The melodic jingle of a coin belt is once again setting the tone in the world of fashion as “boho chic,” the style popularized by Sienna Miller in the 2000s, makes a triumphant comeback. While this trend has been simmering under the surface for some time, it was Chloé’s creative director, Chemena Kamali, who officially heralded its revival at the recent Paris Fashion Week, showcasing floaty blouses, high-waisted denim, and featuring Miller in the front row.
The revival isn’t limited to the runway. Since the Chloé show, searches on John Lewis for “boho dresses” have surged by 278%, with “boho tops” increasing by 150%. Marks & Spencer is also embracing the trend for summer, announcing a collection that includes broderie anglaise, beading, crochet, and relaxed, wider-legged denim. As boho is a vintage-inspired style, Depop has already noticed a spike in searches for crochet, fringing, and maxi-lengths.
Boho chic is more of a vibe than a specific look, characterized by frills, ruffles, suede, fringing, macrame, and silhouettes that float off the body rather than hug it tightly. If one look could embody it, it would be Miller at Glastonbury in 2004, sporting Uggs, a hip-grazing coin belt, and oversized sunglasses.
Fashion experts have been predicting the return of boho chic. In January, Vogue Runway’s José Criales-Unzueta wrote: “I think what we’re going to see next is the revival of ‘boho chic’. Enter the Olsens in the late 2000s (2007 comes to mind) running around NYC, enter Serena van der Woodsen in Gossip Girl.” Despite its origins feeling like a trip to a Portobello Road market stall, boho chic resonated with fashionistas on Rodeo Drive and the Upper East Side, with stylist Rachel Zoe dressing many of that era’s US “It-girls” in boho styles.
“This trend revival comes about at a time when people are leaning into nostalgia,” says J’Nae Phillips, the culture editor, writer, and author of the Fashion Tingz newsletter. “Other trends may spark a sense of fear and dread for their often exclusionary ideals, but this time around boho-chic is getting a mature facelift as it evokes a sense of undone-ness and a carefree spirit.”
“Boho is always hugely popular for many reasons,” says Jane Shepherdson, the mastermind behind Topshop’s cultural phenomenon in the 2000s. “It has attitude, is easygoing, relaxed and effortless with a real insouciance that few trends can match.”
However, some critics point out that the look can veer into cultural appropriation. Mihaela Moscaliuc, an academic exploring issues of representation and appropriation, notes, “We underestimate the power of fashion to shape thinking and attitudes that have real-life consequences. In the case of the Romani people, whose clothes and ‘lifestyles’ are generally traced as original inspiration for the boho chic, the consequences have been quite detrimental.”
This resurgence of boho chic reminds us of its enduring appeal, blending nostalgia with a modern twist, and inviting us to embrace a sense of freedom and individuality in our fashion choices.
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