By Amy Mojica
If you turn on any kind of media, chances are you’ll see at least one reference to the counterculture of the 60s-- bohemian fashion, hippies, and any anti-war sentiments.
The counterculture of the 60s is typically associated with drugs, provocation, and an overall message of choosing to spread love. With the rise of counterculture came a surge of people who rejected societal norms, and with this rejection of mainstream culture came variances in both ideals and fashion.
Fashion was one of the major ways in which participants sought to detach themselves from mainstream media. Hippies dressed in loose, flowing clothing to contrast the sharp, tailored clothing both men and women were expected to wear. Also popular amongst them were thrifted and tie-dyed clothing, and many men kept their hair long even though short hair was regarded as one of the only acceptable hairstyles a male could wear.
People who participated in counterculture protests and marches did not regard themselves as members of the counterculture movement or even call themselves “hippies”; they often referred to themselves as either “freaks” or “heads.” The term counterculture was not created until around 1968 by members of society who did not participate in the lifestyle of hippies. This goes to show the extent to which hippies went to ensure that they stuck out from everyday society, and illustrates the effect on history of breaking the status quo, even if it is not realized at the time.
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