The boho buzz that has been ringing in our ears lately is getting even louder. Fashion this season is embracing all aspects of the bohemian look, from hippie nouveau to boho chic.
The boho look for spring is all about creativity. The look gives you the freedom to layer fabrics, mix prints and fearlessly accessorize.
Boho Fashion Must-Haves
The trend includes pieces such as caftans, tunics, tiered peasant skirts, ankle-length embroidered dresses and slim, weathered jeans.
Accessories are anything but minimal for the bohemian, so this style features ethnic-inspired earrings, large leather belts, floppy hats, over-sized sunglasses and bangles to your elbows.
All pieces follow a natural trend with earthy hues, ethnic textures and nature-mimicking prints. Shoes are no exception - footwear such as cotton espadrilles, leather sandals, beaded flats and cowboy boots dominate the look.
The boho look does require a bit of extra work, as a style based on perfected messiness can easily go wrong. What this trend needs is a sense of balance. Pull together your look by layering and mixing colors, patterns and materials while keeping an overall balance in mind.
Fashion icon, Sienna Miller, has been leading the boho trend. She's often seen parading the town in skinny jeans tucked into boots, long tunics, cropped cardigans and minimal makeup.
Bohemian Style Accessories, Makeup & Hair
Complete the boho look by weighing yourself down with the bold accessories that suit the eclectic style. Drape oversized wooden beads over a soft smock dress or strap a wide, leather belt around a hip-length caftan. Hide behind massive rectangular sunglasses or classic aviators and let your hair, if it can, tumble in tousled waves past your shoulders.
Boho make-up is minimal, keeping to mascara, concealer, nude gloss and a fresh-from-the-south sweep of bronzer.
Rules of moderation don't apply to wrist-wear for the boho look - feel free to cover your forearms in wooden bracelets and exotic bangles. The final accessory of the boho style is a pair of ethnic-inspired earrings tucked in amidst your wavy tresses.
Leading Boho Designers
Marc by Marc Jacobs, Missoni, Chloé, Roberto Cavalli, Anna Sui, Jimmy Choo and Bottega Veneta are among the designers latching onto the boho look this season. These designers have put together vintage-inspired collections that are a successful modern take on boho chic.
Bohemian Fashion History
The boho look made its stylish debut on the back of Anita Pallenberg in the 60s. Often called the sixth member of the Rolling Stones, Pallenberg was known for her individual style that gave bohemian the funk it needed.
Long before Pallenberg, the term "bohemian" came from the term La Bohème in France. It was used to describe the bands of gypsies that traveled through Bohemia - now the Czech Republic.
What Does "Bohemian" Mean?
"Bohemian" refers to a stereotypical way of life for artists and intellectuals. The lifestyle is rooted in the American "beat" movement of the 50s. Members of the movement, beatniks, rejected conventional middle-class values and embraced radical and exotic customs.
"Bohemian" stands for a free-thinking, free-being philosophy that favors unconventional habits and clothing. In the past, bohemians often wore out-of-date, unfashionable clothing that defied mainstream fashion trends.
This grew into a widespread embrace of haphazard mixes of colors and fabrics by many artists. Now, the boho look is a perfect balance of intentional messiness, artistic creativity and vintage chic.
