How to Be a Modern Hippie

Becoming a hippie can be a refreshing and rewarding experience. However, now that times have changed, the ideas and looks of hippies have also changed dramatically. Many pair drug use with modern hippies and, for many in the culture, this is true. Pursue the hippie lifestyle if you feel a natural inclination towards the ideology and aesthetic, but not for the drug culture surrounding it.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Following a Hippie Diet

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1
Eat organic foods. Try to buy organic foods and avoid genetically modified foods at all costs. Hippies find that it is better for the earth and healthier for the body. Hippies nowadays and in the past ate to sustain themselves and the planet. A reason hippies eat this way is that they treat their bodies like a temple. This is why you should pick out the purest ingredients available.
- Growing your own produce and raising livestock assures the highest quality, freshest food for your family. If this is not possible, you will have to rely on others to supply your needs.
- Check labels at your local grocery store. They usually have labelling on the box saying that the ingredients are certified organic.
- Visit health-centered grocery stores to increase your chances of finding quality ingredients.
2
Support local farms. One way to support your local community is to buy produce and meats from local farmers. You can do this through a local farmer's market, by subscribing to a farm-to-table program, or working directly with individual local farmers. If you have the time, it is best to become involved in some way with your community and, especially, the local farmers.
- Modern hippies value sustainability and part of this involves avoiding the processed food industry as much as possible.^{[1]XResearch source}
- Growing your own food is also a viable option for getting the best quality. Volunteer with a local garden to get started into the local gardening community.
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3
Eat a vegetarian diet. Vegetarianism isn't for everyone, but some hippies are vegetarian. Some hippies go vegetarian because of their love for animals and their stance against violence. Industrial cattle farming is one of the highest producers of toxic emissions. It is better for your body and the environment to eat a plant-based diet.^{[2]XResearch source}
- If you are struggling with giving up meat, you can take steps to lower your weekly meat intake. Start slowly, and progressively work to cut it from your diet.
- If you do eat meat, purchase hormone-free meats.
4
Avoid toxins. One way to treat your body like a temple is to cut out toxins from your life. Dietary toxins can contribute to causing many modern diseases. Replace foods that contain dietary toxins like crackers or soda with vitalizing foods like quinoa and blueberries. The four largest dietary toxins that can be found in a wide array of processed foods are:
- Refined cereal grains
- Industrial seed oils
- Sugar
- Processed soy^{[3]XResearch source}
5
Drink kombucha regularly. Kombucha is fermented tea that ancient Chinese called the “immortal health elixir”. The health benefits of drinking kombucha are tremendous when consumed on a regular basis. You can either buy kombucha or brew your own by fermenting tea yourself. Here are some of the health benefits:
- Detoxifying effects like protecting the health of your liver and cancer prevention.
- It protects your joints and prevents diseases like arthritis.
- Kombucha aids and protects the health of your gut by containing probiotics.^{[4]XResearch source}

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Dressing Like a Modern Hippie

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1
Let your hair down. Hippies traditionally and to this day have long hair. It isn't required, but for both girls and guys, natural, long hair is viewed as a hippie. Don't use a flat iron or a curling iron, but instead let the hair do its natural thing.
- Many modern hippies also like to dread their hair. This can take some time.
- Hippie girls usually wear their hair long and wavy without any coloring.
2
Dress like a hippie. Hippies usually wear floral maxi dresses, flowy shift dresses, high-waisted flare jeans, loose blouses, and halter tops.^{[5]XExpert SourceNatalie Tincher
Style Strategist & Wardrobe SpecialistExpert Interview. 13 August 2020.} Thrift stores often sell clothing like this for a good price. You can also make your own clothing or buy from individual stores that aren't a brand name.
- Modern hippies who follow electronic music closely wear flat-brimmed hats and attach metal twined crystals.^{[6]XResearch source}
Try to go all-natural without makeup, but if you do decide to wear makeup (some girls don't feel comfortable going out of the house without it on), put on a natural look. For example, instead of using that black lipstick, wear a light peach or pink color instead. Use natural products that don't contain harmful chemicals.
Boys normally have facial hair, but if you have trouble growing facial hair, don't sweat it. It's also a popular choice for girls to stop shaving. If you're uncomfortable keeping your leg hair, just grow out your armpit hair. Modern hippies get clumped into the “granola” category which values natural people in all facets.
The classic shoe in the heyday of hippies was Birkenstocks, but today the sandal has changed. You could still wear Birkenstocks or a similar look, but more modern hippies are wearing Chacos and Tevas. Chacos and Tevas are built to be durable and comfortable sandals regardless of weather conditions.^{[7]XResearch source}
6
Accessorize like a hippie. Modern hippies enjoy crystals and jewelry that incorporates crystal healing. Other popular forms of jewelry are various stones and natural rocks that are artfully wrapped in copper wire. The old school hippie wore large straw hats, but today the flat-brimmed hats are popular.^{[8]XExpert SourceNatalie Tincher
Style Strategist & Wardrobe SpecialistExpert Interview. 13 August 2020.}
- Fanny packs are also popular bags for modern hippies to carry around.^{[9]XResearch source}
Modern hippies don't use deodorants that are mainstream and can be found in a drug store. Instead, you should go to a natural foods store and find a scent of essential oil (make sure its one you can apply to skin) to wear as a fragrance. A popular scent among modern hippies is patchouli, but you can use whatever catches your nostrils.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Thinking Like a Modern Hippie

