How to Have Bohemian Style

Last Updated: February 1, 2023 Approved

Bohemian style, often called "boho" or "boho chic," focuses on free and flowy fashions, natural fabrics, and earthy colors and patterns. The style was popularized during the 1960s and 1970s, but its roots trace back much further, so there's a large history to look at for inspiration. Boho fashion emphasizes comfort and harmony between yourself and nature. While there are some guidelines to think about, a boho look is all about individuality and creativity, so you can dress however you like and turn it into a cool boho chic look that is sure to impress!

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Doing Your Hair and Makeup in the Bohemian Style

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Try out braids. A hairstyle that brings to mind the bohemian style are braids.^{[1]
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Expert Source

Tannya Bernadette
Professional Stylist
Expert Interview. 10 May 2019.} If your hair is long enough you can braid your hair into a crown around your head for a more complex look or you can simply braid your hair into a straight braid.
- Remember that the key is to have a messy, effortful look so don’t worry if your braid isn’t perfect. In fact, if your braid is perfect, you should pull it out just a tiny bit to give it a less polished look.
- If you can’t braid but still want to style your hair in some sort of up do you can apply a bit of mousse or texturizing spray before bulling your hair up into a messy bun.
2
Go for long, loose waves. If your hair is naturally wavy, then you can just wash your hair and let it dry naturally. You can tame any frizziness by applying a small amount of mousse to your hair while it is still a bit wet. If you don’t have naturally wavy hair, you can still get natural waves by applying a bit of mousse and/or texturizing spray to your hair before using a blow-dryer with a diffuser attachment.waves
- When drying your hair with the diffuser attachment, flip your head upside down and dry on the cool setting. Use your fingers to scrunch your hair while drying to encourage waves to form.
- If you have very, very straight hair that refuses to curl then don’t worry! Long, super straight hair is also a good bohemian look!
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3
Keep your makeup simple. The essence of boho is a very natural and fresh look. If you don’t want to, you don’t have to wear any makeup at all as this is certainly the most natural look. However, if you do want to wear makeup, understand that the big bold makeup looks are out of the question.
- If you choose not to wear any makeup, do put on some moisturizer with an SPF before going outside. This will keep your skin looking fresh while also protecting it from the harmful UV rays of the sun.
4
Use an illuminating foundation. If you have any blemishes you want to cover up using foundation, opt for a foundation that provides light coverage and advertises an illuminating finish. This finish will give you that dewy skin that everyone wants.
- Apply your foundation lightly and evenly all over your face. You just want to apply a thin layer in order to cover up any blemishes, but you don’t want a makeup look that looks heavy.
5
Apply a bit of bronzer. The bohemian style emphasizes being one with nature. Being involved in nature means spending time outside, which means having a bit of a sun-kissed glow. Applying a little bit of bronzer on your cheekbones and forehead will give you a naturally kissed by the sun look. This will make you look healthy and fresh.
- Use the bronzer sparingly though. You just want to add a bit of glow.
6
Stick to neutral eye makeup. The cat eye and the smokey eyeliner are not good options if you want to emphasize the bohemian style. Best is to go without any eye makeup, but if you want to apply a little bit of eyeliner or mascara choose neutral earth tones such as olive green and brown.^{[2]
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Expert Source

Tannya Bernadette
Professional Stylist
Expert Interview. 10 May 2019.}
- Apply just a very thin line of eyeliner in order to emphasize your eyes, don’t draw thick lines, and only apply a few light coats of mascara.
7
Use a natural looking hue on your lips. If you want to wear something on your lips, keep it very natural. You can even just put on some lip balm with an SPF. If you want to use color, you should definitely avoid bright colors like red and pink. Instead, stick to peachy neutral tones that will add a bit of color to your lips, but will still look natural.
- Choosing a neutral lip shade that is right for you will depend on your skin tone and hue.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Dressing Bohemian

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Choose natural fabrics. With such a focus on being in harmony with nature, you should look for clothing that is made of natural fibers such as cheese cloth, hemp, and cotton. You could also include a few pieces that are made of chiffon, lace, or silk.^{[3]
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- Avoid fabrics such as polyester, which are made synthetically.
- Look for fabrics that have are fair trade and ethically sourced. If you aren’t sure and the shop owner can’t tell you, you can also search the internet for brands that have pledged to make their clothing out of fair trade fabrics.
2
Choose oversized, flowing pieces. The whole idea of bohemian style is free and flowing. Long maxi skirts or peasant skirts are good ideas, as well as tunics and light tops. Anything that makes you feel light and comfortable is a good choice.^{[4]
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Expert Source

