Hippie Style for the Gentleman

Hippies are known for shunning the mainstream. Capitalists got the last laugh by appropriating aspects of hippie culture into fashion. Here are a few tips on adapting hippie style into your wardrobe while still looking respectable. Keep in mind that hippies are meant to reject corporate culture, so save these style ideas for your day off.

Beaded necklaces

A favourite among hippies and surfers, and particularly at the overlap between the two, beaded necklaces are a unique and carefree accessory. Hemp, wood and shells are also commonly found on hippie style necklaces. Wear one or two with a V-neck tee shirt to keep things interesting. You can even pair a necklace with a similar looking bracelet.

Tie dye

These days, the main place you see tie dye is at hippie themed parties, but that doesn?t mean you can?t wear tie dyed pieces casually. Modern tie dye tee shirts tend not to have the bright spectrum of the real thing. Choose ones with mottled dark colors, resembling marble, for your weekend wardrobe. Tee shirts are probably the only piece which is now acceptable to wear in tie dye- bandanas and vests will mark you as a throwback to the seventies.

Acid wash jeans

No hippie would be caught dead without his acid wash, bell bottom jeans. Bell bottoms are now extremely dated and you would be well advised not to wear them, but acid wash is still well within the bounds of acceptability. A snugly fitted pair of light, acid wash jeans is actually quite versatile. To ramp up the hippie influence, you could even wear a pair of loose jeans provided you keep the top half of your outfit tightly fitted.

Round sunglasses

Small circular sunglasses were all the rage in the heyday of hippies and are still strongly associated with the era. To that end, you should only wear them when the rest of your outfit is decidedly mainstream and carries no other trace of hippie style. Modern round sunglasses often have a slight steampunk influence, making them even more of a style statement.

Don?t wear them all at once

The idea is to bring small aspects of hippie style into your wardrobe, not to overhaul your personal style so you start to look like you stepped straight out of the 1970s. Don?t combine every hippie inspired item you own; rather, stick to wearing one or two pieces at a time. You want to look uniquely stylish, not like you?re well dressed for a throwback costume party.