bellbottom Jeans
Young hipsters wore jeans with everything. Bellbottom jeans were worn by counterculture people who had dropped out of society…or who wanted to drop out. Jeans were the one thing that every hippie had.
Summer of Love
In 1967, the epicenter of the youthquake shifted from London to San Francisco as teens became fascinated by the new psychedelic music of:
- The Jefferson Airplane: Listen to the guitars, not the druggie message.
- Light My Fire: The Doors (short version) could be heard on some teen music stations.
- Jimi Hendrix: Hendrix wore the dandified attire of the London Mods, but he was American, not English.
The whole hippie movement really coalesced around these musicians, and others like them, to create the Summer of Love and all of that clichéd stuff, which was not a cliché at the time. For people who are too old or too young to understand, Jimi Hendrix was our Elvis; Jim Morrison was our Curt Cobain/Eminem. But, our big-time 60s rockers all exploded onto the scene at the same time.
Hippie Clothing
So, on the West Coast, trend-setting women changed from the Mod Twiggy Look to the inexpensive indie clothing that thumbed its nose at The Establishment, the banality of the middle class, and the oppression of the Federal Government’s draft.
It was "us" against the plaid family. And, the cool thing about this new movement was that when you got up, you got to put on anything you wanted. How fun was that?
Bohemian Chic Clothing
The switch from Mod to hippie didn’t happen all across America and the switch didn’t happen all at once.
As young people from around the country came together in little enclaves, hippie chicks took up wearing items from small boutiques, or stuff they made for themselves, or cheap ethnic clothing from around the world. Here’s a list of common goodies that might have been worn by “fashionista” hippies (not all at once) in 1967:
- Fringe Suede Jackets: A cool style representing Native Americans, another group at odds with the Federal Government.
- Southwestern Native American Dress.
- Embroidered Cotton Shirts: These are now common but the old styles were hand embroidered.
- Embroidered Mexican Tops with Jeans: Jeans were worn with anything. (As I remember it, this type of crocheted sweater was not worn until the 70s.)
- Angel Wing Sleeves on tops or dresses
- Leather Fringe with Beads: Strips of leather and pony beads were inexpensive but cool.
- Embroidered Jeans: Everyday hipsters had nothing this elaborate. These jeans belonged to a rock star.
Different regions of the country adopted different styles, just as they do now. And, some parts of the country never knew what hit them. So, even though it took a while for the new American hipster image to hit Kansas, this rebellious new street-look was ignited in San Francisco, California in 1967.
More articles:
Denim Skirts, Denim Leggings & Jean Jackets: Summer Denim Trends
Hippie Clothes for Women: Bohemian Chic for Cool Chicks
Bohemian Vintage Wedding Dresses - Low Cost Marriage Hippie Style
Christina Gregoire - Christina Gregoire writes about divorce, fashion, and baby boomers. Her forte is explaining complex ideas in simple language.
Join the Conversation