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At the start of 2024, I began taking outfit selfies to try and keep track of looks I liked so I could remember them and revisit. Somehow, the act of documenting my outfits feels very soothing to me. I have no idea why. Vanity? The illusion of control at a time when every damn thing feels utterly out of control?
I originally thought I might share my outfits on social but then I got overwhelmed by how often to do it, so I just kept compiling them into an album.
Now that I have a year's worth of outfits, I can really see how my style has changed.
For example, here's what January 2024 looked like. Lots of tailored pants, jogger shorts, Birks, dad sandals and some mesh flats. A boilersuit! Lots of blues and neutrals. Pretty streamlined.
My January 2024 outfit selfies.
And this is what January '25 looked like:Warmer colours, tons of red, leopard, sporty, jorts, more colour, chunky plastic shoes, fun bags.
My January 2025 outfit selfies.
Clearly, the biggest influence on my style this past year has been my hyper-fixation with Copenhagen style; specifically, the mix of feminine with masculine. Sporty downstairs, pretty upstairs. A soccer jersey with a sequin skirt. Casual and formal. Adidas tracksuit pants with a jacket and flats.
The scramble of it appeals to my desire to wear all the things all the time which I talked to Leigh Campbell about on her clothes podcast Nothing To Wear:
Look, I've never been to Copenhagen. I know nobody who lives in Copenhagen. Don't tell anyone, but I don't have a total lock on what country it's in or what language they speak there. I did singing for my HSC, not geography.
To me, Copenhagen exists in a parallel universe of fashion and fun.
Weirdly, I have no explanation for how I became fixated on this particular style, but what I can tell you is that it feels like home. For now. I have plans to visit my new homeland this year and just walk around peering excitedly at its citizens.
Quite possibly, it began for me with this video which, for a while towards the end of last year, I watched at least once a week, usually when I was on the treadmill. Fashion videos have become my white noise relaxation and this one really hit the spot.
Watch: Scandinavian Street Fashion. Post continues after video.
That 2024 trend made my soul sad. The point of Quiet Luxury, I think, was to pay a ton of money for something that looked totally forgettable. Classics. Basics. Neutrals.
Those are my trigger words.
If I had to describe to you what Copenhagen style was, I'd use these three words:
1. Comfortable2. Mismatched3. Cool
Also: bicycles. People ride a lot of bikes in Copenhagen, it seems. And that dictates what you wear. Comfort is key.
The word 'cool' is subjective, of course. My cool is probably not your cool. My cool might be your weird. Or tragic. Or hideous. Which is exactly why I find clothes so glorious and so creative. They are such a pure form of self-expression. You can be one thing this morning and another this afternoon, and most days, I am.
One form of dressing I continue to struggle with is formal or red carpet dressing. I went to the AACTA awards this week because Strife was nominated for Best Comedy (we lost to Fisk) and the day before I flew to the Gold Coast I saw this in the window at Cue and ran in to buy it.
My outfit for the AACTA Awards.
It's a lovely dress and I will definitely wear it again. But I think next time I have to dress fancy, I might try something a bit more me. Maybe a suit?
Feature Image: Supplied.
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