Be a Hippie As a Teen

In the 60s and 70s there was a major backlash against the creative and sexual repression that preceded these decades in the 40s and 50s. Young people across the U.S. embraced what was called the hippie movement, which aimed to break conformity, promote peace, and spread social consciousness.[1] Today, the word hippie is well known, but actually becoming one as a teenager can be difficult if you don’t know what you’re doing. Being a hippie encompasses a lot more than what you look like or the bands you listen to. It requires a complete change in perspective and a greater propensity for understanding and love.

Steps

Looking Like a Hippie

  1. Grow your hair to shoulder length. Growing your hair long is a popular hairstyle among hippies. For men, having long hair is sometimes not acceptable in the corporate world and as a hippie you should embrace the counter culture.[2]
    • Dreadlocks are also another hair option for hippies.
    • Hippies originally grew their hair long in protest against the Vietnam War and as a symbol of rebellion against the cultural norms of the 40’s and the 50’s[3]
  2. Avoid using cosmetics or personal care items that use harmful chemicals. Certain hair products, like aerosol cans, are bad for the environment, which doesn’t align with the hippie lifestyle.[4] Being natural is essential to being a hippie, and certain cosmetics or personal care items like moisturizers or shampoos contain harmful chemicals, so make sure to read the labels before purchasing your products.[5]
    • Some hair products are animal tested which also goes against hippie ideals.[6]
    • Popular brand such as Clinique, Lancôme Paris, L’Oréal, Clarins, and Revlon contain harmful toxins that destroy essential bacteria in soil.[7]
  3. Purchase your clothes from a thrift shop or second hand store. Being a hippie also means going against the capitalist machine, and this includes not caring about brands or tags on clothes. Find a local thrift store in your area instead of going to a chain outlet or a mall. Look for earth tones or tie dye, so you can achieve a hippie look.
    • You can buy more clothes than you normally would, since clothes at second hand stores are usually significantly discounted.
    • Hemp based clothing is a common favorite for many hippies.
    • Baja hoodies, sometimes referred to as “drug rugs,” are common garb for hippies.[8]
  4. Buy a pair of aviator or round sunglasses. As a person who is always one with nature, it’s likely you’ll be spending most of your time outside. Make sure to get a pair of fashionable sunglasses to really exude your hippie aura. Round and aviator sunglasses are usually the type that hippies like to wear.[9]
    • Don’t get your sunglasses taken away at school if it’s against the policy.
    • John Lennon, Janis Joplin, and Jimi Hendrix made round, tinted glasses, popular in the early 70’s.[10]
  5. Don’t shave your body hair. As a man, it may be standard practice to keep your body hair intact, but cultural norms set for women often have them shaving their armpits, and legs.[11]
    • As a hippie, you need rebel against the archaic and misogynistic ideals that are placed on people.

Acting Like a Hippie

  1. Avoid all processed food and food with chemical additives. Not all hippies are vegan or vegetarian, but being a hippie means having respect for your own body and this begins with the food you eat.[12] Avoid processed foods like fast food or microwaveable dinners, and try to eat more vegetables and fresh fruit.
    • Have a conversation with your parents about making healthier food choices, and explain how natural and healthy eating is important to you.
    • You can join a local food co-op if you are struggling to find healthy food in your area, or your parents refuse to buy healthy foods.
    • Growing fresh herbs or vegetables in a garden is a good idea if you want to regularly eat like a hippie.
    • Pack your lunch instead of buying processed food at the school cafeteria.
  2. Volunteer at local organization that is involved with environmental activism. Hippies originated the pro-earth movement, and created Earth Day in 1970.[13] Try volunteering at a local environmental activism nonprofit in your area, or donate to an environmental cause if you have extra money.
    • On the first Earth Day, 20 million Americans participated in peaceful demonstrations across the U.S.[14]
    • Your local community center will probably have opportunities to volunteer in a garden.
  3. Act relaxed, stay positive, and go with the flow. Hippies aren’t bothered by everyday problems like other people are. Instead of ruminating on the negative, hippies always try to see the positive in every situation.
    • Being a pacifist and practicing non-violence is also another hippie belief.
    • If you’re the type to get worked up emotionally during conflict, practice meditating or doing yoga.
  4. Attend outdoor festivals to become part of the hippie community. Take every opportunity to attend outdoor festivals and talk to other hippies. Search the web for festivals happening around you, and ask your parents if you can attend. See if any of your friends want to go with you, so you don’t have to go alone.
    • There are different kinds of outdoor festivals including music festivals, outdoor film festivals, and art festivals.[15]
    • Make sure to check if the festival is for your age. Many of them are 18 or 21 and over.

