Whenever I think about the summer, one thing always comes in mind: traveling. At least, to me, that’s what summer means. I have all the time in the world to travel and feel free. I meet new people, try some new food, get a ton of photos, shop, and, of course, check out different styles and fashion trends. Traveling during summer makes me think of one very specific era: the Summer of Love, when hippies from all over the world were celebrating altruism, mysticism, honesty, joy, and nonviolence.
This style itself is very laid-back, very effortless, and open to choices. Because of that, it makes a great choice for an airport look or even a road trip. You can go with a maxi dress, plain or majestically decorated with colors, ruffles, and patterns that bring out an ethnic, boho vibe. Another great choice would be the classic tie-dye T-shirt, or any T-shirt for that matter, with bell-bottom pants or jeans. Most of the clothing in the hippie era was either handmade or purchased from thrift stores, so feel free to roam your local flea market before adopting this style.
Since it’s hot outside and your feet can easily get sweaty, wearing sandals is the number one option. Pick a pair of colorful sandals or neutral, bold, and more earthy colors. Sandals are comfortable and can easily lead the whole outfit in a different direction based on your choice. In the hippie era, both genders wore sandals, moccasins, or went barefoot. Women wore little or no makeup, with many going braless. Hippies often chose brightly colored clothing with Native American, Asian, Indian, African, and Latin American motifs being the most popular. Their clothes were, in general, loose-fitting clothes as opposed the tight and uniform clothing of the ’40s and ’50s.
Hippies tended to travel light, and could pick up and go wherever the action was at any time. A small purse is great for your day-to-day adventures, and even better, the crossbody bag. A backpack or a small sac voyage or weekend bag is great for traveling light and can fit more things than you might think. At this point, a lyrical quote from Lana del Rey always comes to mind: “Dying young and I’m playing hard… Drink all day and we talk ’til dark. That’s the way the road dogs do it—ride ’til dark.”
Will you be adopting the flower child look? How would you style it? Let us know in the comments below and be sure to share your look with @CFashionista on social media.
