In the early 21st century, "boho-chic" was associated initially with supermodel Kate Moss and then, as a highly popular style in 2004-5, with actress Sienna Miller. Today we still see Bohemian trends as one of the main ( although never mainstream) trends of the late 2000's.
Bohemian style, often referred to as “boho” or “boho chic” is a style of dressing that was popularized during the 1960s and 1970s though it is possible to trace the roots back further.The essence of bohemian is focusing on free and flowy fabrics.
This style also emphasizes concern for the environment so natural fabrics and used clothing are commonly worn. If you want to style yourself in the bohemian fashion, take steps to incorporate bohemian style into your wardrobe. Remember though that the bohemian style also emphasizes finding the clothing that makes you feel in harmony with yourself and with nature, so don’t assume that there are any hard and fast rules about what is and isn’t bohemian.
1.Layer your clothing. You are trying to create a sort of relaxed gypsy look. This means that you will want to layer clothes over each other to get a truly bohemian look. As the look has been inspired by travelling gypsies and hippies who travelled with everything they owned, this means that they layered clothing over other pieces to keep warm and to avoid having to carry extra clothing.
You can, for example, wear a tight fitting bralette under a flowing shirt, you can layer a jacket over a loose-fitting tunic, or even layer all three together.
This has the added advantage that if you get warm or cold you always have a layer you can remove or put back on whenever you need to.
2. Wear a Maxi Skirt
Choose oversized, flowing pieces. The whole idea of bohemian style is free and flowing. Long maxi skirts or peasant skirts are good ideas, as well as tunics and light tops. Anything that makes you feel light and comfortable is a good choice.
You can also look for flowing dresses that you can then layer other pieces over or under to get an effortless look.
Try to keep the layering towards the top of your body. You want the look the draw attention to your face, and if you do a lot of layering on the bottom (e.g. wearing pants under skirts) you will draw attention downwards which creates a “heavy” look.
- Wear a simple maxi skirt with a graphic t-shirt and a versatile vest. Finish with gladiator sandals and a top knot.
- For a quick and comfortable outdoor ensemble, wear a maxi skirt with a solid-colored v-neck and a floppy sun hat or cowboy hat.
- Try wearing one with a button-down flannel top. Complete the look with canvas sneakers and bright lipstick.
3.Mix fitted with flowy
Emphasize your flowing pieces with one or two fitted pieces. Though you can certainly wear everything loosely fitted, if you want to, you can also throw in a few fitted pieces. For example, if you are wearing a very flowy tunic, you might then put on a pair of tight leggings, which will give you a bit of shape while also emphasizing the flowy shirt.
4.Dress Retro
Include used and vintage pieces to you look
If you do buy new clothing rather than going to your closest trendy clothing shop opt for independently owned small businesses where you can find out how and where the clothing was made. The clothing will certainly cost more, but it will also probably be of much better quality and more unique.
5. Natural Fabrics
Choose natural fabrics. With such a focus on being in harmony with nature, you should look for clothing that is made of natural fibers such as cheese cloth, hemp, and cotton. You could also include a few pieces that are made of chiffon, lace, or silk.
Avoid fabrics such as polyester, which are made synthetically.
Doing Your Hair and Makeup in the Bohemian Style
1. Loose wild Hair
Go for long, loose waves. If your hair is naturally wavy, then you can just wash your hair and let it dry naturally. You can tame any frizziness by applying a small amount of mousse to your hair while it is still a bit wet. If you don’t have naturally wavy hair, you can still get natural waves by applying a bit of mousse and/or texturizing spray to your hair before using a blow-dryer with a diffuser attachment.
When drying your hair with the diffuser attachment, flip your head upside down and dry on the cool setting. Use your fingers to scrunch your hair while drying to encourage waves to form.
If you have very, very straight hair that refuses to curl then don’t worry! Long, super straight hair is also a good bohemian look!
