When one thinks of the ancient and exotic art of weaving and knotting known as macramé, the first thing that likely comes to mind is a decorative plant holder. But leave it to those resourceful flower children of the 60s to take macramé to creative extremes, and utilize for everything from jewelry to clothing design.

As lovers of nature and simplicity, the hippies of a bygone era couldn’t help but be drawn to this Arabic form of textile design that had existed for centuries. In the 19th century for example, macramé was a popular part of home décor and utilized to make doilies and fringed curtain trim. But the peace loving naturalists of the 60s took things a step further when they started weaving clothing with macramé techniques. The results were open weaved tops and dresses that offered plenty of glimpses into the underlying body parts. Often, highly intricate circles were made individually, then attached together to form garments that tightly hugged the body as if it were caught in a complex hand-woven spider web of sorts.

Of course, garments weren’t the only handiwork made as a result of these macramé techniques. Belts and bracelets were also common items, often incorporating beads into the weave.

Today, macramé is far more scarce than it once was, only showing up on occasion to support a hanging plant or in the form of a handed down potholder or wall hanging. But as any follower of fashion is well aware, what goes around comes around, and the day may come yet again, when people make their clothing out of woven cotton or jute rope in an attempt to become one with nature. And given the choice between a resurgence of macramé or leisure suits, the choice seems an easy one.