Decoding Fashion Trends. Boho.

Coachella/Lollapalooza ready!

Is there a more divisive fashion trend ever? By nature, the hippyish dressing style is whimsical and cool, but there is an air of effortlessness - the defining characteristic of a boho girl is that she would never dream of trying too hard.

A classic boho outfit is made up of an eclectic mix of borrowed, vintage, and collected-over-time pieces that are all interesting on their own, but somehow work together to exude a gentle rebellious spirit.

The boho trend, derived from the word bohemian, exploded in the mid-2000s, though the style dates back much further. When the hippie counterculture was at its peak in the late 1960s and early 1970s, a pointed rejection of formal silhouettes resulted in flowy fabrics, loose-fitting shapes, and oversized jewelry.earthy tones and, naturally, a healthy dose of fringing.

With a history spanning over 200 years, pinpointing the exact origin of the Boho aesthetic is difficult. Some believe that Bohemian culture arose as a counterculture in the late 18th century in the aftermath of the French Revolution. It was the end of patronage, when the elite privately supported the arts, and many artists were thrown into poverty.

Others believe the French word 'Bohémien' was a derogatory term first used to describe Romani people, who were thought to have come to France from Bohemia, an ancient medieval kingdom that now forms the Czech Republic's largest historical region.

In any case, it was a term with a single meaning: it referred to a subset of society that led an unconventional and frequently nomadic lifestyle, which was reflected in their aesthetics. Carefree, fluid fabrics frequently predominated, with patterns and cuts inspired by historical dress and European artisans from across the continent.

'Bohémien' evolved from a derogatory term to one that even the wealthy chose to embrace in the early twentieth century. Paul Poiret, a French fashion designer, pioneered the use of draped fabrics in the first two decades of the twentieth century, allowing women to move away from tight corsets and toward unstructured garments. He popularized signature Boho items such as the hobble skirt, harem pants, and the 'lampshade' tunic.The elite began to embrace a kind of 'haute Bohémien', wanting to be associated with a movement synonymous with the individual and creative thinkers.

The 21st century ushered in a new kind of Boho dressing during the 1960s and 1970s, an aesthetic that has constantly evolved. Woodstock in 1969 was a watershed moment that undoubtedly played a seminal role in redefining the aesthetic, merging with the hippie movement that stood for similar ideas of championing self-expression and rejecting conventional ideals. Flared silhouettes, embroidery, ponchos, moccasins, balloon sleeves, and fringing were all present.