When I think about boho fashion, floral skirts, colourful blouses and turquoise jewellery come to my mind. Of course, bohemian fashion is much more than that. It has deep roots in history so I did a bit of digging about when did boho fashion start.
Let’s discover the fabulous world of bohemian fashion. It origins in the early 20th century when a couple of ladies like Virginia Woolf, Vanessa Bell and the Stephen sister formed the so-called Bloomsbury Group.
Artists, writers started to live artistic and unconventional lives. Although the word “bohemians” means originally gypsy in French (bohémien). To be clear, the bohemians weren’t gypsies, they just had another, a different lifestyle on their mind. It wasn’t only a fashion style, like boho-chic at the beginning of the 21st century, but the way how they led and lived their lives. They were against everything conventional.
In the beginning, the boho/bohemian sub-culture was purely male-focused. Males artists, male writers and intellectuals were part of it. The first female bohemians were the so-called Grisettes. These ladies were usually artist’s models, often earned their money as seamstresses or milliner’s assistants. They lived in Paris and during the reign of King Louis-Philippe, they came to dominate the bohemian modelling scene (source: Wikipedia).
Things didn’t change in the 20th century either, the bohemian style was continued, but in a different form. Just think about the ’60s and ’70s, the beat generation, the flower power, the Greenwich Village and the Newport Folk Festival. All these things happened for a reason and formed nowadays look and style.
Let’s check out the essentials, what you need for boho fashion!
Maxi Skirt
Maxi skirt is a must when it comes to boho fashion. It’s really comfortable, simple and you can mix and match with anything. The perfect summer outfit although you can wear it in the colder months too if it’s made of a warmer fabric.
Maxi Dress
Not only maxi skirts but maxi dresses are really comfortable too. They come in different shapes and sizes, big, bold patterns or darker ones. You name it. Whatever you choose, you can’t go wrong with a floral, flowy maxi dress. Don’t forget about boho jewellery, it goes really well with maxi dresses, especially dangle earrings.
Ankle boots
You can’t go wrong with ankle boots when it comes to boho style fashion. It’s perfect during spring, summer, autumn and winter, basically all year round. Although I wouldn’t wear it from May till December in Cyprus where I live because it’s far too hot for this Mediterranean climate. 😀
The perfect choice is a neutral colour so you can wear them with maxi skirts, maxi dresses and even skinny jeans. If you want it to be comfortable, then don’t go for the very high heel ones. Some ankle boots have even fringes, they look really awesome too. The perfect bohemian look 💖
Gladiator Sandals
Gladiator sandals are must-haves in the summertime. They look so chic, you can go for the shorter or longer version. They both look cool when go to a festival (not this year) or a concert.
Boho headbands and hats
It doesn’t matter you have long or short hair, you can still wear headbands or headwraps. Boho headpieces and hippie crowns are really popular too. It gives a bit of extra glamour to your outfit. If you want to go for something trendy, then wear turbans.
It’s a good way to protect your hair against the sun damage too. We can never be careful enough. As I live in a Mediterranean country, you need a hat in the summer. I really like hats because even when your hair looks awful 😉, you can still wear it and hide your uncombed locks.
Hats come in different shapes and sizes. Those wide-brimmed summer hats come really handy in the hot summer weather, by the pool or on the beach.
Let’s not forget about scarves either because they are essential when it comes to the boho capsule wardrobe. You can put on your head, around your neck or sometimes I use it when I’m on a plane. Protects you against the cold too.
Tunics and blouses
I just can’t imagine boho fashion style with colourful tunics and blouses. They can be embroidered or wrinkled but you can go for simple styles too. Leggings and tunics go well together, you can’t go wrong with this combination.
Peasant tops and skinny jeans are also really comfortable and you can basically wear them anytime and anywhere.
Cardigans
When the weather turns a bit colder, you need a cardigan or a sweater for the perfect boho look. They are usually not to warm but light enough to wear them during spring and fall too, like crocheted sweaters.
You can mix and match boho sweaters and cardigans with your maxi skirts and/or skinny jeans or even leggings. It’s up to you, they are comfortable to wear and not to warm so you can wear layers.
Boho jewellery
If you go for the perfect bohemian look you need to have some awesome bohemian jewellery. The most fabulous boho colour – in my opinion – is turquoise. I can’t imagine a boho outfit without turquoise bohemian jewellery.
My favourite boho fashion queen is Yvon from the Netherlands. I’m sure you all know her, of course, it’s @ibizabohogirl.
Dangle earrings, boho bracelets and bangles, long necklaces – they all must-have pieces if you want the perfect bohemian look.
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Sunglasses
I don’t know what about you but I can’t live without my sunglasses. Especially in the summer, it’s impossible to live without them in Cyprus. You need to wear them until the Sun goes down, it’s not good for your eyes running around without them.
It’s not just a fashion item, you actually need to wear them when you live in a hotter climate. The bigger is better. Don’t worry if you don’t like huge sunglasses, you can go for the aviator or the cat-eye style. The perfect hippie look is to wear the John Lennon style round glasses.
Conclusion:
Bohemian style is so laid back and relaxed. No strict rules on how to dress like a boho queen. Don’t forget about your maxi skirts or dresses, tunics, peasant tops, headbands, hats, ankle boots and jewellery and off you go. You are the boho QUEEN (heart)
What’s your favourite boho outfit? Tell me in the comment!
Don’t forget to follow @noemionebohostreet on Instagram for your daily boho vibes and inspiration.
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