The street scene in Copenhagen reflects a new confidence and growing excitement for fashion and individual expression. Styling is important and becomes more crucial as consumers want to wear clothes for longer. These womenswear trends focus on looks that are attainable and inspiring with fresh details or styling to encourage creativity and experimentation. Materials are important to all looks offering everything from craft-like texture to dream-like sheers. Durable fabrics are increasingly important and surfaces reflect this endurance in washed and abraded finishes. This is a highly curated insight into trends edited into a flow of looks which are organised by category.
CASUAL denim
Denim makes an impact on the fashion landscape with oversize shapes and fully-styled looks. Bold proportions occupy space and single-shade denim styling, including dresses, make the strongest statement. Negative space opens up with cutouts and disruptive splits; crop jackets, short skirts and shorts are also part of this skin-revealing look. Shiny metallic coatings and overdyed denim with a stonewash finish give styles a Y2K feel. Texture is added with frayed and torn edges or inside-out construction.
CASUAL street
Key items are soft cargo pants with excess volume, or neat combat pants with stacked box pockets. These pants are styled with one-shoulder or crop tops, shirts, utility-style tops and even layered under dresses. This versatility and the wide range of fabric options is what’s making this trouser trend an easy adopter. Casual outerwear is designed with a sporty edge or utilitarian-styled details. Skirts are short and neat and feature pleats and pockets, while others are mid-length styles with extra fullness.
DRESSES stretch
The biggest shift in dress silhouettes is the move away from full-on volume towards body-skimming mesh, crochet and jersey. Transparency is important with semi-opaque panels working alongside solid sections and lots of open knit dresses styled over boy shorts and tops. The stretch trend includes materials with movement, such as plissé-pleating and dresses cut on the bias. Texture is added with intricate crochet patterns or scrunchy pleating and feathery frayed finishes. Bold prints are an important component adding swirly abstract designs, shouty graphics or linear patterns.
DRESSES woven
Big silhouettes remain a strong look for woven dresses where they have become more complex and now incorporate cutouts, intricate frills and innovative patterns or textures. Shirt dresses feature volume through the shoulder, sleeve or body. Structured pinafore styles become increasingly relevant as consumers appreciate the added value of buying layerable items. Lacy shift styles have a contemporary look, while peasant styles add romantic-style gathers. Dresses featuring cutouts are edged in frills or beading, other pretty details to note include tie fastenings and crafted embroidery.
LEATHER suede
The attraction of leather and leather-look materials is due to the growing trend towards durable and longer-lasting product. Popular outerwear styles are therefore based on trend-proof styles such as the classic biker and bomber jackets or full-length coats and tailored jacket shapes. Shirts, skirts, shorts and trousers are where designers are choosing to play around with colour and textured patterns. Leathers are finished with a natural sheen or wet-look surface, while others are deliberately aged and worn with abraded treatments.
SEPARATES soft
Volume continues to feature in blouses but these oversized silhouettes appear lighter in transparent fabrics or are countered with areas of fitted structure or cropped lengths. Satin fabrics are important, not only for tops but bottoms too; skirts are bias-cut or plisse pleated, while pants relax into pyjama or pleated styles. Neat rah-rah and short pleated styles are slung around the hipline with a belt to finish the look. Downy feathers, frills and delicate fringes soften edges and in some cases are used to add all-over texture.
SEPARATES structure
As structure continues to gain momentum it is the waistcoat that emerges as the single most effective item on the tailored scene. These are worn with matching trousers or skirts, providing a summer alternative to a traditional trouser suit. Trousers are loose through the leg with soft tucks and easy slash pockets. Shirts are generally oversized and usually worn fully or partially open as a lightweight jacket with dangling cuffs. Skirt and trousers are styled with fold-down waistbands to reveal the inner workings: lining tape and fastenings.
SPORTS street
DESIGNers continue to splice together graphic tees, shaping them into oversized dresses and oversize t-shirts. In general graphic tees are an important styling item where they are used to play down other dressy items. Tourist-print shirts and jersey tops feature allover patterns and denim is decorated with embroidery. Plain jersey tops are manipulated with twists, straps and ties and open out through cutouts and crop proportions – note that the one-shoulder shape is key.
TAILORING suits
Single-colour styling always makes a statement, but the look delivers even more impact as a bright trouser suit. Bold shades of pink, blue and purple grab the attention, while off-white, neutral grey/black and brown shades are classic options. Consumers recognise the value of suits that can be styled for different occasions and also worn as solo items. Fabrics are woven with subtle texture or added sheen, bouclé weaves are shaped into Chanel-esque suits and corduroy moves the look into transitional dressing. Feminine details, such as scalloped edges and hourglass silhouettes vie for attention with oversized shapes in masculine-type suiting patterns.
TEXTURE craft
Crochet is having a moment in dresses where it provides a delicate lacy effect that combines modern minimalist shapes with delicate craft-like transparency. Knit dresses and tops feature cutouts, intricate straps and if styles are sheer, the focus includes under layers. Textures are woven and knitted into patterns and are often finished with fringes or unravelled threads, emphasising hand-crafted elements. Simple shapes, such as shift dresses, tank tops and sweaters provide the perfect excuse for experiments in pattern colour and texture.