Should I or Shouldn’t I? Boho Chic. Is the Trend Right For You?
Boho Chic has been thrown around in fashion a lot lately. For those of you who don’t know what Boho means, Boho stands for Bohemian which conveys an attitude and style that describes a free-spirited, independent frame of mind. The look? Late 60’s early 70’s fashion– less mod, more hippie .
Pieces are often made from natural fabrics and materials like easy cotton, linen, wood and stone. Beading is quite popular as well. There isn’t much shape and there are layers, lots of layers.
While this can be a fun, easy look, it’s not for everyone. There are a few simple rules that I can offer to help you decide if you should or shouldn’t embrace this trend.
Boho Chic Tip #1- Is it your style?
Image courtesy of the Chic Fashionista
The first thing you want to ask yourself is if you’re even drawn to this style in the first place. Speaking for myself, Boho has never really resonated with me. I’m just not big on looking like I’m attending a peace rally. I do love this trend as an accent in my wardrobe. However, if you prefer an easy, breezy free spirited look in your clothing, run don’t walk towards this trend.
Boho Chic Tip #2- Is it right for you body?
Like I said, I were to incorporate the Boho style into my wardrobe, it would be in small ways and through details. I prefer some shape in my clothing and my curvy body needs it or else I look like I am 20lbs. heavier than I really am. If you are someone with curves, beware of too many free-form layers. You may think you’re hiding out underneath all that flounce and freedom, but what you are really doing is letting your curves roam free. Curves crave structure. You don’t have to abandon the trend completely, just be sure to balance the free with some discipline through some more fitted clothing, like skinny jeans or by using this trend more as an accent than a main dish.
Boho Chic on curvy and petite gals is better when worn with some structure
If you’re petite this trend can also be fatal if your not careful. Like the curvy girls, you need some clothing that will sit closer to your body. This trend can be worn by the vertically challenged but just make sure you’re wearing a pair of boots or shoes with heels or that something you’re wearing (be it a shirt or a pair of pants, for example) is slim so that you don’t look like a munchkin.
Boho Chic Tip #3- My mom always said: “If you wore a trend once, don’t wear it again.”
Not my mom! Photo courtesy of Boomercafe.com
Years ago, my mom shared some sage advice with me: “If you wore a trend once, don’t do it again.” I was too young to fully comprehend that advice but now, in my late thirties, I get it. When the 80’s started to make its ugly comeback, I remembered a time in the past where I wore just about everything that was being thrown down the runway. Neon? No way, I did that when I was 12 years old. Should pads? Are you kidding????
There is something about revisiting a trend when you’ve lived through it once that doesn’t make the trend look trendy any longer, it looks dated. My mom lived through the 60’s and 70’s and was a hippie in college. If she came by for a visit wearing a headband and a flouncy peasant blouse with bellbottoms I would think that (instead of being trendy) she was off to a costume party or in need of a serious makeover.
This does not mean, of course, that one has to live in restriction. Trends trickle all the way down to mass retailers. Sometimes, we address a trend without even knowing we’re doing it. When you’ve lived through a trend once, there is no problem with going in your time machine and reliving it as a touch of nostalgia, like as a handbag detail, a piece of jewelry or in a pair of shoes. And, I should note, my mom rocks a great flouncy Chico’s outfit (that looks very Updated boho) like nobody can. Yet if you have photos of yourself at Woodstock or can remember your first peace rally, you may want to reconsider the whole Boho enchilada.