Stockholm: Fashion and Style Of One Part of Scandinavia

Having never been to Stockholm, I was eager to see the land which gave us ABBA, Ace Of Base, and the acting dynasty of the Skarsgards (Stellan and his 4 sons, Bill, Gustav, Alexander and Valter). I wanted to see how fashionable the Swedes are compared to the practicality fashion of the Germans, the printed and traditional fashion of the Finnish (yet with lots of Nordic and very Scandinavian touches), the eccentric and sometimes avant garde fashions of the British and the flashy designer-y and sometimes experimental, yet sporty fashions of the Americans. I also wanted to see what would inspire me in this beautiful city, full of art and culture. The boat docks in Stockholm and like an overeager child, I'm ready to get off of the boat and tear through the streets to see as much as I can as well as to check out the different ways the Swedes are dressing and how the stores there dictate what we see on the streets. I wanted to see how the Swedish take a trend and make it their own. Once off of the boat, the first thing I realize is that it is quite windy there. Snowy and icy, like Finland (it is winter after all), it is quite a beautiful city. Stockholm is the capital and the largest city in Sweden. It is also the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Founded in c 1250, Stockholm has been one of Sweden's cultural, media, political, and economic centers. I've always found Scandinavian fashion quite interesting, because in some cases the weather can be quite extreme (in winter, it can be very cold and there may be a lot of snow and ice), but the Scandinavians have a way of still having unique looks combined with the traditional styles of the country (traditional woolen sweaters, scarves, hats, socks, legwarmers, etc). One of the things that I can say that I've noticed and loved about the things I've seen fashion wise in Sweden (as well as most other places, even New York) is that you don't need a lot of money to be fashionable and stylish. You can mix designer pieces from the top brands (Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana, D Squared, Diesel, etc.) with pieces from H&M, Bik Bok, and Weekday (all stores under the H&M umbrella) as well as with traditional woolen pieces and fur (faux, of course) and come up with a unique style that can be edgy or understated (that depends on the look you wanna go for). Understated is the main look in Sweden, but you can throw in a little edge and make it fun. These photos are from Stockholm Fashion Week. These dictate the current trend of minimalism with a slight edge, or something that I would consider the Stockholm Style.

Going through the fashion magazines in Sweden(my favorite is Bon Magazine), I see an explosion of different things. On one end, I see a lot of science fiction and fantasy inspired pieces, pieces full of drama and have a sense of romanticism to them (they're in the current issue of DVMode-Winter 2012 issue). Here is the cover and one pic that I was able to get to describe the looks.

I couldn't get any looks from my favorite Swedish fashion magazine "Bon", but here is the website to check out not only the current issue, but other articles as well(bon.se). They are all in Swedish, but I love a lot of the pictures and they are pretty inspirational. I have to figure out a way to get a printed copy of the magazine every now and then. I'll have to shake down one of my favorite magazine stores and see if they will have it. I hope to make a trip back to Stockholm in the spring/summer to see some more fashion and check out some of the fabric stores. I'm also gonna try and get Sweden into the schedule to check out the fashion weeks. We will see. As I close this post, I'd like to take this time out(because I may be too drunk tomorrow to do it) to wish all of those that are following me and those who are just checking me out a Happy and Prosperous New Year!!! Eat heartily, drink merrily, dance crazily and look sexy and fashionable!!! Take me with you in spirit and get my spirit home safely. Take care of yourselves and each other!!!! Stay fashionable and sexy!!!