Introduction
It is common that subcultures should seek to define themselves through behaviors, attitudes, and outward appearances that are inherently different from the mainstream. Whatever the nature of the subculture, it is marginalized to an extent merely by virtue of its minor status within the larger, dominant culture. Sometimes these distinctions arise from needs to express racial identity, while others involve blatantly identifying themselves as members of religious sects. In both cases, clothing is as important a statement as behavior, for appearance tells the world the subcultural standing of the individual before any behavior is manifested. Then, and as the following will explore, the hippie subculture of the 1960s and 1970s had a more diffuse agenda to demonstrate. This was a subculture based on political and social ideologies, opposing the mainstream culture in regard to everything from military actions to sexual expression. This being the case, the hippie subculture then provides a unique and powerful example of how clothing and appearance become critical elements for a marginalized identity.
Discussion
To understand the real meaning of hippie clothing in this context, it is first necessary to understand the basic motives and being of the subculture. The timing alone is important; anti-establishment feeling grew in the nation in the 1940s (Hippie Subculture, 2014), but the full movement would explode two decades later. After World War II, America entered into a period of an intense insistence on returning to, and upholding, traditional American values. These centered on prosperity and the home, and the rise of mass media in the form of television encouraged Americans to embrace consumerism (Halliwell, 2007, p.2).
Happiness, in a word, was being able to live in a good home and purchase the latest appliances. Connected to this was an acceptance of all governmental policies and mainstream commercial values. It is then all the more ironic that the children of this era grew to despise its standards. A great deal beyond opposition to commercialism went into the hippie subculture; young white Americans identified with Civil Rights struggles, and rebellion branched into using hallucinogenic drugs. The subculture as a whole, however, was essentially defined by one consistent element: an intense dissatisfaction with the American status quo. Rock music was the anthem, the Vietnam War was usually the focus of protest, and rebellion was the order of the day.
As American materialism was perceived by hippies as wrong, if not utterly immoral, they were then easily empowered to express their views by discarding the most common forms of presenting a prosperous identity: clothing and appearance. The formula is elementary; when those you oppose dress expensively and conform to mainstream standards in hair, cleanliness, and fashion, the converse then makes the subcultural statement. This in itself was a part of a larger expression, and virtually an extension of it. As hippies despised prosperity, they chose to live as simply as possible, and often in deprived conditions.
The hippie ideology valued communal relations rather than commercial success, so many would share an apartment and few would worry about the cleanliness of it (Hippie Subculture, 2014). This then reveals how a subculture’s behavior links directly to more blatant appearances defining them as such. Plainly, when cleanliness is not a concern, being unwashed then becomes a statement in itself, and appearance carries the message.
Interestingly, the rejection of American clothing and hygiene standards resulted in a style all its own, and the hippie subculture may be said to have unintentionally made a “fashion” impact. While hippie clothing took many forms, it basically relied on a certain “look”: dirty, faded blue jeans were the norm, sandals were worn instead of shoes, headbands were everywhere, and fringed vests over tie-dyed t-shirts completed the outfit (Hippie Subculture). For men, long hair was a badge of honor in the subculture, and the more unkempt and dirty, the greater the statement. Shaving was not a concern and hippie men usually sported scraggly beards and mustaches. The idea was to project a complete lack of interest in mainstream conformity.
At the same time, even this protest required effort. As hippies chose to deliberately define themselves by what they wore, they bought clothing to mark their membership in their particular subculture (Furze, Savy, Brym, & Lie, 2011, p. 72). For women especially, vintage items were popular because they inherently defied the fashions of the day and were usually in poor condition. Consequently, with the hippie subculture, ideologies going to its foundation translated into behaviors and specific types of appearance which defined the movement as a specific subculture within the dominant American.
Conclusion
As unique as each subculture is, so too does each tend to assert its identity as apart from the mainstream, and no easier – or perhaps more effective – means of doing this is in altering appearance. It may then be argued that thew hippie movement took this strategy to an art form. In despising the popular culture, it fashioned an entire persona in which an individual was clearly seen as a hippie; all that was necessary was a certain disregard, and usually faded jeans, sandals, long hair, and brilliantly colored t-shirts. Ironically, this was essentially the “uniform” of a subculture fiercely opposed to uniformity. The irony notwithstanding, it is then seen that the hippie subculture provides a unique and powerful example of how clothing and appearance are vital elements for a marginalized identity.
