Bohemian Style – The Staple January 5, 2009

Ok, lets think, what’s the instantaneous mental image of a piece of clothing to the ‘Boho’ movement

Does it look anything like this?

Cool, cute, light and feathery...the ideal

Yep, the Boho Skirt which people had an obsession with back in 2005, so it’s now really easy to find at least several of these skirts cast away as the trend died down at Op Shops. I myself own at least five…no it’s not obsession or anything…

Why are they so great?

• Great for Summer – I’m not really a “shorts” girl and so these are such a good, funky. arty looking alternative for summer, keeping me just as cool as any other girl.
• The flow – which means that these skirts look great on anyone – young or old, fat or thin. The material drapes nicely covering the legs and giving a flowing feminine shape which is important for that carefree look.
• Dancing. These skirts were MADE to dance in. Just going around barefoot with an anklet and host of bangles releases the inner gypsy
• COLOURS!!! There are so many styles and colours to choose from! Which means there’s one for every mood. Beading and fringing are usual additions. Thats why you need several, so you can mix and match with everything.
  

  Fairy-skirt: arty feminity

What to put with the skirt to complete the look:

• Tops: You need something a bit plainer because the skirt does all it’s own talking – it needs no adding to! So a plain tank in a complementay colour will do fine. I favour more neutral earthy tones such as browns and oranges and really light pinks to go with mine. Blue can work as well.
• BIG BELT!! Yes, I LOVE these!! You clinch the entire thing together with a big belt, can be as ornate or as plain as you like depending on how busy the rest of the look is getting. Nothing will complete it in such a way as the BIG BELT!
• Scarves – a plain, light summery scarf around the neck or as a soft alternative to the BIG BELT
• Necklace – you dont need anything too fancy, wooden beads work great. Something that looks slightly ethnic like it’s been bought from a market from some Island Country – in fact markets are a great way to pick one of these.
  

  Ethnic simplicity works well

• Bangles – a definitive statement of the boho tradition, what could be more alluring than shininess and jangliness every time you gesture and dance?
• Flip Flops (at risk of sounding American, thongs at risk of sounding Aussie), or sandals any kind, summery and light
• 

  Turquoise is classic yet funky

  Dangly Earrings – a must! These are great and you can have so many styles, have fun with this one

Here’s just a start to the basic Boho look. Of course this is all suggestions, the whole idea is that you do what you like with it. I quote from an excellent article on wikihow:

http://www.wikihow.com/Have-Bohemian-Style

Boho-chic doesn’t just mean flowy peasant skirts and flip flops, and messenger bags. An important aspect of bohemian style is individuality; this means embracing your own personality and expressing it through your fashion choices. You may not know anyone who actually wears feathery layered skirts, but if you love to, then that’s all that matters. Bohemian style may be described as a trend with certain looks to follow, but it’s really all about following your own inspirations.

IF YOU WANT TO STAY TUNED FOR MOST UPCOMMING ARTICLES ON THE BOHEMIAN STYLE WHY NOT SUBSCRIBE VIA RSS (WHICH CAN BE FOUND ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THE PAGE UNDER “TECHNICAL STUFF”

Bohemian Style 1

In case you haven’t realized, I am a girl who enjoys the gypsy flair, one entranced by the lure of an unconvential life and a definite bohemian style

This can be reflected in your life in many different ways from the books you read, the things you do, your attitudes, and of course the fashion aspect which helps you feel all the other aspects come together in your persona, your individuality and your style.

Carefree and non-conformist - The Bohemian Girl

So I will be writing a series on the Bohemian Style

DEFINITION

Here’s the definition from thefreedictionary.com

A person with artistic or literary interests who disregards conventional standards of behavior.

Here’s the definition from “The term bohemian was first used in the nineteenth century to describe the untraditional lifestyles of marginalized and impoverished artists, writers, musicians, and actors in major European cities. Bohemians were associated with unorthodox or antiestablishment political or social viewpoints, which were often expressed through frugality and/or “voluntary poverty” (which is :

Origins

“The term emerged in France in the 1800s when artists and creators began to concentrate in the lower-rent, lower class gypsy neighbourhoods. The term “Bohemian” reflects a belief, widely held in France at the time, that the Gypsies had come from Bohemia.^[1]”

“		Bohemian – a member of a people with dark skin and hair who speak Romany and who traditionally live by seasonal work and fortunetelling; they are believed to have originated in northern India but now are living on all continents (but mostly in Europe, North Africa, and North America) Roma, Romani, Romany, Rommany, Gipsy, Gypsy Indian – a native or inhabitant of India gitana – a Spanish female Gypsy gitano – a Spanish male Gypsy
	2.	Bohemian – a native or inhabitant of Bohemia in the Czech Republic Czech Republic – a landlocked republic in central Europe; separated from Slovakia in 1993 European – a native or inhabitant of Europe
	3.	bohemian – a nonconformist writer or artist who lives an unconventional life recusant, nonconformist – someone who refuses to conform to established standards of conduct
Adj.	1.	Bohemian – of or relating to Bohemia or its language or people
		So we can see that this style is combining gypsy, hippies – carefree with the just thrown together from the closest look but with an artistic sensibility. This is a good place to start as we get the feel for the look and the lifestyle.