where can I find decently bohemian clothes?!

[Pheasantlysurprised]

I don't mean the hippy look exactly, it is difficult to describe, but I will try!

Simple colours, good fabrics, flowing designs, but not architectural or scandi (definitely not Cos or Arket and not oversized like Toast) Nothing bulky. It isn't something on the regular high street but it is not loud like Gudrun either.

Think antique dealer in a nineties episode of Midsomer Murders. It's neither hippy or gothic but something elegantly in between. It isn't work focused either, so lovely and comfy with unfussy lines.

It is not conservative, but the colours will be muted...cashmere scarf, wrap, long skirt, good boots, flowing coat, some velvet maybe.....at the risk of sounding like a complete arse I would describe it as perhaps bohemian academic, classical music, middle/upper middle, soft, long wavy hair and perhaps rounded glasses, wool coat almost touching floor, shawl, sort of autumnal spires of Oxford or semi rural.
It isn't eccentric exactly but it is not 'on trend'.

Everywhere I look I just find trendy floral-polyester-overpriced shite. Even brands that used to cater to this aesthetic are pretty much selling thin, unlined tat for over £100 now. I don't mind spending but never do as I can't find anything I like.

Poetry (sleek cashmere tunics) and Plumo (long velour gown) are the closest I can find but neither quite fit the bill.

How would you describe this look and where could I search?

Old Town and many a few items from Community Clothing. Filter out the brightly coloured hoodies, there are also some decent cotton shirts and dresses, denim trousers and plain lambswool knitwear.

It’s absolutely true that one can shop almost anywhere that sells good, plain clothes and achieve a bohemian look. But if starting from scratch one might not go straight for brands that primarily offer stiff, utilitarian clothing …

OP you probably have more suggestions than you can manage in a season - but in truth you could simply throw a limitless credit card at Gucci, Jil Sander, Balenciaga … Add a few singular jewels and a well-read demeanour - et voilà!

Thank you for sharing more links and images!

I hadn't given a lot of thought to budget, as I am willing to slowly collect items that I like, but it isn't quite 'Oxford lady' I am thinking of fabrics that wouldn't look good cheaply sourced though, so not quite couture but definitely not the regular high street either.

I think many of you have got the idea, and helped me to translate it better! It is a very quiet look, almost like a whisper. It doesn't shout 'look at my status' or anything else really. You could even call it mousey, and even though it has lovely textures it doesn't instantly hit you as anything special.

As for the pp who mentioned being plump - I think this is the kind of style that doesn't require anyone to possess a certain body shape. It isn't high fashion and I think how we personally adapt it is everything. I have a very short friend with large boobs/plump, etc, and to be honest she was my initial inspiration towards this look when we were younger. It helped that she had very 'pre-raphaelite' features, which is another look I like.....I could go on and on....

Might look for some inspiration pics later. Thank you again to everyone who has added to the thread, it is exciting to have so much to look check out.

@EdmontinaDonsAutumnalHues

It’s absolutely true that one can shop almost anywhere that sells good, plain clothes and achieve a bohemian look. But if starting from scratch one might not go straight for brands that primarily offer stiff, utilitarian clothing …

OP you probably have more suggestions than you can manage in a season - but in truth you could simply throw a limitless credit card at Gucci, Jil Sander, Balenciaga … Add a few singular jewels and a well-read demeanour - et voilà!

There could never be too many! Please don't hold back!

It’s absolutely true that one can shop almost anywhere that sells good, plain clothes and achieve a bohemian look. But if starting from scratch one might not go straight for brands that primarily offer stiff, utilitarian clothing …

Agree with this.

Thank you for this thread OP. Some interesting sites to look at . Love the Peruvian Collection - apart from the prices ! I am finding that Poetry and Wrap very much remind me of how I used to dress late 1990s.

I know what you mean i think. I was looking at jo wilson's therapists clothes on grays anatomy and wondering what shop sells clothes like that?

@AuntieDolly

Masai clothing?

I was going to suggest Masai too.

@starfishmummy

I know you have said "not loud like Gudrun". But not everything she does is loud and you don't have to wear the clashing layers.

I agree, I have a few things from Gudrun and they aren't necessarily loud - mine are black and olive, quite plain, and I layer them with other non-loud colours.

I also like John Lewis Kin which a PP linked to, and I have a few things from Lagenlook. But both are 'over sized' (especially Lagenlook) and I think the OP said she doesn't want oversized. It's worth having l look at Kin though.

I used to dress in Sandwich, Noa Noa, Masai, Kew etc in 2003-2010 ish
Bought from small independent boutiques in market towns mainly.
I still love the look but the labels above either went out of business (Kew) or seemed to become harder to find or their vibe changed.

Oh - I remember buying something lovely by Noa Noa from a ‘little shop’ on a visit to Chester - around 2004/5. I looked forward to finding more, but never saw anything else of theirs I liked enough to buy. And then they seemed to be subsumed into department store purgatory, shoved next to brands I would cross the road to avoid.

