Summer of Love Hair Accessories: Vintage Products That Defined 1967

Few cultural moments transformed hair accessories as profoundly as the Summer of Love. In 1967, the hippie movement swept through London, San Francisco, and beyond, replacing polished post-war formality with a riot of colour, texture, and handmade symbolism. For collectors of British vintage hair pieces, this era offers a treasure trove of distinctive products — from silk-wrapped floral crowns to velvet ribbon headbands — whose design language still echoes in contemporary conscious fashion.

What Made the Summer of Love Hair Accessories Distinct

The defining feature of 1967 hair accessories was their rejection of mass production. Young women (and men) often crafted their own pieces using natural materials, vintage fabrics, and found objects. The aesthetic was deliberately imperfect: frayed edges, asymmetrical blooms, and hand-dyed ribbons were celebrated rather than hidden. This ethos later influenced the late-20th-century revival of artisan hair accessories, including the Lottie Hair Claw in Coffee, which channels that same handcrafted warmth through its tortoiseshell finish and organic shape.

Flower Crowns: The Iconic Silhouette

No product is more synonymous with 1967 than the flower crown. Unlike the rigid tiara-style headpieces of earlier decades, Summer of Love crowns were loose, circular bands of silk, velvet, or even fresh flowers woven into a wire base. British makers favoured dried lavender, gypsophila, and silk roses in sherbet hues — peach, mint, lemon. The crown sat low on the forehead, often paired with centre-parted loose hair. A key detail: real crowns often included a thin elastic at the back to keep them in place during long festival days.

Velvet Ribbon Headbands

Velvet ribbons were another staple. Cut from a single strip of deep burgundy, forest green, or midnight blue, they were tied at the nape of the neck or into a side bow. The texture was crucial — matte velvet absorbed light rather than reflecting it, giving a soft, bohemian glow. Many British women sourced their ribbons from old millinery shops or deconstructed garments, aligning with the era’s make-do-and-mend philosophy. This reuse ethic connects directly to today’s mindful wardrobes, where a single vintage ribbon can be styled with both a silk slip dress and a chunky knit jumper.

Materials and Techniques of the Era

Authentic Summer of Love hair accessories used a limited palette of materials, each chosen for its sensory and symbolic qualities:

• Silk organza – lightweight, translucent, often hand-dyed with natural pigments (onion skins, beetroot, indigo).
• Beaded wire – fine copper or brass wire threaded with tiny glass beads, shaped into daisies or stars.
• Cotton crochet – often in white or ecru, forming headbands or hair vines that could be adorned with single flowers.
• Natural feathers – peacock, pheasant, or goose feathers, usually unpainted, tucked into hair with a small clip.
• Leather lacing – braided into thin headbands, sometimes with a single wooden bead at the centre.

These materials required careful handling. Silk organza, for instance, can yellow with age if exposed to sunlight, and beads may loosen over decades. When examining a vintage piece, look for intact stitching and pliable (not brittle) wire. A gentle clean with a soft, dry brush is often all that’s needed.

Five Cult Products of the Summer of Love

While many accessories were handmade, certain commercial products became iconic among British bohemians:

1. Biba’s “Flower Power” Headband – A wide velvet band with a single oversize artificial rose at the temple, sold at the Biba boutique on Kensington Church Street. Original examples fetch high prices at vintage fairs today.
2. Glastonbury Fayre (1971) Commemorative Hair Rings – Small, bracelet-like rings of woven leather and brass, worn as hair cuffs. Though technically from the 1971 festival, their design lineage starts in 1967.
3. John Stephen’s Daisy Chain Clips – A series of small alligator clips topped with hand-painted plastic daisies, sold at the Carnaby Street boutique. They were affordable enough to buy in pairs and share with friends.
4. Liberty’s Liberty-print Hair Scarves – Square silk scarves folded into headbands, featuring the iconic floral patterns. They remain a classic British vintage accessory.
5. Miss Selfridge’s Beaded Hair Vines – Thin, flexible bands of tiny glass beads in rainbow colours, worn wrapped around a bun or braid.

Pairing Summer of Love Accessories with a Modern Wardrobe

The beauty of these pieces lies in their versatility. A vintage silk headband from 1967 can transform a plain white shirt and tailored trousers into a statement of conscious style. For a more subtle approach, try a single velvet ribbon tied around a low ponytail, or a small beaded vine tucked into a topknot. The key is to let the accessory be the focus — keep the rest of your outfit simple, with neutral colours and clean lines. Avoid over-layering; the Summer of Love aesthetic thrives on restraint within abundance.

Modern reinterpretations, such as the Matilde Mother of Pearl Claw Clip, echo the same respect for natural materials and handcrafted detail. The pearlescent sheen of mother of pearl complements the soft floral tones of vintage pieces, making it an ideal partner for a 1967 silk crown or a beaded vine.

Care and Preservation of Vintage Summer of Love Accessories

Because so many of these products were handmade, they require extra care. Store flower crowns flat in a box lined with acid-free tissue paper; never hang them, as the weight will stretch the wire. Ribbon headbands can be rolled loosely and kept in a drawer. For beaded items, avoid moisture and direct heat. If a bead falls off, reattach it with a tiny drop of clear jewellery glue rather than discarding the piece. Gentle spot-cleaning with a damp cloth on metal parts is fine, but never soak silk or velvet.

One specific tip: dried flower crowns from the 1960s often have brittle stems. To preserve them, lightly spray with a UV-protective hairspray (modern, unscented) from a distance of 30 cm. This stabilises the petals without making them sticky. Test on an inconspicuous area first.

Finally, when buying a vintage Summer of Love accessory, look for marks of honest wear — a slightly faded silk ribbon, a single missing bead, a repaired wire join. These imperfections tell the story of a piece that was truly loved, not just stored away. They are the marks of a cultural revolution that, in its own handmade way, shaped the way we think about hair accessories today.