Bo·he·mi·an
bōˈhēmēən
noun: Bohemian
1. a native or inhabitant of Bohemia.
2. a person who has informal and unconventional social habits, especially an artist or writer.
"the young bohemians with their art galleries and sushi bars"
synonyms: nonconformist, free spirit
antonyms: conservative
adjective: Bohemian
1. relating to Bohemia or its people.
2. having informal and unconventional social habits.
"the bohemian writer's drafty-garret existence"
synonyms: unconventional, nonconformist, unorthodox, avant-garde, irregular, offbeat, alternative
antonyms: conventional
There's so much more to being a bohemian than just dressing the part. Bohemianism is a lifestyle and if you're here checking out my post that means you totally get that.
So welcome, my bohemian sisters!
One of my favorite books is Bohemian Manifesto: A Field Guide to Living on the Edge by Laren Stover. It's not really a lifestyle guide, it's more just for fun but there's so much truth in it! The artwork is amazing and I often find myself laughing out loud and nodding in agreement because she hits the nail on the head so much on how bohemians live. Also, in the book she puts bohemians into five categories:
Nouveau:
Bohemians who are rich who but join traditional bohemianism with contemporary culture
Gypsy:
The expatriate types, they create their own Gypsy ideal of nirvana wherever they go
Beat:
Also drifters, but non-materialist and art-focused
Zen:
"Post-beat," focus on spirituality rather than art
Dandy:
They have no money, but try to appear as if they have it by buying and displaying expensive or rare items – such as brands of alcohol
I think Stover's breakdown is humorous and insightful, and there much truth to what she’s saying! I have a more modern and realistic idea about what categories bohemians would fall into, though. Stover's been a leading authority in defining bohemians with her book but I'd still like to bring my ideas to the table in a bit of friendly competition, so be sure to let me know what you think in a comment below.
► HIPPIE ◄
A common misconception about bohemians is that they're all hippies but in fact it's the other way around. Did you know that bohemians (subculture) came waaaaay before hippies? Yeah! Dating back to the writers, artists and poets during the Victorian era, the bohemians spawned the beats in the 50s and from the beats came hippies in the 60 and 70s!
Hippies are friendly, generous people who love the Mother Earth and all her creatures big and small. As a hippie woman, you will go above and beyond to reduce your footprint by becoming as self-sustainable as possible by recycling, upcycling, gardening and even going off-grid completely.
Hippies are friendly, generous people who love the Mother Earth and all her creatures big and small. As a hippie woman, you will go above and beyond to reduce your footprint by becoming as self-sustainable as possible by recycling, upcycling, gardening and even going off-grid completely.
You probably have a small group of like-minded friends, or you're a total loner, doing your own thing, never letting society's opinion of you affect how you dress or act (or shave!). You prefer natural material for your clothing including cotton, hemp, silk and high-quality leather that will last a lifetime.
► CLASSIC ◄
You do whatever the heck you want. You are rebellious by nature and struggle with following rules at work, school, home... life. If the fashion magazines say long blonde hair is in, you're most likely to grab the nearest pair of scissors, cut a few inches, and rush to the nearest drugstore for a box of jet black hair dye. You cringe when someone refers to your clothing as "boho-chic" because your pattern mixing, ethnic jewelry and vintage clothing are a true expression of who you really are - NOT a fashion trend.
Sometimes people are intimidated by you because they fear what they don't understand and you are the epitome of unique. Whether through prose or poetry, art, fashion, music, or even knitting, you must expresses yourself creatively or you will go insane. You're hedonistic and resourceful so know how to live like a queen on a pauper's budget and darling, you do it well!
► GYPSY ◄
You're restless, you get bored easily and the travel bug often bites you hard. Because you're a bohemian, you are naturally very clever and find all kinds of tricks and hacks to travel near and far on the cheap. You can fit a week's worth of clothes in a carry on and when you get to your destination, you still manage to look like an absolute goddess. You're not fond of mainstream destinations, but you'll go wherever an $80 plane ticket takes you when the itch to get out becomes too strong. While abroad, you don't buy ethnic clothes to collect and store away, you buy clothes from the natives to actually wear. Your style can only be described as "global." Your home decor consists mostly of your findings during travel, and you could never part with a single piece of it as it's all priceless treasures to you.
