If there’s one country you should follow for serious style advice, it’s not the oft-celebrated French. Instead, if you want a style that’s relaxed, practical yet sophisticated, take notes from the Danes. Think clothes you can ride your bike in, still go to a board meeting or party in, and still look effortlessly chic.
As Copenhagen Fashion Week gets underway, there will be plenty of opportunities to browse their relaxed yet polished styles. Hosting brands like By Malene Birger, Stine Goya, Birger Christensen, Ganni and under-the-radar celebrity favourite Cecilie Bahnsen, the event will see many more new and emerging brands emerge in the coming days.
What fans of the Danish look already know is that it’s not just for the close-knit – in fact, it’s an easy shortcut to looking smart and collected when you’re over 40. “Danish fashion is very age-egalitarian,” says Denise Christensen, CEO of Birger Christensen Collective. The 50-year-old has an enviable Instagram account where she showcases her carefully chosen outfits, from suits by REMAIN (such as a chunky wool blazer, £470; remainbirgerchristensen.com ) to pieces by ROTATE (such as a new-season cropped bomber jacket). She also has a go-to for Saks Potts, one of the country’s biggest exports, “for its new elevated aspects – sheepskin and polo shirts are great”, and simple knits by Aiayu (such as a yak polo shirt, £335, aiayu.com ). “There’s a sporty, relaxed simplicity to the Danish women’s lifestyle, and that’s reflected in the way they dress,” says Christensen.
Laura Meldal Westerskov Nørgaard, 43, creative director of accessories brand Yvonne Koné, says the country’s fashion heritage owes much to its iconic architectural tradition. Names such as Arne Jacobsen, Vilhelm Hammershøi and Hans J. Wegner “provided a very strong foundation for our aesthetic direction, even before fashion,” she says. This means that classic, clean design is almost in the Danish DNA – the Leo Bucket Bag (£677; yvonnekone.com) beautifully reflects these principles.
Create a capsule wardrobe
Rather than chasing trends, Christensen says the key is to build a solid capsule wardrobe of “classic shapes, muted colors,” and “not being afraid to dress with confidence.” “I see the basic style more as a foundation that I continue to play around with. I can develop some good, easy looks that I can go back to,” she says.
That doesn’t mean it has to be boring. “There needs to be a little element of quirkiness in the cut or the mix of materials, it’s all about a mix of quality and conceptual design,” says Ane Lynge-Jorlen, 48, director of young designer platform ALPHA. For statement pieces like the Lorenza top, look to Elaine Hersby (£294, elainehersby.com)
Calculate your cut
Christensen recommends high-waisted trousers and skirts: “The silhouette flatters most body types and works with both jeans and suits,” she says – try the cocoon’s trousers (£220; remainbirgerchristensen.com). She also likes high-waisted balloon jeans: “I really like the balloon silhouette because the high waist and long length elongates your legs and slims your waist, while giving it a more direct design,” she says. Ganni’s exaggerated Stary jeans (ganni.com) are a great example of this silhouette.
Don’t be afraid to branch out into menswear, says Julie Fagerholt, 56, Creative Director and designer at H2OFagerholt. “I follow menswear trends and designs as much as I do womenswear. I find the interplay between masculine and feminine very interesting.” She loves boyfriend jeans, especially when paired with a slim tank top and an oversized blazer to create a flattering silhouette. “I can wear this outfit to the office and then go straight to a dinner out on the town,” she says. Baum und Pferdgarten’s Nara jeans (£159; baumundpferdgarten.com) borrow from a classic men’s silhouette.
Lynge-Jorlen says a combination of skinny and loose fits works well, and she often pairs it with “big jeans, a slim-fit white shirt, and sneakers” for a casual look.
Focus on quality and sustainability
When Danes are choosing a garment, “it’s very important to focus on quality and beautifully cut pieces,” Christensen says.
Sustainable buying is also important. That starts with buying less and wearing what you own for longer. Mona Jensen, 49, creative director and founder of jewellery brand Tom Wood, which has a show at Copenhagen Fashion Week, admits that she has “a strong wardrobe of basics that I’ve had on and off for the last 15-20 years.”
As long as they are on trend, Danish women are never slaves to fashion, meaning “the Scandinavian fashion sense lasts longer because of its functional approach, which can help us adopt a healthier, more ethical approach to fashion and clothing,” Jensen explains. “We don’t need that many things in our wardrobe, but you can easily change the details of an outfit to update it for different occasions.”
This extends to the eco credentials of the fabric and production methods, too. Tailoring brand Mfpen uses high-quality deadstock fabrics sourced from European factories for its suits (blazers start from €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 production chain, listing the production location, including the factory name and location, for each garment on its website.
Think practically
There’s nothing less stylish than dressing inappropriately for the weather. Even in summer, Danes know not to be too optimistic. “When dressing, we have to think functionally and practically,” says Jensen. For many women, that means taking freedom in their outfits so they can “ride their bikes like we do in Copenhagen,” says Lynge-Jorlen. That could be skirts that leave room for pedaling (but aren’t so long that they get caught in the chains) or trousers with a bit of stretch.
Many Danish designs are all about practicality: Saks Potts’ Shake jeans, for example, come with a leather coin pouch attached to the back waistband (€385, sakspotts.com), and the reversible brown sheepskin Island Jacket has D-rings at the front to attach your bag or keys (€1,800, sakspotts.com).
This also means wearing practical shoes. Danish women may wear pointed-toe flip-flops with evening wear (more practical than super-high heels), but they’re just as likely to wear sneakers with smart dresses. Cecilie Bahnsen’s second collaboration with Asics is designed to be worn under the brand’s structured evening dresses (ceciliebahnsen.com).
Practical shoes add to that edgy cool factor. “I love that you can wear a pair of sneakers under a sculptural tailoring or feminine dress, or a statement necklace or diamond over a simple outfit like denim,” Jensen says.
Undo scaling
The Danes are known for their simple aesthetic. Meldal Westerskov Nørgaard says she sticks to a magic number of three pieces maximum: “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, like many Scandinavians, says she has “always preferred black my whole life”. That’s not to say the colour has gone out of fashion; Stine Goya, for example, represents a new wave of designers who champion bright prints in their hand-drawn designs (try the long-sleeved printed dress, £370, stinegoya.com). “Stine is the master of print in Danish fashion,” says Terenziani. “Her prints are unique and wearing her clothes feels like sharing a work of art with the world.”
Greta jewellery is the secret to adding more personality to even the simplest ensemble. “If I want to add extra detail to an outfit I’ll go for jewellery,” says Jensen, who favours Tom Wood’s Bao Purse, “lots of ear cuffs and a pinky ring (thin ear cuff, £99, tomwoodproject.com). I like jewellery to look minimal but bold, like wearable art.”
