The 1960s Counter Culture | 1960s Clothing

UK counter culture fashion in the 60's was something to behold.

Of course, counter culture fashion wasn't one large, amorphous entity, but rather a grouping of many different styles that developed among separate groups. Most of the groups were organized around, as you may have guessed, around music and specific bands. There were some common elements in all of the styles though, and it really is these common elements that have come to symbolize counter culture fashion in the historical memory. Think of long, flowing robes, flower prints, over-sized sleeves and trousers, scarves blowing in the wind. These individual elements, which originated in the lower classes and youth communities, were eventually all co-opted by high dollar fashion designers in an ironic twist.

But let's go back to that statement: the "lower classes." Most counter culture fashion was not actively thought out or planned. Instead, poor, young music-lovers would steal clothes from shops or buy them second-hand off of their friends and mash all of these clothes together. This random mish-mash evolved over time as these unknowing fashionistas' wardrobes got wilder and ever more random. It was all a result of a scavenger mentality, the relentless recycling of commonly available clothes, and the fashion trends of the decades preceding the '60s. Whatever could be found cheap or free was an eligible fashion item for a '60s counter culture teen. Add to this the celebration of "ethnic" culture and fashion among would-be revolutionaries and counter-culturists and you had a truly psychedelic mix of clothes. You could find a teenager on the street wearing a frock from the 1930s, a fitted jacket from the 1950s, an over-sized hat from the 1920s, his friends' father's trousers, and a Mexican honcho. None of these items were likely to be picked out, but they made a strong fashion statement nonetheless.

Unfortunately, these stylings were picked up by culture-conscious fashion designers, who began to export these outfits from the streets of the UK to the fashion runways of Paris. Once this started happening, counter culture fashion started to become the fashion of the dominant culture, and the youngsters began moving on, until in the '70s you could find girls wearing home-knits and long, Amish-style skirts as an active rebellion against the co-option of the counter culture fashion of the '60s.