If Woodstock was a defining moment in your life and you're fond of flashing the peace symbol wherever you go, you may need plus sized hippie clothes to go along with your laidback attitude full of good vibes and carefree fun.
Flower Child Style
Even if Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix died before you were even born, you may have a bit of free spirit in you that channels a different era. Free love, psychedelic experiences and fighting the establishment were all part of hippie culture. What else defined hippies? Their clothing, of course. Unlike the proper fashions and style rules that came before, hippie wear threw all those notions out the window and redefined what was comfortable. While anyone who wasn't a fan of hippie culture looked upon the clothes and customs as sloppy and careless, you can still rock the look of an authentic flower child in a reinvented way.
Hippie Clothing Defined
What can you expect to find when seeking hippie clothes?
- Ponchos: Hippies don't care if ponchos are in or out; they loved these loose, flowing cover-ups and wore them over dresses, skirts, tunics and pants.
- Vests: These were popular during the 1960s and 1970s and hippies, like many people during that era, wore vests with a variety of garments.
- Fringe: Vests and shirts with hanging fringe was actually quite stylish at one time. This fashion choice may make people shake their heads today, but when hippies were in vogue, so was fringe.
- Color: There's a lot of color connected to hippie clothes, whether in the form of tie-dye, patchwork or simply brilliant color on everything. From natural, neutral tones that evoke the earth to bright, garish hues, color was embraced in all of its forms.
- Natural fibers: Hemp, cotton and other materials that allow your skin to breathe and keep you cool were preferred over other fabrics. The inexpensive price of natural fibers made them more popular with hippies as well, especially since many people who eschewed the establishment also didn't favor material trappings.
Find Plus Sized Hippie Clothes
Where can the full figured flower child find the latest in hippie clothes? Try these retailers for what's hip in hippie attire:
- Hippie Clothes: While you won't find a plus size category, you will find some items that come in extra-large sizes or with adjustable, drawstring waists that make it easy to accommodate fuller figures. Since much of plus sized hippie clothes are loose, breezy and flowing instead of tight, you should be comfortable in clothing that won't hug you, but instead allow you freedom of movement.
- Wild Roots: There's a large range of skirts, dresses and tops at this site, plus many hippie-like accessories, but it's up to the buyer to scout out any extra-large options. Not everything is available in large or extra large, so it may take some scouting around before you find something made to fit the curvy hippie chick.
Make Your Own
Hippies prided themselves on their independence and self-sufficiency. Many of them got clothing from other people's casts-off or they made their own. There was no need to search for a tie-dye department when you could make your own tie-dyed garments. The same do-it-yourself attitude can help crafty plus size girls fashion their own hippie clothes.
- Tie dye: There are tie dye tutorials which can instruct you in ways to turn a plain white top into a rainbow-hued shirt that any hippie would be proud to wear.
- Fringe: Want fringed jeans, but can't find any in your size? With a little skillful cutting, you can create fringed anything. It doesn't have to be perfect; as a matter of fact, true hippies prefer that homemade look over something too stylized.
- Accessories: What would a flower child be without her flower? Headbands made of leather, florals and tie-dyed prints are a must if you want true hippie cred. Even the most creatively challenged can still fashion a simple headband to wear over long, never coiffed, hair.
Although the hippie heyday may be over, you can still evoke some 1960s and 1970s style with organic, natural materials, which "kind people" love. Whether you find it or make your own, enjoy your hippie clothing in peace.
