“I’m a girl from a good family who was very well brought up. One day I turned my back on it all and became a bohemian,” once said Brigitte Bardot.

Though the flaxen-haired bombshell shunned the middle class conventions of mid-century France, her sentiment stands when it comes to matters of men’s style.

After many seasons devoted to all things preppy, prim and proper, fashion’s pendulum is swinging back towards weathered denim, sandals, cotton tunics, braided leather belts and other ‘hippie’ stalwarts for spring/summer.

It isn’t easy to give in to such free-spirited ways of thinking (and dressing for that matter) when your day job requires a stuffy suit and tie. Nonetheless, there’s ample opportunity – if only during off-duty hours – to trial the more insouciant look that’s trending right now, whether you’re taking inspiration from 1960s beatniks, 1970s-era hippies, 1980s New Romantics or the 1990s grunge scene.

Here are some key ways to add a bohemian touch to your wardrobe that don’t require you committing to wearing flowers in your hair:

Lighten Up On The Denim Front

Harking back to authentic bohemian style means swapping your deep indigo selvedge for something several shades lighter.

This season, try investing in a classic pair of light wash jeans, in shades from mid-blue (as seen at Prada) to faded blue (as shown by Dior Homme). If you aren’t precious about your denim, giving your raw, dark jeans a couple of good 60 degree washes will also do the trick.

In addition, keep your eye out for distressed detailing and rips that epitomize a relaxed, devil-may-care attitude.

Key Styles

• Allsaints Anhu Iggy Jeans
• Nudie Jeans Steady Eddie In Blonde Slubs
• Topman Light Wash Classic Skinny Fit Jeans
• Wrangler Jeans Bryson Skinny Fit The Angler Light Wash
• Cheap Monday Tight Jeans Skinny Fit In Stonewash Blue
• He By Mango Slim-fit Light Wash Jan Jeans
• He By Mango Slim-fit Light Wash Steve Jeans
• River Island Light Wash Dylan Slim Jeans
• Saint Laurent Skinny-leg Stretch-cotton Jeans
• Reiss Southland Light Straight-fit Jeans Light Blue
• Ami Slim-fit Washed-denim Jeans
• Levis 501 Ct Jeans 501 Ct Slim-fit Jeans

Work Some Art Into Your Attire

Hand-painted details, inscriptions, messages, and graphics – from the literal to the abstract – all have a place in bohemian style.