What is Boho in 2023?

From Slipknot to Boho

A couple days ago I was having a dinner table conversation with my teenager.  She mentioned a kid in her class who was "So Emo".  Naturally, as a Gen-X'er, I was picturing them moping around, shy and reserved, looking like Morrissey.  She was like "Yeah, they really love Slipknot."  My head spun around and I realized that, yet again, kids have redefined a word I thought I knew.

The Boho label is getting slapped on everything these days.

That happens, and I'm here for it.  But sometimes it takes some getting used to.

A Bohemian History

The Boho label is getting slapped on everything these days. But the more I see, the more I feel the need to ask:  What exactly is Boho in 2023? How is it different than the descriptor that lives in my head?

The Bohemian style originally focused on color, life, and culture as its main aspects, seeking to replicate the Romani nomadic lifestyle.

Color, Life and Culture are the key components

Boho, of course, comes from the word Bohemian, or the French "bohémien", meaning Romani. These original Bohemian people lead unconventional lives, sometimes in a colony. Their wardrobe would reflect the offbeat nature of their lives.  Often times it consisted of different fabrics, jewelry, and materials gathered from a wide-ranging area.  This added a richness and "worldliness" to the look that is a key to emulating it in our modern culture.

Can jeans from Target be Boho?

Now this word is popping up everywhere. Target to Costco both carry fashion items or home decor that they tout as "Boho Chic". The word is now so overused because it's become a token which opens peoples imagination to a world very different than our own. It takes a simple bag at the mall and elevates it to an internationally-gathered keepsake (in our minds at least). "Would you like to see my Boho bag?" It makes the average consumer product more interesting and adds a story that may or may not be behind it.

Cosmo magazine says with just a few key pieces you too can be Boho (and, as it implies, more interesting). Just grab some denim, crochet and add some patchwork elements and you're suddenly a worldwide traveler.

Beyond Mass Produced Boho

But what if you’re looking for something richer than that? Something that actually has a bit of a story behind it?  Boho style can be less a trend and more of a natural part of your experience when you look in the vintage and hand crafted world.  Even if you didn't exist in the 1960's, you can wear something that did.  Even if you didn't choose the stones and make that leather beaded necklace yourself, you can buy them from someone who did.  You may not be a nomad wandering Eastern Europe, but you can still curate your own style with handmade and vintage items that you've encountered over your life, much the way the Romani did.

The key is to let your lifestyle and experience dictate your personal Boho style.  Don't let Target do it for you.

Boho Is About Your Personal Journey

There is absolutely nothing that beats finding a vintage pair of jeans or a rustic end table to compliment your lounge space. Or discovering a hand made piece of art that speaks to you. When you look at those things, you'll remember a time in your life, an experience you had, or a place that you traveled.  By definition it should be unique, exciting, eclectic, natural, and interesting to you.  It consists of elements you may have curated from people and places you've encountered.  Even if your travels consist of browsing the internet in your modern pseudo-nomadic lifestyle.

These are the elements that enrich our lives. And if this excites you too, maybe you’re more Boho than you thought.