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Hippies are all about being themselves. If you don't agree with something, voice your opinion! Don't just agree with things to seem "cool" or "like everyone else." Hippies aren't like that.
2
Be calm, cool, and collected. Hippies are usually laid back and aren't stressful. If you have something that is stressing you out, take deep breaths and sit back for a few minutes. If you have tendencies of being stressed out, begin practicing transcendental meditation. Transcendental meditation was popular in the 1960s and currently, it is becoming a well-respected practice that holds many health benefits.^{[10]XResearch source}
- Seek out a meditation center that specializes in transcendental meditation.
- Another combatant to stressors is to practice yoga and philosophies of yogis.
3
Find your opinion and voice it. Are you against the prison industry underpaying inmates for mass goods? Let your voice be heard. Against the war? Share your opinions! Hippies in the 60s to 70s protested the Vietnam war. Engage with contemporary struggles against social justice. Don't feel limited to “hippie” issues. There are plenty of communities that need to be fought for.
- Become involved with Amnesty International to become informed on events and contemporary issues that you can get involved with.
- Amnesty International campaigns against issues like arms control, corporate accountability, discrimination, freedom of expression, refugees, LGBTQ rights, and much more.^{[11]XResearch source}
4
Get in touch with nature. Get some fresh air and feel the sun on your skin. Old school hippies believed that nature itself contains the answers to life's most important questions. The old mentality was to show respect to mother nature and be in contact with our natural animal essence that is repressed through culture.^{[12]XResearch source} Take time off to go on hikes.
- Try your hand at backpacking. Go for days or weeks living off a limited amount of supplies and the wilderness.
5
Consider staying away from drugs. Know that you don't need to get into drugs because you want to be a hippie. Hippies have always been known for experimenting with drugs. Today we know more about the dangers, long-term effects, and the costs of addiction from practicing recreational drugs. Don't start just because you want to look more like a hippie. Many modern hippies are focused on getting a "natural high" through meditation and spirituality.
- Many hippies from the past and today connect strongly to eastern religions like Buddhism and Taoism.
Accept other people's beliefs and accept that not everyone is going to have the same view on an issue that you do. If someone is bothering you with their opinion, try to see the argument from their point of view. There are two sides to every opinion and you should try to listen to everyone without becoming angry.
7
Be intellectually curious. Read as much as you possibly can. If you're still in school, pay attention in class and strive for good grades. True hippies are very intelligent and aren't ignorant about issues going around them. Branch out to subjects like philosophy and environmental science. Here is a quick list of books you should read:
- Howl by Allen Ginsberg
- Be Here Now by Ram Dass
- On the Road by Jack Kerouac
- The Bhagavad Gita
- The Stranger by Albert Camus
- Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth by R. Buckminster Fuller
- Siddhartha by Herman Hesse
- I Ching
- Back to Eden by Jethro Kloss^{[13]XResearch source}
8
Care for the environment. Recycle as much as possible. Never throw trash onto the ground. As a modern hippie or granola, your mentality is to save the planet, not to pollute it. Plant flowers and trees instead of cutting them down. Reduce your water and paper consumption. Practice the three R's of environmentalism:
- Recycle
- Reduce
- Reuse^{[14]XResearch source}

