Monday 23 March 2015

I Heart the Hippy Look

Something about shopping for summer clothes turns me into a bit of a hippy. Faded denim, embroidered cotton and cheesecloth...I'm all over it if I'm looking for something new to pack in my holiday suitcase. Perhaps it's because I'm a genuine child of the '70s, who grew up mucking about in denim pinafores, stripy Clothkits dresses and hippyish wooden clogs bought on holiday at Italian market stalls; thirty-odd years on and I still can't resist clothes that hold the promise of recapturing a glimmer of those carefree summers.


One of my favourite dresses, from ASOS
To be precise I'm not into that cliched 'festival boho' look that dominates the high street every summer - I'd look utterly daft in a a '70s-style floppy fedora, I hate maxi dresses and crotchet isn't my thing. But a cotton top, embellished with a lovely bit of embroidery, a pair of beaded leather sandals or a pair of battered denim cut offs say 'summer' like nothing else to me. 

With a holiday to Morocco on the horizon - the ideal place if ever there was one to embrace the '70s aesthetic - I took a trip to the shops to check out the summery offerings on the rails. As always, Zara does the look on a budget without looking tacky. You'll always find great leather sandals here and this season there are loads of pieces to satisfy your hippy tendencies - think embroidered peasant tops and denim kaftans if you feel like channelling the Talitha Getty in Marrakesh look...


Spotted in Zara

Look closely on the racks of New Look and you'll unearth some gems. This cute top totally had my name on it but I resisted buying in view of the fact I already have something rather similar.


New Look Blouse, £22.99
If you're  more of an online shopper ASOS is worth a look, though I find shopping here a little overwhelming and prefer sites with a more edited selection to trawl through. 


ASOS dress, £32.50
If you're also easily bewildered by the choice on the big fashion sites, I'd head to Mango which has the best edit of the '70s mood online, at incredibly reasonable prices. Handily it has a whole section dedicated to the '70s Revival' look - take a look here. I'm pretty taken with this fringed bag, embroidered dress and tie dye top, which at just £9.99 will have to be purchased immediately, I feel...


Mango bag, £29.99
If budget isn't so much of a consideration Anthropologie is the go-to place for this kind of thing; I only shop here in the sale, of course, where you'll often find some pretty good bargains - I have bought a couple of lovely tops here in the past, both heavily discounted. The good news for Bristol gals is that there's a branch in Bath so if you can try before you buy. 

And if money really is no object and you like the hippy look mixed with a big dose of Parisian Left Bank chic, then Etoile Isabel Marant is where it's at...but be warned that this is hippy dressing for those with investment banker wallets...

Etoile Isabel Marant Top, £220 (gulp)
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