How to Look Boho Chic

Co-authored by Joanne Gruber

Last Updated: February 1, 2023 References

“Boho Chic” describes a style that includes flowy clothing, vintage and ethnic-inspired accessories, and natural-looking hair and makeup. The phrase became popular in 2002, when Australian journalist Laura Demasi used it to describe the eclectic look that was then in Vogue.^{[1]
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Research source} Although it's been over 10 years since Demasi's article, Boho Chic is still a popular style.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Choosing Boho Chic Clothing

1
Choose clothing in natural tones and fabrics. When building your Boho Chic wardrobe, choose items made from natural fabrics such as cotton, linen, velvet, chiffon, silk, leather, suede, and fur.
- You'll also want to choose items in natural tones and colors — for example, white, beige, brown, earthy reds and oranges, and dark greens.
- Note that wearing fur is considered by many to be cruel and unethical. If you like the look but don't want to wear real fur, there are many good faux fur clothing items available.
2
Say yes to lace, crochet and other embellishments. Crocheted and lace dresses, tops, hats, and bags are staples of Boho Chic. Beads, fringe, and embroidery are also hugely popular, and can appear in your clothing and your accessories.

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3
Experiment with fun patterns. Boho Chic clothing comes in many patterns: floral and avant-garde-style accents are popular, as are checks and ethnic-inspired prints.
- If you do experiment with fun patterns, be sure to pair them with relatively neutral items for a balanced outfit.
4
Think comfort. A key ingredient in Boho Chic style is comfort — you'll see a lot of soft, loose-fitting, flowy clothes, often worn in layers.
- Maxi dresses (full-length, usually loose-fitting dresses) are a great example of the flowy comfort common to Boho Chic.^{[2]
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  Expert Source
  
  Joanne Gruber
  Professional Stylist
  Expert Interview. 30 July 2019.}
- Cut-offs and a flowy white lace top paired with a long, beige knitted sweater is another example of a comfortable Boho Chic outfit.
5
Combine fitted and flowy clothes. Not everything you wear has to be flowy — you can combine flowy shirts with fitted pants or skirts, or vice versa. Here's an example of an outfit you could wear in colder months, when the rain and snow make flowy dresses and skirts impractical:
- Pair some faded, fitted light-blue jeans with a white chambray top and a big, knitted, neutral-toned sweater.
- Add interest to the outfit with a long silver-chain necklace punctuated by a pretty stone pendant — turquoise would work well.
- You could also combine this outfit with a colorful, jewel-toned scarf.
- For shoes, go with brown, tan, or beige ankle boots with a relatively low, chunky heel. (Think cowboy boot heels.)
6
Wear shoes in natural shades and fabrics. Ballet flats and ethnic-inspired sandals (i.e. Greek, Roman, or African) are the generally accepted staples of Boho Chic. For cooler weather, you can wear cowboy boots, ankle boots with thick heels, or high '70s-inspired boots.
- Leather and suede are the preferred fabrics for shoes; natural shades such as beige, tan, and brown are recommended.
- If you're vegan, it's possible to buy convincing vegan “leather” versions of natural leather shoes.
7
Avoid neon. Bright colors are great for adding heat to your Boho Chic outfit; just make sure they're colors you would find in nature — for example, jewel tones like ruby red or sapphire blue, or the bright green-blue of a clear mountain lake.
8
Don't go overboard. With all the patterns and layers available, building a Boho Chic outfit can be daunting. Avoid the temptation to wear all of your favourite things at once. You'll also want to avoid being too colourful: aim for mostly neutral tones plus one or two accent colors.
- It's also important to consider textures. Wearing patterned pants with a lace top and a crocheted fringe vest would definitely be going overboard.
- Similarly If you're wearing a beaded top, it may be overkill to wear a bunch of beaded necklaces with it.
- If you're unsure of what sort of color combinations to use, an online search for “Boho Chic color combinations” will return a lot of creative suggestions.
9
Dress for your body type. If you're curvier, look for items with more structure, as flowy items and layers can make you look bigger than you are.^{[3]
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- If you're thin and short, you may get lost in long, flowy layers; aim for shorter tops and/or skirts, slimmer fits, and shoes with heels.^{[4]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Accessorizing

1
Know that accessorizing is a must. Boho Chic is all about layers, and accessories are an important part of this.
2
Wear bracelets. Bracelets are a must-have for the Boho Chic style. Thin silver bangles and colorful, woven Mexican bracelets are amongst the most popular types. For a creative twist, you could also wear wooden bangles.
- You can wear bracelets on your ankles (i.e. anklets) too! Thin, dangly silver ones are nice.
- You can also wear bracelets (also known as armbands) on your upper arms: braided and metal armbands are popular.
3
Wear dangly earrings. Boho Chic earrings are dangly and often combine metal and natural stones. They can also include feathers and leather. As with everything that is Boho Chic, seek out natural shades and materials.
4
Wear a necklace. Boho Chic necklaces range in lengths, but what they're composed of is generally the same: natural materials and colors.
- Leather, metals, stones, shells, fringe, cottons and wools are common materials. (These are also common materials for earrings and bracelets.)
- Ethnic-inspired pieces are particularly popular.
5
Get at least one hat. Fedoras and floppy, wide-brimmed hats are popular in Boho Chic, as are crocheted caps. Floppy, wide-brimmed hats in neutral tones are often paired with long dresses, or with flowy tops and short shorts.^{[5]
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Expert Source

