Reviews

For some, hippie style is the opposite of chic, associated with messiness, the rejection of high fashion ideals, and over-the-top combinations of colors and fabrics. But in this companion book to an exhibition of the same name, Boston Museum of Fine Arts curator Whitley makes a compelling case for hippie chic. The book focuses on the work of big-name and lesser-known designers who translated the ideals and aesthetics of the hippie movement into delightfully wild fashion. Whitley's analysis relies on primary sources such as photographs, copy from fashion magazines, newspaper articles, and the garments themselves to get to the heart of what hippie fashion really meant in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The author identifies five key concepts and gives each its own chapter: "Trippy Hippie" (psychedelic fashion); "Fantasy Hippie" (looks inspired by the distant past); "Retro Hippie" (1920s-40s influence); "Ethnic Hippie" (fascination with non-Western cultures); and "Craft Hippie" (interest in homemade and handmade techniques). The result is informative and visually enchanting. The book includes a catalogue checklist with details on all the garments included in the exhibition. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates and above; general readers.
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