It’s an unavoidable fact that at every price level one has to be on one’s toes to notice the moment a brand loses the thing that made it attractive in the first place.

Place marking to come back to
I should like to be a slim North Oxford woman

I have a client who has absolutely perfected the look you want. All I know is she is incredibly rich, buys most of her clothes from arcane Japanese designers almost no one has heard of, who charge £400 for a wisp of perfectly crafted tee shirt. (She told me a couple of times but I forgot their names) I can ask her who she buys from if you like.

She looks ultra demure (what you call mousy, maybe?) and fabulous at the same time. I saw her this week wearing an apparently shapeless and yet so graceful long muted dress and a stone duster coat over it with flat lace up boots. She always looks perfect.

Browsing the weekend FT (HTSI) I just came across this brand. New to me, and the cashmere dress is certainly pretty quiet and retiring. Add a long coat, paisley scarf, walking boots …

If you layer some of these Uniqlo dresses, you might get close to the look.

@leavesthataregreen

I have a client who has absolutely perfected the look you want. All I know is she is incredibly rich, buys most of her clothes from arcane Japanese designers almost no one has heard of, who charge £400 for a wisp of perfectly crafted tee shirt. (She told me a couple of times but I forgot their names) I can ask her who she buys from if you like.

She looks ultra demure (what you call mousy, maybe?) and fabulous at the same time. I saw her this week wearing an apparently shapeless and yet so graceful long muted dress and a stone duster coat over it with flat lace up boots. She always looks perfect.

Sounds very lovely! I used to have a friend who matched this description but I think she was managing to source them at a much lower cost. I am not incredibly rich either - - -

However, I think it is easy to become distracted by higher price tags, and I don't think it is all that necessary to spend a fortune on this look. Perhaps up the ante with accessories, coat, etc. They're not going to turn up in very youth focused stores or the regular high street though. And perhaps the further we go from that the process tags do increase..

And yes, it is a very understated, demure look, indeed! In terms of faces/hair I can see a young Julia Sawalha suiting this style, or Susannah Corbett in Dalziel and Pascoe (anyone remember her?). Honeysuckle Weeks could definitely pull it off, and a younger Sophie Ward.
It really suits tousled hair for some reason, and isn't very contemporary. Anyone recall Minty from the 80's gothic drama 'Moondial'?

I say 'younger' actresses not because they looked better, but their contemporary looks are a lot blander and red carpet inspired. It's a sot of 80/90s look but not trend related (so no jeans or leisure wear).

Also I quite liked how natural curls and waves were 'allowed' to exhibit some frizz back then, too. I always prefer it to more glossy styles. Wish a touch of frizz would make a comeback - I already have a head start!

Mmm … I wasn’t suggesting you should give Gucci all your money! My poorly expressed point was that, while we’re filling a thread trying to locate an accurate interpretation of your idea - it would be very easy to dress like that if money were no object. Global brands get their publicity from the noisy stuff, but all probably sell countless cream silk shirts, cashmere cardigans, gently drooping tweed skirts …

Such a great thread! I think sometimes I dress what I call boho lite , and also a bit retro. I definitely dressed like this in my early 20s (90s) had the hair as well and have some items still. I have a love of tweed and velvet, for sure, though I mix it up with more modern pieces.

Someone mentioned Eribe for knits, Plumo often stock them at a higher price.

Ive gone back to natural hair that i had in the early 90s before it was disallowed.

@ManifestingJoy

Ive gone back to natural hair that i had in the early 90s before it was disallowed.

This. I used to use ghd's but they always left my hair looking tired and flat. I am sporting my fluffy waves with glee . I do like hair with a bit of wispiness. There's been so much emphasis on glossiness in recent years so it took a while to get used to it.

I had it cut in to a diamond shape. It sticks out like the mad hair it is and then its tapered in. I dont have to do anything. it looks normal and kinda cool
I get loads of people telling me they like my hair now, is it natural. Nobody ever commented on my hair all the yrs i straightened it.

I suspect all my favourite brands have already been name-checked, but Peruvian Connection, Oska, Rundholz, Toast, Sahara and Masai would be in there, and the more muted end of Gudrun Sjoden. eBay is quite the happy hunting ground for bargains as all these brands are eye wateringly expensive.

www.notonthehighstreet.com/patchoulifair

I love Holy Clothing Boho range, plus any retired stuff I can find secondhand. There are also US and EU facebook groups for selling on clothing rather than returning ( store return costs are high).

If I can find it, I prefer older pieces, they actually seem to wear better, although one of my old red dresses still dyes everything washed with it 5 years on. Clothes are made and shipped from India, although there is now a linked US ebay store that sell in stock items. Now if there was only one for EU/UK.

holyclothing.com/collections/boho-1

I am a bit of a hoarder and have got LOTS of Bohemian type clothes collected over the last 40 years (I was a bit of a hippy in the 70s) which I keep telling myself to advertise 'somewhere'. Let me know where might be the best place. x