If there’s one country where you can get some serious style advice, it’s not the much-vaunted French. If, on the other hand, you want a relaxed, practical yet refined style, take a cue from the Danes. Think outfits that you can ride your bike in, but still look effortlessly chic at a board meeting or a party.
With Copenhagen Fashion Week kicking off, there are plenty of opportunities to check out their laid-back yet polished style. Home to brands like By Malene Birger, Stine Goya, Birger Christensen, Ganni and under-the-radar favorite Cecilie Bahnsen, there will be plenty more new and upcoming brands on display in the coming days.
What fans of the Danish look already know is that it’s not just for zoomers. In fact, it’s an easy way to look polished and put together if you’re over 40. “Danish fashion is very egalitarian as you age,” agrees Denise Christensen, CEO of Birger Christensen Collective. At 50, she has an enviable Instagram account where she shows off her carefully curated outfits, which range from REMAIN suits (like the heavy wool blazer, £470; remainbirgerchristensen.com ) or ROTATE pieces (like a new-season cropped bomber), as well as Saks Potts (another of the country’s biggest exports) “for their new elevated direction – their sheepskin and polo shirts are amazing,” and Aiayu for simple knitwear (like their yak polo tee, £335; aiayu.com ). “Danish women have a sporty, casual simplicity to their lifestyle, which is reflected in the way they dress,” says Christensen.
Laura Meldal Westerskov Nørgaard, 43, Creative Director at accessories brand Yvonne Koné, says the country’s fashion heritage owes a debt to its long tradition of iconic architecture. Names like Arne Jacobsen, Vilhelm Hammershøi and Hans J Wegner “created a very strong foundation for our direction within aesthetics, even before fashion,” she says. This means that classic, understated design is practically part of the Danish DNA – the Leo Bucket Bag (£677; yvonnekone.com ) reflects these principles beautifully.
Create a capsule wardrobe
Rather than following trends, Christensen says the key is to build a solid capsule wardrobe made up of “classic shapes, muted colors” and “not being afraid to dress confidently.” She says she sees her “core style more as a foundation that I keep playing with. I can develop a few good, easy looks that I can keep coming back to.”
That doesn’t mean it has to be boring. “There has to be a little element of quirkiness in the cut or the mix of materials, it’s all about the mix of quality and conceptual design,” says Ane Lynge-Jorlen, 48, director of young designer platform ALPHA. Look to Elaine Hersby for statement pieces, such as the Lorenza top (£294, elainehersby.com)
Calculate your cut
Christensen recommends high-waisted trousers and skirts: “The silhouette is flattering on most body types and works with both jeans and a suit,” she says – try the cocoon pants (£220; remainbirgerchristensen.com ). She also loves a high-waisted balloon jean: “The balloon silhouette works for me because the high rise and the long length elongates your legs and slims your waist, while also having a more directional design,” she says. Ganni’s exaggerated Stary jeans (ganni.com) are a great example of this silhouette.
Don’t be afraid to wear menswear, advises Julie Fagerholt, 56, creative director and designer of H2OFagerholt. “I keep an eye on trends and designs in menswear as much as I do womenswear. I find the interplay between the masculine and the feminine really interesting.” She loves men’s jeans, especially when paired with a fitted tank top to create a flattering silhouette and an oversized blazer. “I can wear this outfit to the office and then go straight to dinner in town,” she says. Baum und Pferdgarten’s Nara jeans are based on a classic men’s silhouette (£159; baumundpferdgarten.com ).
Lynge-Jorlen agrees that the combination of tight and loose works well. Often, “big jeans are paired with a deconstructed, tight white shirt with sneakers or tabi shoes” for a daytime look.
Focus on quality and sustainability
When Danes choose a garment, “the focus on quality and beautifully cut pieces is very important,” Christensen emphasizes.
Buying sustainably is also important. That starts with buying less and wearing everything you own for longer. Mona Jensen, 49, creative director and founder of jewelry brand Tom Wood, which shows at Copenhagen Fashion Week, agrees that she has a “strong wardrobe staple that I’ve had on repeat for the past 15-20 years.”
Despite being trendy, Danish women are never slaves to fashion, which means that “the Scandinavian view on fashion lasts longer because of its functional approach that can help us adopt a healthier, more ethical view of fashion and clothing,” Jensen explains. “We don’t need that much in our closet, but you can easily change details in an outfit to update it for different occasions.”
That goes for the eco credentials of the fabric and production methods, too. Tailoring brand Mfpen uses high-quality deadstock fabrics from European mills for its suits (blazers start at €240; mfpen.com), Samsøe Samsøe uses recycled polyester for its slinky dresses (£170; samsoe.com), while Baum und Pferdgarten is committed to transparency in its supply chain, listing the place of manufacture, including the factory name and location, for each garment on its website.
Think practical
There’s nothing less chic than dressing inappropriately for the weather. Danes know not to be too optimistic, even in the summer. “We have to think functionally and practically when we dress,” says Jensen. For many women, that means having the freedom in their outfits to “ride my bike, like we do in Copenhagen,” says Lynge-Jorlen. That might mean skirts that leave room to pedal (but not so long that they get caught in chains), or pants that have a little give.
Many Danish designs are practical: Saks Potts’ Shake jeans, for example, have a leather wallet at the back of the waistband (€385, sakspotts.com), while the Ada jacket, a reversible brown sheepskin jacket, has D-rings at the front to attach your bag or keys (€1,800, sakspotts.com).
That also means wearing practical shoes. Danish women may wear a pointy mule with their evening outfits (more practical than a super-high heel), but they’re just as likely to wear sneakers with formal dresses. Cecilie Bahnsen’s second collaboration with Asics is one example, designed to be worn under the brand’s structured dresses (ceciliebahnsen.com).
Practical footwear adds to that elusive cool factor. “I love how you can layer a pair of sneakers under sculptural tailoring or a feminine dress, or how we can easily style a statement necklace or diamonds over a simple outfit like denim,” Jensen agrees.
Scale back
Danes are known for their pared-back aesthetic. Meldal Westerskov Nørgaard says she sticks to a magic number of no more than three items: “a pair of trousers, a top and a blazer… if an outfit has too many elements, it becomes too complicated and cluttered,” she says.
The same goes for the colour palette. Jenson says that, like many Scandinavians, she has “preferred black all my life”. That’s not to say colour is completely off-limits; Stine Goya, for example, represents a new wave of designers who are championing bold prints in her hand-drawn designs (try the long-sleeved dress, £370, stinegoya.com ). “Stine is the print master of Danish fashion,” says Terenziani. “Her prints are unique and when I wear her dresses I feel like I’m sharing a work of art with the world.”
Greta jewellery is the secret to adding personality to even the most understated outfit. “When I want to add extra detail to an outfit, I go for jewellery,” says Jensen, who favours Tom Wood’s Bao Purse, “stacks of ear cuffs and a ring on my little finger (narrow ear cuff, £99, tomwoodproject.com). I like the minimalist yet bold presence of jewellery, like wearable art.”
