The Beatnik culture emerged in the 40's out of Paris’s Saint Germain quarter and was led by a group of writers and artists. They were often known as ‘bohemians’ and most were followers of traditional jazz. They also listened to Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger and read Jack Kerouac's novel On the Road (1956).

Black was the main colour choice for clothing and the uniform was black slacks worn with tight t-shirts, a black beret and dark glasses. Women wore black eye makeup and flat shoes and men wore goatee beards and sandals. Some wore 'rave gear' which was the fashion equivalent of gibberish and was the precursor to hippy clothing. Other clothing essentials were bowler hats, fur coats and baggy trousers

They used words like ‘hip,’ ‘cool’ and ‘groovy.’ Paris and San Francisco were the centres of beat culture.

Last updated: June 01, 2003

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