2. Braids are very Boho
Try out braids. Another hairstyle that brings to mind the bohemian style are braids. If your hair is long enough you can braid your hair into a crown around your head for a more complex look or you can simply braid your hair into a straight braid.
Remember that the key is to have a messy, effortful look so don’t worry if your braid isn’t perfect. In fact, if your braid is perfect, you should pull it out just a tiny bit to give it a less polished look.
If you can’t braid but still want to style your hair in some sort of up do you can apply a bit of mousse or texturizing spray before bulling your hair up into a messy bun.
3. Simple make up
Keep your makeup simple. The essence of boho is a very natural and fresh look. If you don’t want to, you don’t have to wear any makeup at all as this is certainly the most natural look. However, if you do want to wear makeup, understand that the big bold makeup looks are out of the question.
If you choose not to wear any makeup, do put on some moisturizer with an SPF before going outside. This will keep your skin looking fresh while also protecting it from the harmful UV rays of the sun.
Tips with regards to creating a natural make up look
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Use an illuminating foundation. If you have any blemishes you want to cover up using foundation, opt for a foundation that provides light coverage and advertises an illuminating finish. This finish will give you that dewy skin that everyone wants.
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Apply your foundation lightly and evenly all over your face. You just want to apply a thin layer in order to cover up any blemishes, but you don’t want a makeup look that looks heavy.
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Apply a bit of bronzer. The bohemian style emphasizes being one with nature. Being involved in nature means spending time outside, which means having a bit of a sun-kissed glow. Applying a little bit of bronzer on your cheekbones and forehead will give you a naturally kissed by the sun look. This will make you look healthy and fresh.Use the bronzer sparingly though. You just want to add a bit of glow.
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Stick to neutral eye makeup. The cat eye and the smokey eyeliner are not good options if you want to emphasize the bohemian style. Best is to go with less eye makeup, but if you want to apply a little bit of eyeliner or mascara choose neutral earth tones such as olive green and brown.
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Apply just a very thin line of eyeliner in order to emphasize your eyes, don’t draw thick lines, and only apply a few light coats of mascara.
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Use a natural looking hue on your lips. If you want to wear something on your lips, keep it very natural. You can even just put on some lip balm with an SPF. If you want to use color, you should definitely avoid bright colors like red and pink. Instead, stick to peachy neutral tones that will add a bit of color to your lips, but will still look natural.
Choosing a neutral lip shade that is right for you will depend on your skin tone and hue.
Accessorizing Your Look
Paint your nails. If you like painting your nails you can do so, and you can even go a little crazy with it. While most of the bohemian style involves keeping everything simple and natural, you can spice things up a bit by painting a metallic gold or bronze on your nails. You can also stick with the natural look and choose a neutral shade.
Add a few pieces of jewelry. If your outfit is pretty subtle, you can add a few bold pieces of jewellery, but stick to natural tones and avoid jewelry that is plastic. Instead, look for pieces that you like that are made from leather (avoid this if you are a vegan), shells, beads, and woven threads.
Bohemian accessorizing is all about layering and less is definitely not more. In Bohemian style you will often see many rings, bracelets and necklaces of varying lengths being worn together
Turquoise and wood are also great materials to use in jewelry.
Choose handmade artisan crafts. Because the bohemian style places emphasis on being good to the environment, try to choose jewelry that is handmade by artisans.
Use belts, scarves, and hats to complete your look. If you feel like your outfit is still missing a little something, try adding a hat, scarf, or belt. You can use a pretty scarf in many different ways. You can wear it around your neck, drape it over your shoulders, or even tie it around your waist as a belt. If you have a thick, funky belt that you love, then wear it over a long flowy shirt to create a bit of shape.
If you are having a bad hair day choose a floppy hat, cowboy hat or a beanie to cover up your hair. Since one of the main ideas of bohemian style is layering, adding a few extra accessories can really complete the look.
Most of all Bohemian Style is about expressing yourself, so you can add your own flair to you look and customize it to suit you own personality and lifestyle
Most of all have fun with it
Mandy Mulder