Dungarees, cyber club gear, slip dresses… just when the 1990s revival train had almost run out of steam, along comes the lost and found gear of the new age traveller. Baja hoodies are back (you know, those blanket-y south American numbers that surfer dudes used to favour), so are bucket hats, and now, raw crystal jewellery. Once upon a time you’d buy this hippy bling when gap yearing (or from your local holistic bits’n’bobs store) but now etsy and instagram act as the spiritual/retail home.
Last week Alexa Chung shared an insta-snap of an unbranded, totally basic crystal pendant on a string, blogger Tavi, and her crew, bought matching quartz cuffs from Desert Moon (@shopdesertmoon), Victoria’s Secret Angel Candice Swanepoel paired her holiday bikini with a rope-knotted, stone necklace from May and Me (@mayandme.nl), Lena Dunham is a fan of both Adina Mills’ (@adinamills) and Pamela Love’s (@pamelalovenyc) power crystals…
And therein lies the bonus point: aside from the fact that these pieces fit into today’s bohemian aesthetic, with mindfulness and spirituality acting as this generation’s religion, they are double-duty buys. ‘As a society we continue to become more and more out of touch with each other because of technology and social media, so we are also searching for a counter balance to that disconnect, a feeling of authenticity and grounding. Crystals provide that on so many levels,’ says Adina. Pamela tells us: ‘Our customers have always had an interest in the powers and meanings behind each stone… I love wearing opal, which enhances memory, self-esteem and self-worth.’ Cut us off a chunk of that.