September 6th, 2014

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Fashion is a great way to express yourself and be individual. However, most people dress to fit into a certain society according to age, social class, generation, occupation and geography rather than expressing their individuality.

We have certain expectations of how someone should dress. For example, you would expect a lawyer to wear a suit, not jeans and a t-shirt. We expect women over a certain age (I’m not going into what age) not to walk around in miniskirts and all women in Hellerup (if you are Danish) to have a Lala Berlin cashmere scarf.

Seeing someone without that scarf would be like Britney Spears without a Starbucks in her hand or Victoria Beckham in flats – very rare.

I said: “No, no, no”
Even though fashion is a way of expressing yourself, there are a few no-nos, and as a Swede, I would love to say that the Danes are violating the fashion rules, but I can’t. They are actually, quite effortlessly, getting it right, but they also play it safe. One of the things that you quickly notice when you arrive here is the lack of colour. They like it black, grey and 50 more shades of grey, and I’m not talking about the book.

One big no-no that you luckily hardly ever see here (or at least not in public) is the onesie. Not to be mistaken for the playsuit, which can be ever so stylish, I’m talking about the shapeless big onesie that should never be worn by anyone passed their toddler stage.

Peter Dundas, a designer for Emilio Pucci, once said in an interview: “A successful garment is one that a woman wants to put on and a man wants to take off.” A onesie is something all men want to take off, but for all the wrong reasons.

You’re amazing …
I’m not saying that we should dress for men, but no woman in her right frame of mind can stand in front of the mirror in a onesie and feel beautiful. Sure, we want to be comfortable, but we should never hide.

Every woman has at least one amazing feature, and you need to discover what it is to dress successfully. It can be a small waist, great legs, toned arms, a lovely décolletage or a great bottom – once you discover it, show it and no-one will notice your flaws.

The ‘70s with flare
This autumn, the ‘70s are coming back, but in a re-energised version and I love it. Think ‘Love Story’ but stay with some of your basics to not look like you are joining the cast of ‘That 70’s Show’.

The signature flared or boot-cut denims are of course part of this look and very flattering to most body shapes. Wear it with a skinny turtleneck, a silk shirt or a chunky knit, but if you aren’t ready for the boot cut just yet, go for the straight leg or wear you skinnies tucked into a pair of knee-high boots with a ‘70s block heel.

Last but not least, if you are one of those playing it safe with black, try and swap it for navy this season.

Now we will just have to wait and see if the Danes dare to wear flare?