How can I talk about the "gypsy aesthetic" without using the word "gypsy"?

Question

The term "gypsy" was embraced with a lot of positivity by many counter-cultural groups in the US; namely hippies. Many grew up with the term meaning nothing negative, but -- as it turns out -- there are many places where it known better as a slur. Enough that it's no longer acceptable language for professional contexts.

The issue I'm running into is that I can't find a suitable replacement. See these search results:

Query: "Romanian Aesthetic"

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Query: "Gypsy Aesthetic"

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Query: "Hippy Aesthetic"

As you can see, there is a very distinct style and aesthetic that is given to the term "gypsy." It's a very western, sort of hippy spiritual, flowy clothing, earth tones and jewelry thing. But I can find no synonym.

I've tried: Romanian American, Hippy Festival, Hippy Traveler, Vagabond, Bohemian, Bohemian Hippy (closest), Nomad, Nomad Hippy, Nomad Bohemian.... none sound correct to me, nor yield correct results based off common usage (ie google image search).

How can I refer to this set of aesthetics without using what I consider to be a racial slur?

Answer 1

As an article in Vogue about the fashion industry explains, the aesthetic itself is considered offensive by many Romani (not Romanian!) people, perhaps even moreso than the word "gypsy" itself:

The hashtag #gypsystyle has 1.2 million posts with a mishmash of cultures, including Mexican Day of the Dead outfits, Arabic belly dancer costumes, and Indian wedding dresses. But some themes do recur. There are a lot of white women in dreads and/or turbans and beachside photoshoots featuring crochet bikinis and lace dresses. It seems anything that denotes an unconventional, well-traveled, and sexy life qualifies as “gypsy.”

“Mainstream fashion took a lot of elements from Roma culture (free-flowing dresses, use of coins as ornamentation, rose motifs, dikhlos, etc.) and never really acknowledged their origin,” says Erika Varga, the Roma designer behind high-end label Romani Design. “But most of the time it is just an imitation of Roma wear built on stereotypes.”

Grigore cannot bring herself to go down the #gypsystyle rabbithole of Instagram. “People love the Gypsy culture, but they completely ignore the Roma life,” she says. “You're taking people's suffering. It looks so good on you, so cute.”

Far from being a compliment, these Gypsy-themed fashion shoots hamper Roma advancement. “Think about me going to, let's say, Congress, to talk about the Roma plight,” Grigore says. “And they say, ‘Ah, beautiful clothes and parties!’ You cannot make a serious argument when you have the culture so objectified and treated this like a cute little thing, like a pet.”

Given that fact, you really won't be able to find a positive way of describing this aesthetic that won't risk offending Romani people. It would be hard to find an inoffensive way of praising something so deeply rooted in anti-Romani stereotypes.

Answer 2

The OED was updated in March 2023 and has the following:

Romani, n. and adj.

**A. n.

1. A member of a widely dispersed ethnic group, found mainly in Europe and North and South America, tracing its origins to South Asia; = Rom n.2** Cf. Gypsy n. 1a.

2003 N.Y. Mag. 21 Apr. 30/1 Called Gypsies because they were erroneously thought to have come from Egypt, the Romani..claim to trace their origin to the Rajput princes of India.

There is no note to advise on the use of Roma/Romani - which there would be if it were offensive. It is a term widely used in respectable and responsible publications in the UK.

I also think that you are being far too vicariously sensitive about the use of Gypsy: The Gypsy Council of Great Britain (which has similarly named representatives in many other countries) is the body that represents their interests and those of Roma.

Neither is "Gypsy" a racial slur.

Answer 3

Prefer "Romani style". Roma is the broadly accepted name of the ethnic group otherwise called Gypsies, a name which stuck when the Romani people of northern India migrated to Europe and were mistaken for Egyptians. The name Gypsy is considered offensive by some for the historic sense of oppression it conveys and the failure of the term to testify to the history of the Romani people.