About Boho Clothing – A Trend That Never Dies

Fashion is a funny thing. On one hand you've got the regular high street fare, inspired by the crazy, often totally impractical catwalk creations of the previous year or two. The shapes, colours and styles that wowed the fashion industry at catwalk level, at events like London Fashion Week, eventually appear in the shops watered down for everyday wear.

But there's more to life than the catwalk. On the other hand you've got a rich seam of underground fashion, clothing loved by people who don't want to follow the crowd and prefer to make their own unique way in the world. This encompasses hippie clothing, gypsy and boho styling, all of which never really fall out of favour. Years come, years go and people still adore beautiful, unusual, personality-filled boho fashion.

Now and again a celebrity is photographed in a boho outfit, and the look returns to the common consciousness. Take the early 2000s, when boho chic took the world by storm. The designer Savannah Miller helped to make it go mainstream, as did supermodel Kate Moss and the USA's formidable actress-business leader Mary-Kate Olsen. But when, where and how did boho style originate?

The original Bohemians were travellers from central Europe, borne out by the fact that Boho is short for 'Bohemian Homeless'. The French word bohemian translates as 'gypsy or Roma people' and later it was applied to the world's greatest fictional detective, Sherlock Holmes, as well as Winston Churchill, who shocked Canada in 1943 by wearing a loose, unbleached linen suit. But we like Savannah Miller's definition best. In her words a real Bohemian is “Someone who has the ability to appreciate beauty on a deep level, is a profound romantic, doesn't know any limits, whose world is their own creation, rather than living in a box ”

To delve deep into the history of boho fashion, we have to go right back to the Pre-Raphaelites, a rebellious collection of artists and artisans who revolutionised the art, craft, architecture and design world back in the mid to late 1800s. They adored imaginative, loose, artistic robes and flowing outfits, very different from the formal, tight, restrictive fashions of the times.

Boho clothing has come in and out of fashion ever since, peaking in the 1960s during the famous Summer of Love and again in the late '70s when everyone was wearing layered frilly skirts and peasant blouses. It resurfaced in the early 1990s. The Ibiza house music scene inspired a flurry of boho fashion fun between 2007-2008 and during the worst of the global recession between 2008-10, broderie anglaise was a strong trend.

Roll time forward to the present day and fashion bloggers are talking about boho beach outfits complete with '60s style floppy straw hats, crocheted vest tops and espadrilles. Fringed boots are all over the shops.  Paisley print is big again, as are flowing, patterned maxi dresses and fringed handbags. Embroidered pure white peasant blouses and layered maxi skirts are huge. And frayed denim cut-offs are still very much with us.

Take a look at our gorgeous line of unusual clothing and see what tickles your boho fancy!