Where to shop if you’re bad at Danish fashion

Before I moved to Denmark, I had a pretty clear sense of my personal style. I started creating “capsule wardrobes” in college (inspired by this blog), which really helped me nail down what worked for me, and what didn’t. I have also lived in warm climates my whole life (Texas and Tennessee), which definitely influenced what I wore.

My wardrobe mostly consisted of:

• Neutral colors (not a big risk-taker here)
• High-waisted skinny jeans
• Long cardigans for layering (no coats needed most of the year)
• Mini skirts and dresses
• Cute sandals for summer, cute boots for winter (I was especially a fan of riding boots and heeled ankle booties)

My style was definitely ~basic~ but I liked it!

So then I moved to Copenhagen in the summer of 2018 and quickly learned a few things.

• Neutral colors/all black might be fine for winter, but everyone was wearing bright, colorful patterns in the summer (all the girls, anyway)
• Skinny jeans were most definitely not the move here; I only saw straight leg/boyfriend/”mom” jeans
• Any skirt or dress above the knee is highly impractical, especially if you cycle– but even if you don’t, it’s often windy in Copenhagen. So I either needed longer skirts, or bike shorts under my shorter ones.
• In general, I saw a lot of looser, boxier, flowy-er silhouettes than I was used to seeing in the US. These looked great on tall Danish girls, but absolutely swallowed all 5’0″ (152 cm) of me whole.
• Sneakers, sneakers, sneakers. My sandals got almost zero use because all of a sudden, I was walking and cycling everywhere. I never wore sneakers in the US, except to work out (or if I was having an “athleisure” day, duh). But all of a sudden they were indispensable.
• In the winter, I also learned that my “cute boots” were mostly useless (I needed boots that were comfortable enough for walking and could keep my feet warm, because it gets *actually cold* here). I also had enough “cold weather” clothes to last approximately a week here, and I really needed to up my coat game.

So basically, Danish fashion was the polar opposite of my wardrobe! As a newcomer who was desperately trying to hide my foreign-ness, I felt like I needed to embrace the Danish trends to blend in.

The problem was… I had no idea where to shop. Magasin, a popular department store here, was an obvious choice, but I found the women’s clothing floor absolutely overwhelming, and mostly full of brands that were very much not my style. Somehow all the Danish girls looked amazing in the clothes from Danish brands, but I looked ridiculous.

After two and a half years in Copenhagen, I feel like I’ve finally managed to adapt my style to be a little more “Danish”, but still me (just in time to get pregnant and have to replace my whole wardrobe, lol). Let’s be clear: I am not trying to position myself as a fashion blogger here!! I would describe my style as “simple, but with enough fun pieces that I don’t get bored.” Inspiring, I know! We can’t all be fashion icons. Anyway, if that sounds like it suits you, read on for my go-to stores and a few picks for spring from each one.

Mango

I had never even heard of Mango in the US, but it has become my first stop in Denmark. It’s a Spanish brand that I think does “affordable classics” really well, and their “trendy” pieces aren’t too out-there for me. I love their tops, sweaters, and dresses.

1. Skirt
2. Top
3. Dress
4. Coat

& Other Stories

& Other Stories is another one that I didn’t know about in the US, although I think they are expanding there now. I have t-shirts from Stories that are years old and still serving me well, and I also love their tops, skirts, and dresses (although a lot of their dresses seem to be made for people much taller than me… womp, womp).

1. Sweater
2. Dress
3. Shirt
4. Skirt

Samsøe Samsøe

Samsøe Samsøe is the first Danish store that I went into and thought, “Hey, I actually like and could wear a lot of this stuff!” They carry a bunch of brands, including their own, so it’s a good selection without being overwhelming. The sweater I’m wearing in the feature image on this post is from Samsøe Samsøe and I still love it as much as the day I bought it, over 2 years ago!

1. Sweater
2. Top
3. Dress
4. Skirt

Boii Studios

Another Danish brand! This past summer, I was on the hunt for some loose, flowy dresses and skirts, which turned out to be surprisingly difficult to find, until I went to Boii. They have several styles of dresses and skirts, and they make each one in a bunch of different prints.

1. Dress
2. Skirt
3. Cardigan
4. Dress (same style as 1, different print)

Second Female

I couldn’t tell you how I landed on Second Female out of all the Danish brands at Magasin, but for some reason this one has felt more accessible to me than others. So now I tend to head straight to the Second Female section if I’m feeling adventurous, haha.

1. Sweater
2. Skirt
3. Sweater
4. Dress

Honorable mentions…

H&M

Honestly, I try not to shop at H&M too much because I know it’s pretty much the poster child for fast fashion harming the environment (although I also know it’s not the only offender on this list). But sometimes H&M just has exactly what I’m looking for, and can’t find anywhere else. I tend to buy a lot of basics here (like t-shirts) and if I’m shopping at H&M, I try to stick to buying pieces that I know I can get a lot of use out of. (Also, H&M has been a lifesaver for maternity clothes.)

Topshop

I basically go to Topshop for jeans. I discovered their jeans when I was still living in the US, and never went back. I love their Jamie skinny jeans and have bought multiple pairs over the years (I have yet to adopt any other jeans style, sorry). Topshop was recently acquired by Asos and it seems like they have a somewhat limited selection now, but … still love those jeans.

Aside from all that… Madewell is still my favorite store ever, and I shop there whenever I go to the US. So even though I’ve been gone for over 2 years, Madewell still makes up a big chunk of my most-loved clothes! (It seems that Madewell is available on Zalando, but it’s a pretty limited selection, and I don’t think it’s the current season.)

If you’re in Denmark, where are your favorite places to shop? Anywhere I should check out??