27 Best Boho Dresses to Buy For Spring

In fashion, nothing really dies; it’s reinvented on the runway at a later date. That’s no more apparent than with the revival of one specific trend: boho dresses. If you’ve been around long enough, the notion of bohemian clothing coming back from the “dead” isn’t scary as much as it’s just another example of its various reincarnations over the years. Birthed from the political movements of the late ’60s and ’70s, the origins of this aesthetic were rooted in hippie counter-cultures that didn’t aim to create a trend but merely used clothing as a way to subvert societal expectations around gender, race, and class. Much of that rebellious spirit was embodied through loosely fitted silhouettes—including bell-bottom jeans, peasant blouses, and, most importantly, boho dresses.

While that specific era set the sartorial tone for the aesthetic, it didn’t become fully mainstream until the mid-’00s, with the birth of the ‘boho chic’ movement in fashion. At the behest of fashion insiders, we saw the second wave of the boho aesthetic reborn with a more indie-sleaze element—embodied in ruffled dresses, floppy hats, and cowboy boots. It was impossible to flip through the glossy pages of zines at that time without spotting something boho-inspired outfit on the red carpet or the runway (refer to Chloé or Isabel Marant’s archives). With the former, boho dresses became the it-girl uniform of that time that was spotted on the likes of Rachel Zoe, Kate Moss, Sienna Miller, and even the Olsen Twins.

Although some time has passed since the peak of ‘boho chic,’ its lasting impact has lingered long enough to inspire a new generation of free-spirited fashion people. Including the recently appointed creative director, Chemena Kamali, whose debut S/S 24 collection for Chloé turned this formerly “deceased” trend into the most talked-about thing in fashion. That runway show inspired a successor of other brands to release suede pieces, chunkier jewelry, and even gladiator sandals—giving us ample ways to embrace the trend on our terms.

While there’s no shortage of ways to wear boho clothing, dresses are one of the most straightforward options, in our humble opinion. With so many examples of this dress trend in S/S 25 and F/W 25 collections, it’s proof that this piece has not only reincarnated on the runway but will be coming back into your reality soon, too. Therefore, we figured we’d scour the internet in search of the best boho dresses to buy for spring (and beyond). Keep scrolling to get the official ‘proof of life’…

WHAT: Ralph Lauren S/S 25 Runway Show