Daily Dose # 7

Daily Dose # 7: Bohemian Fashion

I'm sure we all remember that weird surge of bohemian fashion in 2004 and 2005. All the sudden every celebrity was covered in bangles and embroidery and every store was trying to keep up with the growing trend. Stars like Sienna Miller, Mary Kate and Ashley Olson and Nichole Richie are only a few of the stars that popularized "boho chic".

Even though these ladies look great and they were extremely creative in their styling and even a few were inspired enough to design their own bohemian inspired lines, they were not the ones that started this trend.

We have to travel back in time, back to the original bohemian fashion icons to find the true origins of this look.

The word bohemian originally was used to describe someone, usually in the late 19th or early 20th century, who lived an unusual or artistic life. Sometimes, the word "bohemian" would be used to describe a gypsy, or travelers or refugees from Central Europe. This "gypsy" look was portrayed in art,film and in fashion throughout the 20th century. It was thought to make a woman look wild, carefree, mysterious and colorful.

With the introduction of beatniks in the 50's and hippies in the 60s and 70s, the bohemian looks became mainstream. You could walk into a store and see "the peasant look" hanging on a rack.

Some of the bohemian fashion icons of the 60s and 70s were:

Janis Joplin

Joni Mitchell

Here are some other great examples of bohemian fashion in the 60s and 70s:

Raquel Welch

Cher

Ok now that I have rambled on forever about history, I want to tie this back into to 2013. There are some amazing brands and designers out there with bohemian style. But what's more fun that buying clothes at a regular store? GO VINTAGE SHOPPING!!!!

Seriously, when you are talking about a trend that has literally been around since the 1800s, you are going to be able to find items of clothing that fit that trend in vintage shops. There is nothing more cool than actually having a piece of clothing from the actual era instead of a reproduction. It had a history, it has a story. Its the real deal. Trust me, its worth spending hours looking through dusty clothes racks in tiny little vintage stores. When you find that rare item, you will know what I mean.

In the mean time, I picked out some great items from Free People that I absolutely love. They really know how to do the bohemian look without making it look like a costume: