When it comes to fashion, it seems as though you can throw together a mesh of oddly specific words and suddenly it’s now a label for a certain aesthetic or style. Social media has created a rapid turnover for trends, and most times, what’s popular only sticks around until bigger, better and stranger takes its place. This summer, apparently dressing to match your grandparents’ tacky curtains classified you as “Coastal Grandmother,” and wearing an old rock band t-shirt, a flannel or even an oversized ‘80s sweater now makes you “Midwest Emo.” Yet if you ask me, and your dad who definitely still owns a few trashy band t-shirts from back in his day, grunge is never leaving the world of fashion. Some trends are meant to stay and have kept their foot in the door for decades. Of course, that’s the beauty and complexity of fashion; the existent and not-so-existent borders of design and visual expression.  

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Some of the trends being tossed around today are recycled terms for styles that have been around for longer than most of us have been alive. Certain aesthetics started as one thing, and over the years have passed through phases. Fashion trends can change ever so slightly, but in the end, their roots remain deep within the fashion industry, and history itself. One of these trends commonly mislabeled is Bohemian Chic. Is boho a distinct style or more of a perspective on fashion? Boho has been around for as long as I can recall, and I’m sure at one point, all our Pinterest’s were flooded with “Boho bedroom inspo” or something of the sort. Boho is far from simple, especially because its influence trickled through fashion into home décor, interior design and linen. While bohemian fashion dates back to the early 19th century, it had its rises and falls throughout the early 2000s, and again in the 2010s. For the past five or so years, bedrooms, dorms and living rooms became commonly decorated with musky oranges, lots of beige and more hanging plants than the eye can count. Funky patterned rugs, a plethora of pillows and hanging art all fell within the trend of boho home aesthetics. For me personally, and many others not so in tune with fashion specifics, it’s assumed that boho is just that— a décor trend for matcha-drinking, yoga-going women in their 20s. But this style goes quite far back in history and has been under our noses for years, especially by fashion icons and models. It’s not necessarily a category, instead, it stands for non-confining expression, which is why it has remained present for quite some time.  

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Boho is often assumed to be directly connected to the hippie movement of the ‘60s and ‘70s. However, the style can be traced all the way back to the 18th and 19th centuries and is said to have spawned from the French Revolution. It was at this time that art took a strong hold of all sides of society: elites, social rejects and authors. This grew later into the era of Romanticism, a period where artful forms of expression held higher significance. Romantics urged literature and music, and defining aesthetics became a form of individuality. Both the wealthy and impoverished were embracing the rejection of materialism and joining the movement of free thinking. Ultimately, boho fashion blossomed from this newfound liberty. People were able to break boundaries in ways they couldn’t before. A sense of color, life and vibrancy to humankind was widely recognized going into the 20th century. The spread of new liberating fashion included a vast color palate and loose-fitting clothes much different from previous corseted dresses with distinct necklines and regal appearances. Paul Poiret, a French designer, took to introducing “the use of draped fabrics” to transition away from traditionally feminine silhouettes in clothing at the time (Howarth, 2022).  

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Again, with time and the flow of trends, the 1960s and ‘70s brought a new meaning to boho with the rampant takeover of the hippie movement. Truly though, the hippies were just a revamped, newly labeled name for the Romantics or free thinkers. The hippies supported peace and free love by appreciating music, normalizing stimulant drug use and voicing dislike for the government, all while running about in iconic oversized sunglasses smelling maybe too strongly of patchouli. They welcomed a bizarre, loudly fabulous way of dressing. Tassels, embroidery, multiple patterns and materials are just a small explanation of the hippie aesthetic. Anyone you ask currently knows exactly the type of fashion they stand for, in fact, it’s a common Halloween costume each year; that’s how integrated hippie culture was in society and fashion. But if you were to ask people specifically about who represented bohemian culture throughout the vibrance of the late ‘60s, there are quite a few names that may surface. The big three: Stevie Nicks, Joni Mitchell and Jane Birkin. Nicks famously joined Fleetwood Mac in ‘74, leaving her mark in the music industry as well as fashion. On and off stage her wardrobe was full of flared sleeves and denim, suede platforms boots and plenty of florals. Her impact was so heavy that designers like Anna Sui devoted their collections to the entirety of Stevie Nicks’s appearance (Cary, 2024). Fleetwood Mac, and Nicks specifically, have come nowhere near “outdated.” Their story carries on into young adult fiction and film, with books like “Daisy Jones & The Six,” a novel later turned into a TV series, reliving the legendary era of hippies, ‘70s rock and romance. The show once again inspired boho fashion in younger viewers by perfectly curating main character Daisy Jones’s aesthetic. Her fiery free spirit, long messy hair and unforgettable outfits of flowy laces and furs perfectly encapsulate the artistry of boho fashion. Joni Mitchell is yet another free-minded singer-songwriter of the late 20th century. Her attention to detail in fashion included long dresses, bulky belts and layered jewelry. If her way of dressing wasn’t enough to explain her involvement in the hippie-esk culture she thrived in, her song “The Boho Dance” should tie the knot. Birkin was another well-known face of the ‘70s who began as an actress, then leaned into modeling while simultaneously leaving a trail of timeless, bohemian chic fashion in her footsteps. Basket bags, flared jeans and the “naked dress” are easily linked to her name and reflect the possibility of elegance within boho designs. 

 

Bohemian didn’t end with the peak of the hippies, instead, it continues fiercely into the 21st century. Media entered the 2000s with style, such as Gilmore Girls, Sex and The City and Notting Hill, exhibiting sexy femininity, free forms of fashion expression and lots of suede. Vogue cover girl Sienna Miller defined the turn of the century with cropped jackets and cowgirl boots, dressing down formal attire and somehow creating an “It Girl” look in a blur of leather and studded belts. Kate Moss flaunted the streets in off-duty looks containing flouncy dresses, ruffles and fringe. Even years later, in 2015, she appeared sporting floral, flowing skirts, black booties and can you guess…a studded purse to top off the look of course. All these pieces, the patterns and pairings, are exactly the kind of outfits we see every year at the biggest music festivals across the country. For decades, festival fashion has fallen within dimensions of bohemian and hippie-like inspiration. Coachella continues to bring some of the best-dressed fashion. Celebrities or not, outfit planning takes weeks, sometimes even months. A few of the most iconic Coachella looks contain fringed shorts with a flowy tank or blouse, ankle, combat or mid-calf boots, scarves and bandanas, layered metals and undeniably a long purse (preferably with tassels). An element not to be forgotten and absolutely a festival must: the classic floppy felt hats. Whether you’re taking the more cowgirl approach to festival fashion, or something glitzy with bright colors and dimensions, either derive from bohemian aesthetics in a different form. Are you feeling Woodstock legend Janis Joplin, or the Olsen twins red carpet looks circa 2003? Both vastly different, both fabulously boho.  

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So, we’re faced with a handful of categories within bohemian style. There’s endless layers and flares of their own. If you want a classier look, there’s a world of inspiration for tasteful dresses and skirts, scarves and elegant patterns. For the eclectic artists within fashion, there’s no shortage of diversified designs, accessories and more. With boho holding so much opportunity for expression, can it truly be labeled as a certain look with parameters and expectations, or is it more of a perspective on what it means to visualize identity, tell stories and experiment with a wide range of style elements. Maybe bohemian simply reflects the combination of several aesthetics. To dress boho means to be individualistic in your expression, to create, to quite literally stand within what you stand for. Can we label a category of fashion that has been around for so long, or can we see it for what it is in its simplest form: art.