The immediate legacy of the hippies included: in fashion, the decline in popularity of the necktie which had been everyday wear during the 1950s and early 1960s, and generally longer hairstyles, even for politicians such as Pierre Trudeau; in music, the blending of folk rock into newer forms including acid rock and heavy metal; in television and film, far greater visibility and influence, even in children's educational shows such as Mulligan Stew. College students during the 1970s became restless, anti-authoritarian activists on campuses around the globe, from
While many hippies made a long-term commitment to the lifestyle, some younger people argue that hippies "sold out" during the 1980s and became part of the materialist, consumer culture.
Hippies may be found in bohemian enclaves around the world, or "touring" with the bands they love. Others have been following the hippie lifestyle since it began, though their ranks may include younger people who do not consider themselves "neo-hippies."
Contemporary hippies have made use of the World Wide Web and can be found on virtual communities. In the
The "boho-chic" fashion style of 2003-2005 had a number of hippie features, and the London Evening Standard even used the term "hippie chic" (11 March 2005).
Some hippie ideals, it could be argued, were an influence on peace punk and crust punk bands like Crass. Crass's drummer Penny Rimbaud wrote an essay called "The Last Of The Hippies" recalling how a hippy friend, Phil Russell (a.k.a. Wally Hope), was allegedly committed to a mental institution after becoming a thorn in the side of the Establishment. The members of Crass were old enough to have been members of the hippie counter-culture on forming in 1977.