How did Denmark become so stylish?!

turns out there's more to it than Copenhagen fashion week...

and

Mar 20, 2025

If you’ve read my About page on Substack (yay if you have!), or if we know each other in the real world (hi friend or mum!), you likely know I work for the Danish Embassy in Tel Aviv.

No, I am not Danish. I am what is called a ‘local hire’ in the Embassy world.

I’ve been here for three years, and I am now a card-carrying Danophile. I’ve been to Denmark five times, I am learning Danish (jeg lærer dansk!), and of course, I have become a total Danish fashion victim.

GANNI, Samsøe Samsøe, Beck Sondergaard, Object, Boii, Sui Ava and A. Kjæberde are just some of the institutions that have received patronage from me on my work visits.

Danes are straight shooters.
They’ll tell you exactly what they’re thinking (which makes them excellent business partners).
They’re one of the happiest peoples on earth.
They’re self-deprecating, good-humoured, humble, hard-working, and have a true lust for life. Oh, and they LOVE a drink.

Perhaps due to their thousands-year old history as craftsmen and tradesmen, Danes have an innovative spirit and are masters at creating unique aesthetics and brand identities that have gained global recognition. LEGO, HAY, Ecco, Bang & Olufsen and Pandora are just some examples of this.

some of my favourite exemplary danish innovations

I know I’m not the only Danophile. All eyes have been on Copenhagen since the city’s first fashion week in 2006, sparking the emergence of the beloved ‘Scandi Style’ that has had a chokehold on the fashion world for at least the past 10 years.

Think dresses over jeans, flouncy frills paired with chunky Salomons, Havaianas with trousers and a blazer… They dress with functionality, playfulness, silhouettes, and contrast at top of mind.

the CPH girls are playful, refined, and effortless all at once. image credit: style du monde, pinterest

But HOW DO THEY DO IT?!

And WHY are the Danes SO GOOD AT GETTING DRESSED!?

Since I’m just a Baby Dane™, I realised I needed an expert contribution to this post.

So I asked fashion Substack’s Danish darling Ewelina from On Shopping my Closet to share her knowledge on what Danes get so right about style - and why.

GB: Thank you so much Ewelina for agreeing to chat with me about the origins of Danish style! So first up… How has Danish history and culture shaped its style success?

ER: I’m not an anthropologist or sociologist and I’m an expat in Denmark - a long-term expat; now also a Danish citizen, but still 🙂

From my own observations and from what I’ve learned reading about the history of Denmark, two elements have contributed shaping Danish style and its success.

The love of simplicity, minimalism and natural organic materials and forms

I believe is directly related with the fact that Denmark is a protestant country. Not a very religious one, but certainly proud of their Folkekirke and taking good care of most of their churches.

If you’ve ever visited a Roman Catholic church - let’s say in Rome - and then a Protestant church - let’s say in Germany or Scandinavia - you’ve probably noticed the enormous difference in the way each of the sacred spaces is decorated. The opulence, maybe even a level of vulgarity in the way especially older Catholic churches are ornamented.

Now, compare it to the way a typical Protestant church is… well un-decorated. This translates itself directly to how people live, how they furnish their homes and eventually how they dress as well.

Here’s actually an interesting article about this subject:

https://www.thecollector.com/protestant-reformation-influence-european-art/

The success part of the Danish design and fashion as an export goods, is again part of a much broader phenomenon.

What you need to understand is that Denmark used to be one of the bigger players in the colonialist era. With the land and countries controlled by the Danes or being directly part of the Danish Crown shrinking throughout the ages; and if you follow the news, there’s a risk this influence could shrink even further, with Trump threatening to invade Greenland (part of the Danish Crown); Danes have developed a small country mentality. Completely unjustified.

If you’ve ever heard of brands such as Pandora (jewellery), Lego (interlocking plastic bricks), Vestas (wind turbines), Danfoss (thermostats on your central heaters) and then Ganni, By Malene Birger, Stine Goya, Cecilie Bahnsen are just a few of many famous Danish fashion brands.

So, where is this success coming from?

Well, what do you do as a ‘small’ country with basically no natural resources, other than the vast sees surrounding Denmark from almost every angle?

You focus on the know-how. You master it. And then you export it.

As part of the process you make sure to be able to communicate with the surrounding world, which is why no matter the educational background, occupation or place of living - every Dane speaks English. Many are also fluent in German.

“So Protestantism and small country mentality helped shape the Danish fashion scene and then its success in the world.” - Ewelina, On Shopping My Closet

GB: Scandi Style has had a chokehold on all of us (ahem me) for such a long time now. Why do you think Danish / Scandinavian style has become so popular in recent years?

ER: I’m sure this has much to do with the overall globalisation of the world and the way certain local concepts suddenly gain global interest and hence momentum. The concept that I’m referring to here is ‘hygge’. And why ‘hygge’ and not something else has been such a successful export story? I believe it is directly connected with the fact that Denmark has been number 1 and 2 on the list of the happiest nations in the world.

Once you are on top of that list, the world becomes really interested in and is trying to understand the reasons for Danes being so happy 🙂

This stimulates tourism, which provides the perfect platform for consumer brands to gain international recognition.

hygge-core. no wonder danes are so happy

GB: Now over to you. What Danish concepts about styling/fashion do you love the most?

ER: I think what I love the most is the fact that there are so, so many cool and wearable Danish fashion brands available. There is something for everybody.

Even though I am more inclined to find the Swedish brands, such as Filippa K and Toteme more appealing due to their focus on tailoring and suiting.

The Danish brand By Malene Birger has a very similar vibe though. A newer to me brand is Mark Kenley Domino Tan with MKDT Studio label. I like their focus on exactly that - a good suit and tailored piece. When visiting some of my favorite 2nd hand stores in Copenhagen, besides By Malene Birger and MKDT Studio I also often see tailored pieces from another Danish brand, SKALL.

Very un-Danish question here... But if us non-Danes could be a little more Danish in our styling... What tip would you give?!

I’m still trying to crack that nut ;) as a Dane by choice and not birth. If you follow me you have an idea about my style and the love for a good blazer - if not, then here are a couple of examples:

a good cropped vintage blazer,

here are a couple of examples of less structured blazer jackets that I love, especially during the colder months,

A slightly more relaxed suiting on Sunday and Friday and then a super classic blazer look on Monday here

So, in the industry that I work for - wind energy sector - I am typically overdressed. But then if you work in banking or consultancy, not to mention fashion, it is clear that Danes actually do pay attention to how they dress and hence show up to the world.

But I would say, the majority dress in a very casual way - with emphasis on CASUAL ;) sometimes this means paying no attention to what you wear at all. A wrinkled shirt that should definitely have been ironed or steamed; shoes dirty from mud or with visible white stains from the salt during winter. So, I’d say a good level of carelessness …which by the way is one of the things that make the nation so happy.

Sneakers are the predominant type of shoe. Jeans and a t-shirt or jumper are the most common uniform for a typical Dane. This is however a very subjective observation from an engineer working in a mainly male dominated office environment.

The Protestant and hence modest and minimal way of dressing is also definitely easy to spot - no, not during Copenhagen fashion week ;)

But then attention is being paid to quality materials.

GB: Thank you so much Eweline for sharing! I learned so much from you here… especially the impact of Protestantism and Denmark’s history as a colonising power on how it shaped Danish style.

What are your favourite parts about Danish style? Do you have a penchant for Danish fashion or design brands? What did you learn!? Let us know!

KNOTTED

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