Yes, disdain for the Boho lifestyle

I must have been fueled by hunger or caffeine withdraw when posting yesterday about the abominations of fashion facing me everyday when I walk out the door. In hindsight, the post seemed rather angsty, which I often get when I don't eat enough during the day.

Do not misunderstand the purpose of my post -- my point was not to rag (at least not viciously) about Anthropologie and the like. I realized that my post could be misconstrued as a mean criticism of mass marketing of trendy clothing, which is not all bad. I think it benefits everyone. I had two issues: 1)the premise of enabling upper-middle class women spending their money to dress like each other, and 2) spoon-feeding this bohos-in-paradise/francophile style in 5-10,000 square feet of retail.

That second realization happened as I walked past the store today. I looked at the window displays and asked myself, "What style is this place selling to the shopper?" It is clear that they are selling "one-of-a-kind items", except it's really en masse. But let's not draw attention to that. It is also clear that most of this stuff is designed to appear like you randomly reached into the closet and grabbed a handful of things to wear. Funky knits with odd prints, quirky colors, awkwardly cut pants and shirts...everything layered together into something that is supposed to be effortless, NOT bourgeois.

This what is regularly referred to as Boho. We're not talking about celebrity-styled boho cause that kind of style costs tens of thousands of dollars to achieve. True Boho style is to avoid looking like you spent a lot of money on superficial things like clothing, rather spending more on the "necessities" of life. You are to look artsy, free-spirited, and could care less about money. And so I ask you: Is it really Boho to spend $398 on a satchel purse? And does Paul & Joe really have to charge $60+ on a floral print cosmetic bag?

I guess it does if you have the money to try and look Boho, not actually be Boho.