Fauxhemian – the wrath of the leather headband and other questionable trends

Sienna Miller has a whole lot to answer for. One minute she is a messy looking blonde hanging about with Jude Law, the next she is bohemian style icon, successfully illustrating that gladiator sandals and leather headbands can only look good on about 1% of the population. Had Sienna chosen to date the rough loking guy from Notting Hill earlier in her career (read: had Sienna chosen not to take the high profile boyfriend fast track to fame and gone the artsy low road) then we may have been saved from her inspiring the rest of the female population to load up on full length peasant skirts and low slung belts.

A few years down the track this style has now taken on a life of it’s own and morphed into what I like to call the fauxhemian…you know the type, she’s about, like, 17 and, like, Sportsgirl is like, awesome, that’s where I got my new leather headband, like, like yours? The hair is long and messy but coiffed, the skin is tanned, the friends are many and the clothes are boho, everything about them says they are on the express route to Nimbin but the reality is that you know they will be heading straight home to their public servant non-boho parents in Farrer, told to put a brush through their hair and get some homework done so they can eventually get into uni and become a responsible pen-pusher.

Although it would be easy to blame Sienna for the rise in fauxhoism and leave it at that, your chains like Sportsgirl, Supre and Just Jeans are currently jampacked with all your faux-ho needs – leather head bands, gladiator sandals, floaty summer singlets and slouchy bags.

So you are probably wondering what does this woman have against faux-hos? Nothing. In fact, I think what they are doing is on the right track but perhaps just wearing one or two of the pieces not the whole gamut might serve these ladies better. Imagine this on a summer night – a great pair of dark denim jeans, a colourful floaty top showing off a great faux tan, metallic leather flats and great pair of sparkly earrings to top it all off. Or perhaps my favourite faux-ho item put to good use witnessed last week in Melbourne, black ankle high gladiator sandals with black toeless tights underneath, all covered with a long sleeve black shift dress. Great look.

And this summer you will also start to see the faux-ho look progress into American Indian influenced jewellery and accessories – think turquoise and coral earrings, large statement necklaces and plenty of fringing. As we begin to move into winter this trend will continue with moccasin fringed booties and heavy alpaca knits teamed with tights or skinny jeans. But I want you to promise me one thing….please don’t bring back your poncho!