Tuesday, February 5, 2008

The New Bohemians

Often regarded as artsy and whimsical, the bohemian look is constantly being dissected and bastardized by the fashion world. Last year, I recall the term Foho, which I will loosely describe as the fashionista’s attempt to meld a shiny modern handbag or shoe for example, with a folksy broom skirt. Many celebrities were hot on the heels of this trend. This season, I am reading the term Boho Tech, in which the airy, ethnically printed bohemian style is mixed with structured, futuristic styling.

The dictionary defines bohemian as “a person with artistic or literary interests who disregards conventional standards of behavior”. As a child, my parent’s would exclaim that my younger brother was “acting like such a bohemian”. I always associated the word with being out of control and disrespectful.

I can see how bohemian translates to rebellion in fashion as designers use artistic expression as a vehicle to push the limits of fabric, color and the minds of those wondering how to incorporate the look into their current wardrobe. The fusion of two opposites to produce a positive design can yield stunning results.

The bohemian look this Spring focuses on Ikat prints and 60s silhouettes mixed with metallics and embellishments. To subtly introduce this look into your wardrobe, wear an Ikat print top with a pair of sleek trousers and structured jacket. Or, pair a voluminous, printed skirt or dress with a leather bomber jacket. Here are other avenues to explore if you are interested in learning more about this look:

The Style Mauraders wrote a definitive piece on this new movement in the nouveau bohemian.

Top Shop has their take on the trend

A real person trying to pull of the Boho Tech look .

Tights featured over at Kingdom of Style that are so cute I don’t care if they are Foho or Boho or Ombre...I’d wear ‘em this year and the next, and the next, and the...well, you get the point.

And some additional Bohemian styles to mix and match with structured pieces:
Lux Kimono Top
Kimchi and Blue Tie Died skirt
Lithe's Right To Roam Skirt
Peggy's Cove Blouse
Mix Print Henley
Oasis Silk Printed Dress

Picture courtesy style.com - Armani

4 comments:

LDF said...

Boho-tech is such a silly phrase but I like the look.
I think we all own something with a skull on it! I just hate the "hot topic" skulls.
It is cute and sad when kids talk about death. One time when I was at the ocean with my 3 year old niece, she said "I can't fall in the water because Mommy and Daddy will be sad cause they won't see me again." !!!
I almost cried!
And yes, that's David Bowie on the cover of the Space Oddity album.

Unknown said...

My Grandma was Bohemian but she didn't look like THAT!!

Momisodes said...

I always wished I could pull off that Bohemian look..but I never had that artistic eye to put together an outfit that looked feminine and pretty like that one. I love those tights though. Maybe I'll try again come spring!

Crimzen Creative said...

iron chic - awww...3 year olds are the best and it is amazing how they interpret death. I will give my hot topic skulls a rest :)
lou - As always LOL!
sandy - i have a hard time with the look too - I love prints but my style really isn't very feminine so it takes me a while to find the right mix. I usually just stick to solid, structured styles (and sweats of course)!