Tannya Bernadette
Professional Stylist
Expert Interview. 10 May 2019.}
- You can also look for flowing dresses that you can then layer other pieces over or under to get an effortless look.
- Try to keep the layering towards the top of your body. You want the look the draw attention to your face, and if you do a lot of layering on the bottom (e.g. wearing pants under skirts) you will draw attention downwards which creates a “heavy” look.
3
Emphasize your flowing pieces with one or two fitted pieces. Though you can certainly wear everything loosely fitted, if you want to, you can also throw in a few fitted pieces. For example, if you are wearing a very flowy tunic, you might then put on a pair of tight leggings, which will give you a bit of shape while also emphasizing the flowy shirt.^{[5]
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4
Layer your clothing. You are trying to create a sort of relaxed hippie look. This means that you will want to layer clothes over each other to get a truly bohemian look. As the look has been inspired by travelling hippies who travelled with everything they owned, this means that they layered clothing over other pieces to keep warm and to avoid having to carry extra clothing.^{[6]
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- You can, for example, wear a tight fitting bralette under a flowing shirt, you can layer a jacket over a loose-fitting tunic, or even layer all three together.
- This has the added advantage that if you get warm or cold you always have a layer you can remove or put back on whenever you need to.
5
Look for second hand clothing. A true bohemian is unlikely to purchase brand new clothing as the style focuses on vintage clothing in addition to caring for the environment. Head to your nearest flea market or thrift shop where you can probably find good deals on clothing, and you may even be able to find original pieces from the 1960s and 1970s, which will really boost your bohemian wardrobe.
- If you know how to sew, you could even make your own clothing using whatever fabrics and patterns you like.
- If you do buy new clothing rather than going to your closest trendy clothing shop (think H&M) opt for independently owned small businesses where you can find out how and where the clothing was made. The clothing will certainly cost more, but it will also probably be of much better quality and will last you a lot longer.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Accessorizing Your Look

1
Paint your nails. If you like painting your nails you can do so, and you can even go a little crazy with it. While most of the bohemian style involves keeping everything simple and natural, you can spice things up a bit by painting a metallic gold or bronze on your nails. You can also stick with the natural look and choose a neutral shade.
- Don’t feel like you have to add polish to your nails. If you don’t want to, you don’t have to.
2
Add a few pieces of jewelry. If your outfit is pretty subtle, you can add a few bold pieces of jewellery, but stick to natural tones and avoid jewelry that is plastic. Instead, look for pieces that you like that are made from leather (avoid this if you are a vegan), shells, beads, and woven threads.^{[7]
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- Turquoise and wood are also great materials to use in jewelry. If you are having trouble finding bohemian jewelry, head to your local flea market or thrift store!
3
Choose handmade artisan crafts. Because the bohemian style places emphasis on being good to the environment, try to choose jewelry that is handmade by artisans. Don’t just go to the cheap jewelry store down the street and pick up a bunch of jewelry. Instead, go to a weekend market where artists are selling their work and look for jewelry there.
- If you don’t have weekly markets in your area look to see if there is an organic shopping center in your area. These shops typically sell food and household items, but they also sometimes offer a small selection of accessories.
4
Use belts, scarves, and hats to complete your look. If you feel like your outfit is still missing a little something, try adding a hat, scarf, or belt. You can use a pretty scarf in many different ways. You can wear it around your neck, drape it over your shoulders, or even tie it around your waist as a belt. If you have a thick, funky belt that you love, then wear it over a long flowy shirt to create a bit of shape.^{[8]
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- If you are having a bad hair day choose a floppy hat or a beanie to cover up your hair. Since one of the main ideas of bohemian style is layering, adding a few extra accessories can really complete the look.

Community Q&A

Question

How do I have hippie style?

Community Answer

There are some good tips in Dress Like You Were in the 1960s.
Question

I love bohemian style, but I also like country boots, leather vests and cowboy hats. Can they go together?

Community Answer

I think you can mix and match outfits like this - for instance the cowboy hat and a flowy bohemiam dress with nice sandals would look good. Then you can also do a black leather vest, a graphic tee with jeans/a dress that goes up to your knees, and cowboy boots (and the hat too, if you like).
Question

Can I wear a Hawaiian or floral polo for a bohemian outfit?

Ainsley

Community Answer

Yes, but make sure the print isn't too bright and obnoxious.

Warnings

Keep it simple. When you find lots of cool pieces of clothing with bright colors and lots of patterns, it can be difficult to know which ones to wear first. Avoid wearing too many colors and patterns at once, which will make you look like a clown rather than a bohemian. If you wear one bright piece of clothing, such as a shirt, then keep the rest of your outfit a bit more simple, sticking with neutral colors and patterns.

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