History

Bohemianism is the practice of an unconventional lifestyle, often in the company of like-minded people and with few permanent ties. It involves musical, artistic, literary or spiritual pursuits. Bohemians may or may not be wanderers, adventurers, or vagabonds.

Use of the word bohemian first appeared in the English language in the 19th century to describe the non-traditional lifestyles of marginalized artists, writers, journalists, musicians, and actors in major European cities.

Bohemians were associated with unorthodox  political or social viewpoints, which often were expressed through free love, and—in some cases—simple living or voluntary poverty. A more economically privileged, wealthy, or even aristocratic bohemian circle is sometimes referred to as haute bohème (literally "high Bohemia").

The term bohemianism emerged in France in the early 19th century when artists and creators began to concentrate in the lower-rent, lower class, Romani neighborhoods.

The term bohemian has come to be very commonly accepted in our day as the description of a certain kind of literary gypsy, no matter in what language he speaks, or what city he inhabits .... A Bohemian is simply an artist or "littérateur" who, consciously or unconsciously, secedes from conventionality in life and in art.— Westminster Review, 1862

The term has become associated with various artistic or academic communities and is used as a generalized adjective describing such people, environs, or situations: bohemian (boho—informal) is defined in The American College Dictionary as "a person with artistic or intellectual tendencies, who lives and acts with no regard for conventional rules of behavior."

Many prominent European and American figures of the 19th and 20th centuries belonged to the bohemian subculture, and any comprehensive "list of bohemians" would be tediously long. Bohemianism has been approved of by some bourgeois writers

 

Before the hippies, there were the beatniks, who came from the Beat Generation of the 1950s. The beatniks were a group of rebellious people that read and wrote poetry as a way to express themselves, and they spent most of their time in coffee houses filled with other beatniks. The Beat philosophy was generally countercultural and anti-materialistic, and stressed the importance of bettering one's inner self over material possessions. Openness to African American culture and arts was apparent in their literature and music, notably jazz..

During the 1960s, aspects of the Beat movement metamorphosed into the counterculture of the 1960s, accompanied by a shift in terminology from "beatnik" to "hippie”. There were stylistic differences between beatniks and hippies. Sombre colors, dark sunglasses, and goatees gave way to colorful psychedelic clothing and long hair. Unlike hippies, the Beats were known for keeping a low profile.

Originating from San Francisco, Hippies rejected established institutions, criticized middle class values, opposed nuclear weapons and the Vietnam War, championed sexual liberation, were often vegetarian and eco-friendly, promoted the use of psychedelic drugs which they believed expanded one's consciousness, and created intentional communities or communes. 

Rather than setting a sign against politics back then, the hippies wanted to promote the thought of self-realization, escaping the pressure of society and finding new ways to live life itself. They thrived on the rejection of the establishment of corporate culture and conservative values. They perceived the dominant culture as a corrupt, monolithic entity that exercised undue power over their lives, calling this culture "The Establishment", "Big Brother", or "The Man". 

They used alternative arts, psychedelic rock, street theatre, folk music, peaceful sit-ins and rallies as a part of their lifestyle and as a way of expressing their feelings, their protests and their vision of the world and life.

After the French revolution, frustrated by the small-mindedness of bourgeois middle-class life which focused largely on propriety, and deprived of the former system of patronage, many writers, artists and other cultural influencers were calling for a return to freedom, feeling, and the wholehearted embrace of the spirit.  Dubbed Romantics, writers and artists began to promote the value of intuition and emotion over rationalism in defining both the arts and the human experience. Many took up a nomadic lifestyle, lived cheaply, and wore worn out and unfashionable or used clothing. In this endeavour, they elevated artists to heroes in the popular imagination—devoted individualists who were capable of fighting back against the greed of bourgeoisie and somewhat eccentric geniuses whose creativity was displayed in the way they lived and dressed.

As the movement gained momentum, however, people started associating this new artistic type to wandering gypsies, and so, the Bohemian counter-culture was born – indicative of a lifestyle rather than a nationality. Writers like Henry Murger—whose famous work "Scenes de la Vie de Boheme" brought the word Bohemian into the public consciousness and worked to glorify and legitimize Bohemia—made a great effort to distance the term from the much-maligned ‘gypsies’ of central Europe who were viewed as thieves and assassins. 

They were quick to establish the idea that this new breed of artistic outsider was, if not noble, at least operating with a sense of higher purpose and pursuing truth, beauty, freedom, and love above all else.

"Boho" is an abbreviation of Bohemian Homeless, self-descriptive of the style. It is a style that disengages itself from mainstream fashion and might best be described as "a look of contrived dishevelment." Boho fashion is romantic and flowing and often includes vintage items and elements from various cultures. The colors used are rich and vibrant, and patterns are mixed with abandon. Garments are frequently long and loose, and outfits are layered. No Boho outfit is complete without accessories such as necklaces, bracelets and dangly earrings.

The Boho look became especially popular after Sienna Miller's appearance at the Glastonbury Festival in 2004, although some of its features were apparent from photographs of her taken in October 2003 and of others living in or around North Kensington, an area of London associated with bohemian culture since the mid-1950s.

The term Boho “Chic”, meaning elegant and refined in French, is simply a more curated Boho look. It is a style of fashion drawing on various bohemian and hippie influences, which, at its height in late 2005 was associated particularly with actress Sienna Miller and model Kate Moss in the United Kingdom and actress and businesswoman Mary-Kate Olsen in the United States. It has been seen since the early 1990s and, although appearing to wane from time to time, has repeatedly re-surfaced in varying guises.