Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Things I've learned about Sweden Pt. 1 ft. loveclothing.com

Living in a new country, you're surrounded by unfamiliar customs and traditions, languages and people. This environment is perfect for expanding your mind and your opinions beyond the little box they may have been confined to. I find this to be the case with moving to Sweden. There's a lot to take in in a new country, especially a country that, before moving there, you knew little to nothing about. But, after having been here for a little over two months, I think I can speak on some of the things that I think are uniquely swedish, and other things that seemed to permeate the culture in some way.

So I'm starting a series called "Things I've learned about Sweden," where I will detail little things I've noticed that set Sweden apart from the pack (or at least apart from America haha).

Lesson #1 obviously has something to do with one of my loves: fashion.

Swedes LOVE to dress in black. All black, even head to toe sometimes. Everyone owns a black leather jacket, a black pair of boots/flats, a black bag, a black dress, black pantyhose...you  name it, it comes in black here. And since black is such a flattering shade on basically everyone, I see this as a real plus. I've definitely noticed more black seeping into my own wardrobe as I find inspiration daily, walking to Uni or walking around stora torget downtown. Hell, I even dyed my hair black when I got here.

There's something very classic and mysterious about a black outfit. You sort of stand out while simultaneously blending in with the crowd. Which is good, because Swedes tend to not want to stick out. But that's a whole other post. Young swedes, or at least swedes in their 20s attending university, tend to be extremely fashionable. There isn't the sort of mob mentality when it comes to clothing that you see in the US, where every college campus is filled with northface jackets and ugg boots. Everyone seems to somehow have their own distinct style while still maintaining the important swedish trait of being one with the crowd. It's actually quite impressive to see. And it definitely makes me want to do more shopping. With the fall and winter months coming up, black clothes are a staple piece for any wardrobe. It's not too in-your-face, and it's a color that can be toned down or dressed up, depending on how you style it.

Now don't think I'm talking about only women here. Swedish guys are extremely stylish, in that european way that americans can spot on sight. (Maybe because they're put together and not wearing frat boy tshirts and sweatpants :P) Guys tend to experiment a little more with color in my opinion, especially if they're wearing cropped pants that show off their cute socks with little decorations on them.

All in all, I think Sweden has a reputation for stylish, beautiful people for a reason: it's filled to the brim with them. If you plan to visit, be sure to bring your "nice" clothes ;)


Examples of some "swedish" style clothing: (all clothing available on loveclothing.com)














No comments: