1960s and Hippie Costumes
The moment you step out in fringe and round glasses, something shifts. Your shoulders drop, your walk slows down, and you start talking to strangers like you have known them for years. You say "peace" instead of goodbye. You mean it, too, in the loose, easy way the character means everything. For one evening or one school day, the rules bend a little and nobody minds.
People clock the look before you say a word: the fringe swinging as you move, the round tinted glasses, the flash of a peace sign print. Someone will ask if you have any flowers to spare, or hum a few bars of something with a guitar in it, and you will already know how to answer. That is the whole appeal. You are not just wearing clothes from another decade. You are borrowing its mood.
For kids
For adults
Accessories and finishing touches
Why it is such a popular choice
Few decades left behind such an easy costume shorthand. Fringe, flower prints, round glasses and a peace sign say "1960s" instantly, without needing a mask or a prop weapon to explain the joke. It also lets people play at being relaxed and unbothered for a night, which is a rarer costume fantasy than it sounds. Most fancy dress asks you to be tougher, scarier or shinier than usual. This one asks you to slow down and be warmer.
It also survives repeat wear well. A fringe vest or a patchwork dress does not read as one single character the way a cape or a mask does, so it comes back out for themed parties, school spirit days and family photos without ever feeling like a rerun.
Who it suits
The shy kid who does not want to be the centre of attention can wear round glasses and a soft patchwork top and still feel dressed up without shouting for notice. The performer in the group, the one who likes an audience, has more fun in a disco dress or a go go style outfit with real shine and movement built in. Kids who like nature and flowers gravitate toward the flower power and peace and love prints, and toddlers and babies do well in the simplest one piece swinger or hippie sets, since there is nothing fiddly to keep adjusting.
For adults, it works equally well solo, as a couple (one hippie and one sharp dressed swinger makes a nice contrast), or as a whole family or friend group all leaning into fringe and flower prints together. Plus size options exist across most of the styles, so nobody in the group has to sit out the theme.
Types of 1960s and hippie, and how to choose
- Fringe hippie: vests, dresses and moccasins that move when you walk. Good for anyone who wants a costume that feels active rather than stiff, and it comes in kids, women's, plus size and toddler versions.
- Flower power and patchwork: soft floral or patchwork prints, sometimes with a peace sign detail. Suits gentler characters and works well for school days since it reads as sweet rather than showy.
- Disco and go go glam: sequinned dresses and shorter, shinier cuts built for dancing. Best for the person who wants to be seen and does not mind a bit of sparkle doing the talking.
- Woodstock style: longer fringed dresses with a festival feel, aimed at anyone picturing a field, a guitar and a crowd rather than a dance floor.
- 60s swinger suits: bold prints and wide collars for men, boys, toddlers and babies. This is the sharp dressed counterpart to hippie softness, and it pairs nicely alongside a hippie partner or sibling.
- Wigs and glasses as accessories: a psychedelic wig, a round pair of glasses or a wig and moustache set can turn ordinary clothes into a costume on their own, which suits anyone short on time or layering onto a school uniform.
Playing the part
Keep your hands loose and ready to throw up a peace sign whenever anyone takes your photo. Walk a little slower than usual, with a slight sway, as if there is always music playing somewhere nearby. A flat, friendly "peace, man" or "far out" covers most conversations, and a little hum of an old tune fills any silence.
For a small group game, hand out flower crowns or paper flowers and have everyone strike their best peace sign pose for a group photo, or run a short "name that groove" round where someone hums a tune and the others guess it. Keep the character light and warm rather than loud, since the whole point of a hippie is that nobody is trying too hard.
Finishing touches
- Round tinted glasses, worn even indoors
- A peace sign pendant or pin somewhere visible
- Fringe that actually swings when you walk, not just hangs still
- A flower tucked behind one ear or a flower crown
- A headband to hold back loose, tousled hair