Doing Your Research

  1. Read up on revolutionaries and activists of the past. Hippies protested the Vietnam War, and are inherently against injustice. Many hippies of the 60’s and 70’s were also involved in the Civil Rights movement in America. Educate yourself on revolutionaries like Martin Luther King Jr, Che Guevara, and Mahatma Gandhi, to get a better understanding of what it’s like to be a socially aware hippie.
    • In 1967 100,000 people protested in Washington D.C. against the Vietnam War.[16]
    • You can participate in peaceful protests in your city around raising the minimum wage, environmental justice, or any other cause that is important to you.
  2. Listen to psychedelic rock, jam bands, and folk music. Music is a massive part of the hippie lifestyle, and many hippies listen to a pretty specific type of music. Luckily, it’s easy to find contemporary bands that take cues from bands that existed during the 60s and 70s.
    • Popular hippie musicians include The Beatles, Mamas & Papas, Janis Joplin, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, and Neil Young.
    • Modern hippies will often listen to electronic dance music at outdoor festivals.
  3. Research Eastern Philosophy online or at a library. Eastern philosophy heavily influences hippie ideals, leading many hippies to explore religions like Hinduism, Buddhism, and Native American mysticism.[17] While it’s not necessary for you to change your religion, it’s important that you have an understanding and respect for these practices and belief systems.
    • Spiritual exploration and acceptance of other cultures and beliefs is a common hippie trait.
  4. Educate yourself on psychedelic drugs. While you should never take illegal drugs, it’s important to know that psychedelic drugs influenced art and music for the hippie movement.[18] Read up on the effects of LSD and marijuana, as these were widely used drugs in the past.
    • Many hippies use drugs to achieve a spiritual experience, not to party.[19]
    • Popular hippie musicians like Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin died of drug overdoses.[20]

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://www.britannica.com/topic/hippie
  2. ↑ http://www.sbu.edu/docs/default-source/life-at-sbu-documents/professional-wardrobe-nbsp-.pdf?sfvrsn=0
  3. ↑ http://www.fashionencyclopedia.com/fashion_costume_culture/Modern-World-Part-II-1961-1979/Long-Hair-for-Men.html
  4. ↑ http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/are-aerosols-still-bad/
  5. ↑ http://www.davidsuzuki.org/issues/health/science/toxics/dirty-dozen-cosmetic-chemicals/
  6. ↑ http://www.animalsaustralia.org/features/animal-testing-list.php
  7. ↑ http://www.takepart.com/article/2013/10/29/toxic-chemicals-in-cosmetics
  8. ↑ https://www.mexicanponcho.com.au/hippie-clothing-and-the-history-of-the-baja-jumper/
  9. ↑ http://thebestfashionblog.com/womens-fashion/how-to-dress-like-a-modern-hippie
  10. ↑ http://www.sunglasswarehouse.com/blog/the-history-of-sunglasses/
  11. ↑ http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2010-09-14/features/sc-fash-0913-shaving-20100913_1_shaving-strip-hair-body
  12. ↑ https://www.willystreet.coop/reader/hippie-food-then-and-now
  13. ↑ http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2007-06-21/news/0706210034_1_hippie-culture-hippie-movement-dennis-hopper
  14. ↑ http://www.earthday.org/about/the-history-of-earth-day/
  15. ↑ http://www.bootsnall.com/articles/10-05/13-of-the-best-outdoor-summer-festivals-in-the-world.html
  16. ↑ http://www.history.com/topics/vietnam-war/vietnam-war-protests
  17. ↑ http://peaceloveandbeyond.weebly.com/spirituality-and-religion.html
  18. ↑ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21858961
  19. ↑ http://peaceloveandbeyond.weebly.com/drug-culture.html
  20. ↑ https://www.nytimes.com/books/99/05/02/specials/joplin-obit.html
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