the beats

after much feature on the eras and periods, i decided that i shall not place emphasis on the time factor today because the fashion that i want to discuss are not time-specific but are more counterculture and reactionary. we shall start off with the beats.

The Beats

the beat generation was a group of american post-world war two writers who came to prominence in the 1950s, as well as the cultural phenomena that they both documented and inspired. central elements of 'beat' culture included experimentation with drugs, alternative forms of sexuality, an interest in eastern religion, a rejection of materialism, and the idealizing of exuberant, unexpurgated means of expression and being.

in the 1960s, elements of the expanding beat movement were incorporated into the hippie counterculture.

image of Beatniks from House of Khan

the term 'beatnik' was coined by herb caen of the san francisco chronicle on 2 april 1958, a portmanteau on the name of the recent russian satellite sputnik and beat generation. caen's term stuck and became the popular label associated with a new stereotype - the man with a goatee and beret reciting nonsensical poetry and playing bongo drums, while free-spirited women wearing black leotards dance. 

Wally Hedrick

an early example of the 'beatnik stereotype' occurred in vesuvio's (a bar in north beach) which employed the artist wally hedrick to sit in the window dressed in full beard, turtleneck, and sandals, creating improvisational drawings and paintings. 

the Hippies

during the 1960s, aspects of the beat movement metamorphosed into the counterculture of the 1960s, accompanied by a shift in terminology from 'beatnik' to 'hippie'. there were stylistic differences between beatniks and hippies; somber colors, dark sunglasses, and goatees gave way to colorful psychedelic clothing and long hair. the beats were known for 'playing it cool' (keeping a low profile), but the hippies became known for 'being cool' (displaying their individuality). beyond style, there were changes in substance: the beats tended to be essentially apolitical, but the hippies became actively engaged with the civil rights movement and the anti-war movement.

so do you feel the beats?

fash'on... BAM!