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Caring About Music

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1
Listen to the oldies. Classic hippie music is older music, typically rock n' roll, from the 1960s and 1970s. This time period was when the hippie counterculture was skyrocketing. You shouldn't force yourself to listen to oldies if you don't like it. There are plenty of other music styles that are deemed, modern hippie. Give these classic albums a chance before you dismiss it:
- The Doors by The Doors
- Forever Changes by Love
- Surrealistic Pillow by Jefferson Airplane
- Deja Vu by CSNY
- Are You Experienced by Jimi Hendrix
- Blond on Blond by Bob Dylan
- IV by Led Zeppelin
- Anthem of the Sun by Grateful Dead
- Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles
- If You can Believe Your Eyes and Ears by The Mamas and the Papas
2
Get into electronic music. One large distinction of modern hippies compared to the older generation is the newer strides in electronic music. Many young people who identify as being a hippie also prefer newer styles of psychedelic electronic music. Bands like Shpongle or Infected Mushroom make up examples of the genre, psytrance, which has become very popular with modern hippies.^{[15]XResearch source}
- A large connotation with this type of music and concert experience is with drug experimentation.
- Electronic hippie music is also rooted deeply in jam band music.
3
Respect jam bands. A staple of the hippie movement is centered around jam bands. They've been a staple since The Grateful Dead and Allman Brothers and have since evolved throughout the decades. It is not necessary to like jam bands, but most connotations of a hippie imply an appreciation or knowledge of jam bands.^{[16]XResearch source} Newer offshoots from the first generation of jam bands are:
- Phish
- Widespread Panic
- The String Cheese Incident
- moe.
- There are also many genre offshoots that cross into other genres like bluegrass, Yonder Mountain String Band, and dance music, Disco Biscuits.
4
Attend music festivals. Since Woodstock and Monterey Pop festival, more and more music festivals have popped up around the world. One of the biggest festivals for modern hippies is Burning Man, in which the regular festival attendees are called “burners.”
- Another traveling large festival for hippies is called Rainbow Gathering.
- There are tons of music festivals year-round and almost all of them feature a "hippie band".

Expert Q&A

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Question
What should I wear as a hippie?
Natalie Tincher
Style Strategist & Wardrobe Specialist
Natalie Tincher is the Owner and Principal Style Strategist of BU Style. With more than 10 years of experience, Natalie specializes in personal styling to reflect clients’ individuality, confidence, and comfort. In 2019, she was named the Global Head of Styling for Bloomberg Television. Natalie is certified in Image Consulting through the Fashion Institute of Technology. She regularly shares her expertise with corporate groups at major financial institutions, media companies, and news outlets including: Time Out New York, Refinery 29, and NBC News.
Natalie Tincher
Style Strategist & Wardrobe Specialist
Expert Answer
A good wardrobe for a hippie could include floral patterns, maxi-dresses, high-waisted flare jeans, brown suede boots, and scarves. Have fun and experiment with finding your own unique hippie style!
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Are bell bottoms something hippies wore?
Ruby
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Yes, bell bottoms are one of the clothes most associated with hippie culture. Especially look for ones with colourful patterns.
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How old do you have to be to become a hippie?
Ruby
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You can be a hippie at any age. There is no part of being a hippie that is specifically limited to one age group.
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Tips

Try to be calm and content. Hippies are also usually optimists!
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If something is nearby, try to walk or use a bicycle instead of driving.
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Learn an instrument like the guitar or the ukulele.
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Tips from our Readers

The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of How.com.vn readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on How.com.vn, please submit it in the field below.

Be serious about your environmental impact. Consider going zero-waste or reducing your consumption of unnecessary items and single-use plastic items. Live simply, and value your relationships over possessions.
Be nice and understanding. It doesn't matter what your race or political standing is. Respect others and respect the Earth.
Never be ashamed of who you are. If you're a hippie, then you should embrace it and show people how to be themselves.
Interact more with nature and animals. Go vegan! Fight for animal rights and try to get others to do the same.
Become one with yourself. Get into the habit of meditation. Do Yoga or Pilates.

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Warnings

Don't let other people try to tell you who you are or what you should be. People are going to be judgmental so be prepared!
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Don't appropriate eastern cultures because you think it looks cool.
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There are more negative effects to using drugs than there are positive effects.
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