A thread for those who want boho chic but end up looking like pigeon lady in Home Alone.

[spottybaghottyhag]

I'm very aware everyone on Mumsnet is beautiful, stylish and model like. This thread is for the outliers

I love a certain look online, but unfortunately boho chic on a model translates on the real me as homeless pigeon feeder lady in Home Alone. I've tried Aladdin trouser things (can't remember the name, I'm that far off the mark!), cashmere wraps (my teen DC said I looked like an old sofa) and a colourful, chunky knit that made me look like a wannabe circus performer. I'm not aiming to look fashionable or stylish, but something a bit more put together rather than eco warrior jumble sale shopper would be nice.

Can anyone else relate?

Oh my god, I have tears I'm laughing so much. Just woke the dog with my laughter 🤣

Indie, boho and pirate are back in fashion. I'm a fashion expert - these are the 5 trends set to dominate in 2026

I think I click on these sort of links because having flicked through Vogue and Elle once when waiting for a dental appointment I expect I too am a fashion expert.

I can manage indie quite well, but boho and pirate need diluting a bit. Boho is trickier in winter, too, I find - I did go for my animal print furry hat, today, but with jog jeans, high tops and a short, down jacket to dress it down.

What are jog jeans?

Cross between joggers and jean material, so soft denim, a bit like this:

I went out yesterday jeans, check shirt and tan ankle boots that look like cowboy boots.
I looked in a shop window when walking passed and I looked like I was in fancy dress as a lumberjack 😂😂😂

I feel your pain.

I used to be able to carry the boho look - I was short, slender and had long jet black hair. My wardrobe was a thing of beauty

Now I’m short, tubby and greying - a couple of years ago I found some lovely harem trousers on the Forbidden Tribes website - ordered them anticipating I’d have a boho/edgy vibe. I looked like I was wearing a nappy.

My attempts at boho styling are either what my husband calls ‘ADHD NHS’ (kooky non-uniformed community professionals) or what I think of as ‘overgrown toddler’.

Doesn’t help that I’m a bit fat, and have no time/energy/desire to do my makeup so I generally look tired and washed out.

Hello my people !

My mum got out the family photo albums at Christmas, and my daughter would not believe that the tall, very slim girl with purple hair , swishing her way to sixth form in a long black cloak with purple silk lining and long kitten heeled boots with a black jersey dress underneath was , in fact , me at 18 .

Mind you , I looked at that 30 plus year old photo, and could scarcely believe it now either . Oh to have that casual insouciance again . These days I’m wearing something that I can brush hay from , and everything else is bought for it’s dog hair repellent qualities 😳

Ah, I too have found my people 😁

Me
Trench coat =Columbo
Padded cotton jacket = Nans bed jacket.
I am too short and blessed of nork to ever look chic

Oh this is my thread too!
On more than one occasion my adult daughter has looked at me despairingly and said ‘I don’t know why it doesn’t work on you, but it doesn’t….’

I was in Australia this year and there was an amazing shop-like the hippy shops of my youth, but more grown up and elegant. I was sorely tempted by some lovely floaty things, abetted by dh whose mantra is "I'd you like it get it" until I was brought to earth with a bump by My straight talking sister who pointed out they were designed for tall willowy ex surfer chicks, not fat short arsed poms. Cheers sus.

I was in Australia this year and there was an amazing shop-like the hippy shops of my youth, but more grown up and elegant. I was sorely tempted by some lovely floaty things, abetted by dh whose mantra is "I'd you like it get it" until I was brought to earth with a bump by My straight talking sister who pointed out they were designed for tall willowy ex surfer chicks, not fat short arsed poms. Cheers sus.

but denim is woven and joggers are knitted

My hips are too wide, my tits are too shelf like for boho.

always channel Linda La Hughes when what I’m aiming for is willowy Insta-adventurer.

also I have quite a small head and fine hair which doesn’t help. I feel like a large head:body ratio and a lot of thick / curly / long hair is needed to look fully re wilded for successful Boho. My head is too neat…looks better with structured clothes / silhouette sadly

Soft, stretchy denim with fleecy inside - mine are looser than the photo - label calls them jogg jeans, so kind of mix of the two.

@RuudGullitOnAShed I have some tweed harems from Forgotten Tribes (though they're quality is variable). They are very baggy, I agree, so I wear them with plain, slim fitting tops.

I love the way their stuff looks on the tiny young models

I had a brief foray into Disturbia- what was disturbing was how awful the clothes looked on me.

This sort of fabric Grey Denim Jogger Jeans 13 years?

I quite like Disturbia. One particular dress gets me compliments every time I wear it. Their quality is also variable though.

After wearing corporate smart/casual for years at work, I decided to wear whatever I want, whenever I want, when I retired early almost 3 yrs ago….
So it’s denim, leggings, Converse, Doc Martens, combat jackets, leather, band shirts in the day and a Stevie Nicks/Alexa Chung type vibe if I’m going out!
My husband came home from work the other day and said I looked like a teenage delinquent! 😜 (I’ve just turned 60!) 😂

@UpMyself like these, but mine are looser and a more biker-y style.

@RuudGullitOnAShed I have a few duds from Forgotten Tribes, but I love the tweed harems though they are quite out there!

@MJEBinAthens your style sounds great! I'm all for teenage delinquent style 😊

I have a pair of ancient Diesel jeans and they are comfortable but a bit tighter than they should be after Christmas

Mine were bargainous Vinted ones, that are actually a size too big, even after Christmas. But yes, they are very soft and the fleecy inside is warm.

What’s Indie?