Your new spring wardrobe has been given an out-of-town tryout 12,868 kilometres off the coast of Australia. At Copenhagen Fashion Week last week the Scandinavian front row sifted through current international trends with the efficiency of an IKEA designer to highlight what you should buy now.
Without the distraction of luxury brand ambassadors parading gifted attire in front of the paparazzi of Paris or Milan, or the look-at-me desperation of Australian Fashion Week’s amateur peacocks, the down-to-earth Danish event showcased sustainability, diversity and wearability.
Here are five key items to base your spring look around, once it’s warm enough to take off your well-worn trench coat.
Jorts are back
The jort was bound to return as Y2K silhouettes continue bugging a new generation of designers. Not quite jeans, not quite shorts, jorts tease the knee, flaring like an A-line skirt without the prim hang-ups.
Last year jorts crept into hipster wardrobes, worn beneath ironic bowling shirts, crochet crop tops and bucket hats with swinging key rings and carabiners, but Danes took the skater staple mainstream.
Jorts starred off the runway at Copenhagen Fashion Week.Credit: Getty
Attempts at irony were abandoned in Copenhagen with dark, pale denim and torn jorts worn beneath everyday polo shirts, rugby tops and business shirts. They’re the latest mullet of fashion, executed to perfection when it’s business up top and a party downstairs.
Sneakers were left at home as black combat boots, thongs of the flip-flop variety and heels took the look off the skate ramp.
For everyone who invested in a long denim skirt this winter, the jort is your transition piece for warmer weather. They’re jeans with a youthful attitude and greater ankle exposure.
Red means go
Lipstick red trickled from the Gucci and Valentino runways to Copenhagen Fashion Week.Credit: Getty
While the US has enjoyed a brat summer, which involves listening to Charli XCX and a challenging lime margarita shade of green, in Copenhagen traffic light red offered a European alternative.
In the front row, bold red made an appearance in countless tops, but it was the top-to-toe approach in skirt sets, maxi-dresses and leather layers that unleashed Danish dopamine.
Why settle for a pop of red when you can have an explosion?
The lipstick look trickled down from the runway at Gucci, Dior, Valentino and Acne Studios, often veering into burgundy and oxblood. Buyers at the autumn/winter shows in February tipped red as the colour of the season, meaning that it should hit its peak below the equator in spring.
Not so brief. Big underwear meets the sheer trend on the streets at Copenhagen Fashion Week.Credit: Getty
Invest in big knickers
Boxy beige briefs are privately treasured by many women on days when comfort trumps the appeal of scanties. The onslaught of sheer skirts and dresses in Copenhagen has destroyed their secretive allure, putting everything on show.
Beige, black and even powder blue briefs, with modest silhouettes offered obvious style security beneath billowing mesh gowns and skirts.
This sheer trend deliberately places the delicacy of evening wear techniques under the harsh light of day.
Dresses of broad lacework or fine mesh, with varying degrees of opacity, require matching, utilitarian underwear and a healthy degree of confidence. G-strings need not apply, destroying the delicate balance between summery and sexy.
If your bra is not up to enduring maximum exposure, enlist a long-sleeved knit, blazer or shirt to offer textural contrast and a visual anchor for uncertain eyeballs. Pick something with pockets because most sheer dresses prioritise shock value over practicality.
Speaking of bras...
The bra and bralette replaced the white T-shirt as the hardest working item in a woman’s wardrobe, flaunted beneath boxy blazers, leather jackets and ladylike cardigans in Copenhagen.
Northern exposure. Bra styles took centre stage at copenhagen Fashion Week as street style subjects abandoned T-shirts.Credit: Getty
Try this trend with an ordinary bra, and it can look as though you just forgot your blouse. An intentional impact is established by selecting a bralette with the structure and support of a bikini top.
It’s a versatile piece that works equally with high-waisted pants and low-rise mini-skirts. Extroverts can select bralettes in bold colours or with a metallic finish, but basic black style increases your cost-per-wear justification of a sturdy new purchase.
Unlike a T-shirt, you won’t need an iron, but commitment to the bralette requires a significant investment in sunscreen.
Waistcoats
Waistcoats were big business at Copenhagen Fashion Week.Credit: Getty
The sleeveless vest is already the working women’s alternative to jackets, but the waistcoat as worn in Copenhagen offers off-duty appeal.
Adjustable straps at the back and numerous buttons, make waistcoats a versatile option for most body shapes, and they can be layered over shirts or bare skin.
Take the Goldilocks approach and ditch last season’s oversized preference for tailored pieces by finding a waistcoat that fits neatly to your figure.
Patterned waistcoats, like those seen in British weddings or on rowdy groups of men at the Melbourne Cup, should be avoided. Traditional corporate patterns such as pinstripes, black and greys will do all the hard work while you play.
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