► POET ◄
You're an eccentric introvert who's often lost deep in thought. Your home is your sanctuary and you prefer the company of cats over people and will chose a quiet night at home with a book over a raging house party any day. You're a night owl and when the leaves one the trees start to change colors in autumn you burst with joy inside. Yes, you adore autumn, but we'll never see you on Instagram posing with a pumpkin spice latte because you hate following trends... (that doesn't mean you wont stealthily slip in and out of a Starbucks to get one in desperate times, though). Dark and stormy evenings are one of your life's greatest little joys and people often refer to you as a goth but you're far too eclectic to fit into that box. You mostly express yourself with poetry and photography. You thrift shop for records, not because it's "cool" but because you'd rather lick a toad than listen to mainstream music. You prefer to wear dark colors, maybe even all black, but you don't believe in a "basic" wardrobe; your style is quite dramatic and unique.
►GODDESS◄
Your body is a temple you care for it inside and out all day every day. I'm very certain your exercise of choice is yoga or dance and if you're not a vegan, I'd be willing to bet that those are free-range eggs in your fridge. You start your day with a smoothie and end it with your favorite nighttime yoga sequence and/or mediation. You love to wake up early and bask in the quiet of morning. You are calm and focused and can't be bothered much with current fashion trends and pop culture. You like to dress simply and comfortably because you never know when the urge might strike you to lead an impromptu yoga session in the park. You prefer kombucha over coffee and those crystals and stones in your window sill aren't just for decoration... they're charging.
Which one are you?
I'm definitely a Classic!
I think I am a "hippie" which is funny because my boyfriend (who is so far off from any sort of bohemian) is always calling me a hippie which in his mind is not a good thing at all, we have lots of arguments over how I choose to live and the things I believe.
ReplyDeleteYou keep doing you, babe!
DeleteI'm definitely Hippie Gypsy !
ReplyDeleteGood combo!!
DeleteI'm a mixture of Hippie and Classic.
ReplyDeleteWhat a groovy mix!
DeleteI love your definitions. I would say I hail a little bit from Goddess, Gypsy, and Hippie. I've always been what my friends consider "a lil different". I love me tho!
ReplyDeleteHa ha that's awesome!!
DeleteI'm a mix of classic and poet - my friends have described me as "a little bit Boho, a little bit Goth"!
ReplyDeleteBoho and goth, can we call you a BOGO? Hee hee ;)
DeleteClassic/Goddess for sure
ReplyDeleteI love that book too!!! I had to find it, as soon as I read that. Looks like I’ll be cracking that spine again.
ReplyDeleteI encompass a bit from all of the definitions, in one aspect or another.
Bohemian Manifesto is so much fun!
DeleteBetween Poet and Goddess for sure
DeleteI fancy myself among the Beat/Classic.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely a Poet...leave me and the cats alone and bring on the thunderstorms...ah life is good.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting! I am a healthy mix of classic and goddess. They all speak to me a bit but those are the ones that stand out the most.
ReplyDeleteI am a beautiful blend of hippie,and goddess with any given day classic!
ReplyDeleteHey, just found this post now. What wonderful definitions, I can imagine there are people who resonate with each and every one. I found myself in the Goddess! Indeed the crystals are charging, and what's that, something fitted to wear? No way, hand over the flowy kaftan please!
ReplyDeleteI'm definitely a hippie! I am just now free-ing myself to do what I want and how I want though. Hey! Better late than never!!! I'm starting me at 66 years old! Hollie, thank you for the blog, I don't feel so alone anymore!
ReplyDeleteI'm absolutely a Goddess ;)
ReplyDeleteDefinitely a Gipsy but with some Classic flare ☀️
ReplyDeleteI’m a mix of Hippie and Gypsy ☀️🤗
ReplyDeleteI'm a classic gypsy poet ��
ReplyDeleteI was told once that I could not follow a Bohemian lifestyle and be a Christian. I am Zen and a Christian.
ReplyDeleteOh that is simply not true! I think that comes from people not understanding what bohemianism is.
DeleteHippie Goddess oh yeah!
ReplyDelete