I was a child during the early 2000s boho revival, a time when the Olsen twins were everybody’s muses and the Chloé brand was functionally Niagara Falls in that trickle-down fashion era. At that age, I was unaware of the epic fashion moments happening around me. I only became fashion conscious halfway through the 2010s, when boho had been watered down to mass-market tchotchkes that the moms around me seemed to covet: huge necklaces, swishy skirts, flouncy blouses. It felt dated and cheap, filling up the aisles of Ross stores near you.
I disliked it partly because it was the uniform of my mom’s generation and I was at the age where moms were uncool, and partly because it was dated and the fashion world had moved on to more stream-lined masculine silhouettes – structured, solid, not a hint of shear, practical, elegant (I thought at the time).
The fashion pendulum swung hard: we got minimalism, dainty jewelry, and athleisure. Post-pandemic, we got dopamine dressing and a y2k revival, but still the silhouettes remained structured – harder somehow. Only a few of Gen Z’s “cores” hinted at the coming softness and bohemian shift we’re seeing now: cottage-core, soft-girl, coastal grandma, coastal cowgirl.
But now. Now, we get Chemena Kamali’s Fall 2024 runway show for Chloé: all flowing shear fabrics fluttering behind models with huge belts slung low across their hips. Lace dresses tucked into thigh high leather boots, ruffles, clogs, and thick gold accessories. It sounds excessive until you look at the pictures and realize these are women who would be at home and comfortable strutting on the sidewalks of any major city of the west (namely, Paris) – an extremely fashionable woman.
This is most definitely not the boho I grew up with. It is more like the original 1970s version and so freaking elevated. This is Parisian to the nth degree. The drama of capes, long jackets, and mesh panels practically airborne as the models strut down the runway – this is only possible because of focus on luxurious fabrics. In an age where every garment I have access to in my local stores is mostly polyester or acrylic, couture sets the standards for what our clothes can actually be. This flowyness – the way these models shift in these dresses, the way their thick woolen capes flutter behind them – is enviable and kind of relaxing.
It is relaxed, but it doesn’t look casual, which is what I love about this show. There is nothing sports-wear about this. No combining high and low. Just extremely classy, classic, formal pieces (stockings, flats, leather boots, skirts, blouses, dresses, long coats), but done with creativity and interest. I’ve always thought bohemian style should be more like this, charming, hinting at a bigger world, the identity of the mysterious traveler.
One person on r/femalefashionadvice had an extremely insightful comment (link):
“Boho chic” doesn’t really refer to, for example, Vanessa Hudgens at Coachella anymore. “Boho” in the 2020s is just Christian Girl Autumn. It’ll never be a subversive (see: liberal) aesthetic again because it’s been tamed down and became a basic (see: conservative) aesthetic.”
I feel that Kamali’s show and 2024’s boho chic revival has at least removed “Christian Girl Autumn” connotation, even if it can’t make the style subversive…because you can’t subvert something that’s dying out already.
One quote from Chemena Kamali I think really summarizes her (and the world’s) feelings about this show:
“I think there’s this longing for undone-ness and freedom and softness and movement, and when you look at history, it’s rooted in the ’70s, when people wanted to free themselves from conventions and traditional lifestyles and sexuality.”
I’m considering key pieces like bootcut jeans, thigh-high boots, lace, chunky necklaces and sunglasses, chiffon tunic tops, shear fabrics, delicate grandma-lace and frippery, furry headbands that give “beret” or “russian trapper hat”, mesh, fringe, classic trench-coats, fringe, massive hobo bags, dramatic trench-coats, rib-knit cardigans, belts at the hip, long black trousers that puddle at the ankles.
The colors are muted and neutral: black, grey, olive-green, mauve, neutral peach, brown, tan. With the exception of this one brilliant sky-blue dress, an ode to the trendy colors of this 2024 summer.
You wear feminine flowy silhouettes with more fabric than is maybe necessary. But you don’t hide your curves. You are wafting effortlessly through a room like the smoke of sweet-smelling incense. You feel free to move, free to work, able to eat as much as you want, lift your arms above your head, sit cross-legged on the ground. Your garments are feminine, lacy, maybe a bit excessive.
Not everything is made to look purely functional, but it truly is. That huge hobo bag on your arm carries everything you need, but the slouchy leather renders it light as a feather. Those thigh-high leather boots provide warmth and a bit of coverage, but are still sexy af. Oversized sunglasses that are so useful, practical sturdy heels on shoes – platforms, wedge clogs and boots made for walking.
Speaking of those clogs, I thought it was extremely interesting that everyone in the front row (mostly Chloé girls who modeled for the fashion house since the 2000s) at this show were wearing the same. exact. clogs. I have to point this out, for those super into the trends.
Apparently these wedges were handed out to all of these women for fun, to make a statement. This amazing blog has the full story -> (link).
I love this. This is a fashion-forward way to bring comfort and femininity back into my wardrobe simultaneously. The philosophy of boho in 2024 is beautiful and aligns with my own – ease of movement, flowy fabrics, and a rejection of convention.
I want to embrace the carefree, artistic spirit of boho. It’s feminine, soft, and light, with fluid, airy fabrics. I am planning to step out of my minimalist turtle shell a little bit. I’m giving myself more permission and freedom to explore this softer, more romantic aesthetic. That doesn’t mean I’m going to go out and buy an entirely new wardrobe, far from it. I don’t recommend you do that either. But I’m inspired, and I think as I slowly acquire pieces and evolve the way I present myself, this style will also slowly find its way into my closet.
