Well, the more the times they are a-changin’, the more they are stayin’ the same: 40 years after those oft-sung-about summers of love, cool girls are growing out their hair and putting flowers in it again. There’s fringe on everything, American Apparel is selling tie-dye kits and flares are back? Believe it, sister. We got four natural-born beauties to give retro-groovy pieces a chance.
Chartreuse Submarine (pictured above)
How modern: love beads are slipped right into the neckline of a Pringle of Scotland dress, $224, at Delphic (706 Queen W., 416-603-3334). It’s a perfect match for the canary-in-a-coal-mine colouring of this hand-dyed, head-tied Sunshine & Shadow silk scarf, $102, at Robber (863 Queen W., 647-351-0724, www.robberstore.com). To offset all the chartreuse, there’s GOSH Extreme Art eyeliner in purple, $15, at Shoppers Drug Mart (multiple locations, www.shoppersdrugmart.ca). And the star-sign tattoo is, of course, model Adria’s own.
Midnight Cowgirl
Who but the jeaniuses at Acne could make bellbottoms cool again? Get them on sale for $299 at Jonathan + Olivia (49 Ossington, 416-849-5956). If you really want to get into the groove, pair flares with old-timey fringe, like this suede poncho, $140, at (where else?) 69 Vintage (1100 Queen W., 416-516-0669). Oh, and check out the psychedelic digits on sweet Amy, courtesy of Minx nail decals at Heartbreaker (889 Dundas W., 416-869-0440).
Half-Naked Lunch
Go ahead, drink the electric Kool-Aid. There’s cherry-flavour pink in this Sunshine & Shadow scarf, $102 at Robber; plus, we drew inspiration from a whole rainbow of GOSH Extreme Art eyeliners. As for the acid, it’s all in the wash this season — try Domino jeans, $126, from Holt Renfrew (55 Bloor W., 416-922-2333, www.holtrenfrew.com). Missing from Sarah’s look? No, not a shirt — too mainstream — but rather, a pair of John Lennon sunglasses would be perfectly rad.
Wildflower Child
Alison-Violet wears crowns of lovely blooms, custom-made from suede and priced around $250 each, by Lara Vincent (www.laravincent.blogspot.com). If she gets a little hot in her field-length, printed cotton gown by Rag & Bone, $350, from Holt Renfrew, she can always fan herself with this Ladies of the Canyon necklace, $30, at 69 Vintage. It’s made from an antique fan, hand-painted and charmed with petals.