Fashion Notes: Rise of the bourgeois bohemian

Katie Trotter

Remember the start of the century? Girls with embossed belts, buckled bags, maxi dresses and maxi hair wafting around in floaty numbers imbued with romance. Well, either we are observing the cyclical nature of fashion first hand, or we are developing a hunger for catastrophe – for it’s back, sort of.

Who knows, perhaps we are destined for a lifetime of hoops, loops and unselfconscious gaiety, for bohemianism is certainly the pesky mosquito of trends – one that keeps coming back for more.

It’s a funny old term, and one that has certainly been bandied about a fair bit this century. What started as a disparaging connotation given to Roma Gypsies, who the French believed originated in Bohemia in central Europe, has over time become a somewhat romantic notion, associated with those awash (although not much washing seems to take place) with musical and artistic creativity.

Certainly, it seems to divide the rest of us into two very opposing camps. Those who fancy themselves as a little ‘offbeat’ (often associated with illusions of grandeur) and those who view themselves well above such silly nonsense.

In case of any confusion, those who recognise any of the following: jingly jangly fabrics bought on bargain-hunting expeditions in the Far East, boots with fringing, a house that bulges with Moroccan tealights, poufs or cushions, or you earn upwards of Dh500,000 from following your ‘creative vision’, are probably in the former. But you don’t need me to tell you that – you’re probably far too busy dusting off your Tibetan tassel skirts with an austere (if not slightly smug) refusal of the norm.

Essentially, what we are dealing with here is the bourgeois bohemian – the grown-up love child if you so like. One who can tolerate a certain amount of experimentation, so long as they can have an early night and a cup of tea.

All in all, the aim is to emulate the hint of a person and wardrobe well travelled. Nothing to do with the mad, grungy type expected, mind you. The mood is light, almost dreamlike in quality, with an affinity for anything lace, sequined, pom-pommed or embroidered. It is certainly not a season for brash colour: try cream, blush, soft turquoise, salmon pink and soft sunny yellow. Fine printed chiffon is a good starting point from which to build.

Remember that above all, it is the styling that will put you ahead – the idea is to make your outfit look anything but put together. Think soup-kitchen chic (if you can).

Plenty of accessories will help those who are a little less courageous: layers and layers of glinting, beaded jewellery will work well, as will a soft suede ankle boot with a stocky heel in sand, rust or dark grey. You’ll also probably need a kimono (this season’s must-have, despite the absurdity), with some expensive and intricate beading work if you want to raise the game. So you may not want to set the world on fire anymore, but at least you will look the part swanning around pretending to shun those who destroy the harmony of experimentation.

Oscar Wilde once said: "One should either be a work of art, or wear a work of art. Now I'm all for defying convention but I am not sure anybody (omitting those from their first term of art school) really wants to be mistaken for Rossetti's Blessed Damsel. Who knows, I'd love to be wrong. But for all the rest of us 'followers', perhaps this watered-down highbrow approach to bohemian style may just hit the mark. Let's face it, there's nothing remotely anti- establishment about any of it.