The Evolution of Boho Chic Style—and How to Wear It Now
The words “boho chic style” can’t help but conjure memories of the style icons of the 2000s. There was Sienna Miller in her slouchy suede boots; Kate Moss with her leather hobo bags; and the Olsen twins in their billowing caftans. It was the ultimate festival attire—a little bit grunge and a whole lot hippie. Who could forget?
But boho chic style has been around for a lot longer than the It-girls of the mid-aughts might have you believe. In fact, the roots of the boho trend are long and deep.
The history of bohemian style
The history of bohemian style goes back to the 19th century, when the artists and intellectuals of Paris traded the restrictive, elaborate ensembles (and corsets) of their era for looser silhouettes, floral prints, and romantic layers of velvet and lace. Thanks to their unconventional lifestyles, these free-thinkers became known as “bohémiens”—a French term that was originally used to describe the nomadic Roma people who were mistakenly believed have come from the Bohemia region of Central Europe. By the mid-1800s, writers like Victor Hugo, Honoré de Balzac, and Henri Murger were using the term to describe anyone who didn’t subscribe to societal norms.
The descriptor survived and was used through the roaring 1920s, World War II, and right into the 1960s, when a whole generation of free-thinkers created a new counterculture of their own. These flower children embraced sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll—and, much like their predecessors a century before, also shunned societal norms by dressing in flowing fabrics, eclectic prints, and thrifted folkwear. Their style icons were just as effortless and laissez-faire. Think: Janis Joplin, Joni Mitchell, Marianne Faithful, and more.
From bohemian to boho chic
By the 1970s, designers like Thea Porter, Yves Saint Laurent, and Karl Lagerfeld for Chloé had taken the folksy aesthetic to the runway, with looks that embodied a glamorous vision of free-spirited romance. Vogue’s January 1970 issue summed up the vibe: “All languorously falling things—and with lots and lots of long, dangling fringe to keep the languor lingering…anything that makes you dream a little bit about yourself.”
The aesthetic became a recurring runway—and wardrobe—staple. In the 1990s, Tom Ford for Gucci, Anna Sui, and Isabel Marant continued to evolve the genre. Their iterations often mixed 1960’s references but nodded to the burgeoning grunge movement (another counterculture that bucked norms!) and ultimately paved the way for the trend’s popularity in the mid-2000s.
As envisioned by stylist Rachel Zoe, who dressed everyone from Mischa Barton to Nicole Richie, the aughts version of boho chic style was all about a mishmash of disparate layers, making it an instant hit amongst fashion-conscious young women everywhere. It was easy to copy: All you needed was a floral dress or a flippy mini skirt, peasant blouse, shearling vest, low-slung studded belt, fringed bag, and some suede or leather boots. The magic was made in the mix, not via a single piece or a specific brand.
Modern boho chic style
Fast forward to the present, and boho style is clearly still alive and well. In recent seasons, celebrities from Bella Hadid to Amal Clooney and designers from Valentino to Ralph Lauren to Stella McCartney have all embraced new versions of the quintessential trend. At Miu Miu there have been leather clogs. At Prada, hobo satchels. Even Loro Piana has had looks featuring crochet and sumptuous layers of endless chiffon.