Joanne Gruber
Professional Stylist
Expert Interview. 30 July 2019.}
6
Buy a headband. Floral headbands were hugely popular in summer 2015. Other types of head pieces that are popular include braided headbands and chain tiaras.
- Tying scarves or bandanas around your hair or wearing them as headbands is also popular.
7
Get a colorful handbag. Colorfully patterned handbags as well as handbags with fringe and tassels are popular Boho Chic choices. As with everything Boho Chic, aim for natural fabrics and shades.
8
Wear vintage-style sunglasses. Big sunglasses in varying shapes are key elements of Boho Chic. Round glasses and aviators are quite popular, but anything big and vintage-looking will do — choose what looks best on your face!
9
Don't overdo it. Select your accessories carefully, taking your entire outfit into consideration. You want to make sure that a) your accessories match the tone of your outfit, and b) they aren't competing with each other.
- You don't need to wear five necklaces with big stone pendants on them: just choose the one that looks best with your outfit.
- You probably don't want to wear a chain tiara with jeans and a simple white top. It would be more appropriate with a summery maxi dress.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Doing Your Makeup and Hair

1
Buy makeup in neutral shades. The idea is to look natural without appearing washed out. To figure out what shades of makeup to buy, look at your face when you're flushed:
- After working out or doing something that gets your heart rate up, have a look at your face. What color are your cheeks and lips? These are the colors you want to aim for in doing your Boho Chic makeup.
2
Ensure that your skin looks even and unblemished. If you have perfect skin, lucky you! If you're like the rest of us, you'll want to put some concealer on any breakouts, and perhaps even put a foundation on your whole face.
- If your skin is pretty smooth, with only some light redness, try a tinted moisturizer, BB cream or CC cream instead of a full foundation. This will help even out your skin without being too thick or cakey.
- If your face is shiny, apply a light powder foundation. Do it with a brush instead of the applicator to help it spread more evenly.
3
Apply a highlighter. Highlighting balms and powders are wonderful for adding a bit of extra glow to your face. Apply it to the inner corners of your eyes (the skin beside your tear ducts), your upper cheekbones, and in that little V-shaped dip where your philtrum meets your lips.
- If you're feeling adventurous, you can also apply a highlighter to other parts of your face, such as your chin and forehead.^{[6]
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4
Apply blush to your cheeks. Once your face looks clear, add some light blush to your cheeks. Smile and apply a light dusting of blush from the apples of your cheeks outwards, following the natural curve of your cheek.
- When applying blush, think youthful radiance, not post-intense workout.
- A little bit of blush along the bridge of your nose will help give you a sun-kissed look — just don't go overboard lest you wind up looking sick, with a red nose.
- If you're tanned or have darker skin, you can use a bronzer instead of blush.
5
Play up your eyes. Boho Chic makeup ranges from neutral to smokey eyes. For a more traditional Boho Chic, look, wear shades that play up your eyes without making it obvious that you're wearing makeup.
- Earthy browns, reds, and golds are popular paired with a non-clumping black mascara on curled lashes.
- If you do go for a more dramatic look on your eyes, stick with a neutral lip, otherwise you'll risk looking overly made up.
6
Have healthy-looking lips. If you wear nothing else on your lips, wear lip balm to keep your lips looking soft and juicy.
- If you want to wear lipstick, choose something that looks natural on you.
- Glosses, stains, and moisturizing lipsticks in pink, peach, and wine and berry shades are popular.
- Avoid vibrant matte lipsticks and sparkly glosses — these will look unnatural on your lips.
7
Go for a natural look with your hair. Boho Chic hair is most popularly shown as being long and wavy, and in natural browns, reds, and blondes.
- If you don't have long hair, don't worry, just aim for a hairstyle that looks classic — ideally not spikey, razored, or shaved.
- Loose braids and loose waves are amongst the most popular styles worn.
- If you insist upon flat ironing your hair, give it a bit of curve at the bottom so that it doesn't look unnaturally straight.

Expert Q&A
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Question

How can I make a boho-chic outfit look a little edgier?

Joanne Gruber
Professional Stylist
Joanne Gruber is the owner of The Closet Stylist, a personal style service combining wardrobe editing with organization. She has worked in the fashion and style industries for over 10 years.

Joanne Gruber

Professional Stylist

Expert Answer

Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

A lot of girls are getting into skater brands and pairing Vans with their boho-chic outfits. It makes it a little less feminine.
Question

What are some boho chic essentials?

Joanne Gruber
Professional Stylist
Joanne Gruber is the owner of The Closet Stylist, a personal style service combining wardrobe editing with organization. She has worked in the fashion and style industries for over 10 years.

Joanne Gruber

Professional Stylist

Expert Answer

Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

A good camel color hat that’s versatile is great. I also love a maxi dress with a belt.
Question

Can you add a flower crown as an accessory?

Community Answer

Definitely! Flower crowns can be considered Boho Chic.

Warnings

Make sure your eclectic outfit matches. There's a fine line between Boho Chic and looking like you tried to put on every piece of jewelry you own.

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