A typical Swedish look? The Local Firm A/W 2011
“You’re not from around here, are you?” he asked.
“Uh, what do you mean?” I countered.
“Well, you’re wearing some pretty wild trainers.” He paused. “And too many colours.”
“Oh.”
We had only just moved to Stockholm and were out on a Saturday night getting acquainted with our new hometown, meeting new people, the whole lot. I thought that being Canadian-born, of Korean ancestry and going out with a boisterous Brit would give me away as a ‘foreigner’, but no. Apparently, it was a pair of Eley Kishimoto trainers and bright pink jacket over a printed dress that did it.
Fast forward four years and those beloved trainers sit at the back of the closet. What’s changed? Besides the inevitable – growing older, being sucked into certain trends – I’m only now realising that Sweden has actually had a profound effect on my personal style.
It is, of course, quite common to be influenced by the culture of the country you live in. Hence the crazy patterned trainers and slightly eclectic dress sense – I had lived in the UK for six years prior to the move. But in reality, my “London look” was not particularly different from my “New York look” or “Toronto look”, just revved up.
A T-shirt from my so-called London days.
Sweden, however, has changed me. Sure, the land of skinny jeans and the sea of head-to-toe black (or grey) at first made me: 1) get even skinnier jeans (Hello, Cheap Monday!); and 2) become self-conscious about my tendency towards prints and colour. But it’s the emphasis on wearability amongst the majority of Swedish labels that has affected the contents of my closet and, perhaps most importantly, my general attitude towards fashion.
I only want pieces that will work with the rest of my wardrobe. I want to be able to wear them on a daily basis. I’m tired of “occasion-dressing” and items that scream a certain season. I want timeless. I want season-less. I want good basics. Comfort is key. But I don’t want boring. I like clever design twists on classics. I love playing with proportions. “Effortless” is my byword.
Unsurprisingly, more established Swedish labels such as Acne, Whyred and Filippa K fit the bill perfectly. They’ve been advancing notions of wearability without forsaking style for years. And as they continue to expand across the globe, more and more people are cottoning on to this Swedish sensibility.
Alas, I never really abandoned my love of bright colours or prints. I’ve merely worked around it the past few years. So imagine my delight upon attending the S/S 2012 shows during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in Stockholm a few weeks ago. Colour galore, and print upon glorious print. Particular standouts include Minimarket (yellow, head-to-toe florals and leopard print), Ida Sjöstedt (florals again and a delicious red) and Josefin Strid (ombre, turquoise and orange).
But if I had to pick one piece to wear straight off the runway, it was an oversized, bright pink knit hooded jumper at Carin Wester. Unlike the bright pink jacket I donned that fateful night four years ago, however, this jumper ticks all the boxes of my new “Swedified” personal style code.
Carin Wester S/S 2012 (Photo: Kristian Löveborg, courtesy of ASFB)
