Swedish Fashions Put Emphasis on Casual Elegance, Versatility
First-time shoppers in Stockholm are delighted to discover that Swedish designers apply refined, sophisticated and contemporary ideas to fashion as well as to furnishings for home and office. Their emphasis is on simplicity of line and quality, along with convenience and versatility.
Several Swedish style-setters that are the rage in Stockholm and other European capitals are still relatively unknown in the United States.
Their clothes are expensive, and Swedish price tags seem to loom larger when viewed from the perspective of someone with shrinking American dollars. But these clothes are reasonable when you consider that Swedish fashions available in the United States (Bjorn Borg’s sportswear line, for example) sell for as much as double their Swedish price.
Casual Elegance
Most Swedish designers tend to create casually elegant clothes, and their lines are remarkably individualistic.
Get a good overview of their work at Nodiska Kompaniet, better known as N.K. (Hamngatan 18-20), one of Stockholm’s finest large department stores. On the frst and second floors expansive boutiques display a broad range of current Swedish fashions. Here’s a sampling of what you’ll find:
Under the LOB-Design label, designers Lena Berglund and Bo-Goran Guldbrand combine flair and practicality in their coordinated line of men’s and women’s fashion.
Theirs is a young look, with high- fashion lines applied to a lot of basic mix-and-match knitwear. For example, a women’s knit ensemble (about $450) contrasts white, loosely fitted trousers and a matching ankle-length, broad-shouldered sweater coat with an off-black high-collared knit under-sweater. Each piece is accented with stud-like silver buttons.
Similar buttons are featured on another white knit ensemble (about $400), a hip-length box jacket over a pleated skirt and white under-sweater with a demure Peter Pan collar.
One knit series features bold black geometric patterns on white fields, with long and short skirts (about $150) to be worn with hip-length or short (some with bare midriffs) sweaters (about $200).
Some men’s and women’s styles are coordinated: a skinny, form-fitting mini-dress in olive drab--accented with black collar, black trim on sleeves and black buttons--works with a man’s olive drab Cossack shirt with black trim on sleeve cuffs and neck, to be worn with loose-fitting black trousers. Very attractive.
Natural Fabrics
Marc O’Polo, actually a group of five designers, features natural fabrics, including wonderfully textured cottons and smoothly flowing cotton knits. The detailed styling is always captivating.
Women’s dresses (about $280 and up) have dropped waists or unpredictable layering; some jackets (about $250 and up) have deep-pleated peplums. Skirts are long and flaring.
There are corduroy trousers with buttons up the side of the calf to be worn with big-pocketed shirts accessorized with bow ties. Men’s styles are similarly chic and comfortable.
Sweaters (about $200 and up) are loose-fitting and boldly textured or patterned. Trousers (about $100) are roomy, with front pleats and wide legs. There are carrying bags of leather-trimmed canvas (about $150) or heavy, durable leather (about $400) that will help to transport purchases home. Marc O’Polo recently opened a boutique on New York’s trendy Columbus Avenue (No. 214), where prices are about 20% higher.
Sizes 38 to 50
Big Is Beautiful is for the woman who doesn’t want style to cease at size 42. Designer Jytte Meilvang, named Sweden’s 1987 Designer of the Year, is a former model for larger sizes. She is a genius at contouring, proportioning and mixing patterns to create a fabulously elegant look that makes sizable patrons look stylish.
Flowing black-and-white-striped trousers, narrowed at the ankles, are worn with a loosely belted, broad-shouldered, white-on-black polka dot jacket over a contrasting black-on-white polka dot deep V-neck blouse.
Other similarly ingenious ensembles (priced from about $350 and up) use boldly patterned cover-ups with solid-colored basic trousers and turtlenecks. There are also magnificent suits and dresses.
Theme colors often include off-white, cognac, black and dark brown, but vibrant primary colors are also used. Styles are made in sizes 38 to 50, but the clothes are so attractive that women who wear smaller sizes often buy them and wear them big.
Scandinavian Silk Trade
Another favorite with Scandinavian women is designer Annika Warberg, whose silk fashions are often quite exotic. They frequently have animal themes and unpredictable details.
There are giraffe print skirts and shirt ensembles (about $300), tiger print dresses (about $550) and silk, sarong-like trousers (about $250) that push up the leg and button to hold the length you’ve selected. If you find such total fantasy too extreme, you might select one of Warberg’s stunning silk scarfs (about $80 and up) with which to accessorize a simpler outfit.
For men, N.K. features Bjorn Borg’s collection (designed by Rohde Heintz), including many items not sold in the United States.
Comfortably large raincoats with removable warm linings and wide collars that snap up for extra protection against the elements are about $600 and up. Sweaters (about $200) and sweat suits (about $80) have colorful Mondrian-like patterns or wildly clashing plaids and checks. Logo-crested, long-sleeved cotton jersey shirts are about $45, cotton shorts about $40.
Popular Outdoor Line
Boomerang Sportswear, made entirely of natural wools and cottons, is one of Scandinavia’s most popular outdoor clothing lines. The look is colorful and carefree.
Long-sleeved cotton shirts (about $50) sport aqua with dark red stripes; other exciting color combinations have button-down collars and three-button cuffs, made from fabric that looks fresh even when not ironed.
Also in aqua, heavy cotton basketball jackets with sloped shoulders, zip-up fronts and high round collars cost about $300. Forest green cotton jackets (about $250) with multiple pockets zip up the front and then snap, and are lined with red-and-white-striped fleece.
They may be worn with coordinated red-and-white striped sweat shirts (about $60) or bright red crew neck woolen sweaters (about $185).
Two labels--Clochard for men and Maison du Pantalon for women--are sold in their own boutique at Norr Malarstrand No. 8-10.
Designers Kjell Klangenberg (Clochard) and Lena Von Essen (Maison du Pantalon, formerly with In Wear) are among Sweden’s most sophisticated and inventive stylists. They use wonderfully textured fabrics and unusual shaping to personally define their concept of fashion simplicity.
Jackets and Skirts
Klangenberg and Von Essen manufacture a limited number of a large collection of clothes several times a year.
Women’s suits have broad-shouldered, loosely fitting hip-length jackets with zip-up fronts that end in modified tuxedo points, plus ankle-length pleated skirts (about $600). Or conservative pin-striped wool is inventively fashioned into collarless V-neck, double-breasted jackets over straight skirts to below the knee (about $580).
For men, Clochard’s heavy linen collarless suits in navy and other colors (about $400) are favorites.
Loose-fitting trousers of heavy, very wide-wale corduroy (about $150) are shown with rough-textured shirts of hand-loomed cotton (about $80). There are jodhpurs with extra-baggy thighs to be worn with double-breasted broad-shouldered and wide-collared jackets in bold plaids. The look is fun and distinctive.
Clochard, Maison du Pantalon and the other labels are also sold in selected boutiques throughout Stockholm.
Get further information about availability from Designers United, a cooperative organization of about a dozen top Swedish fashion designers. Their office is at Karlavagen 93.
Prices quoted in this article reflect currency exchange rates at the time of writing.
