The fashion pack have been enamoured with Scandinavian style for a few years now, with brands like Ganni, ROTATE Birger Christensen and Cecilie Bahnsen all synonymous with a directional, cool look. So it’s no wonder that this season’s most surprising, and fun, top trend comes from Copenhagen – and has even been christened “the Copenhagen blouse”.
Capitalising on the current vogue for all things coquettish, these chic tops feature bows tied together to hold closed the front of a blouse, with the more daring versions showcasing a slither of skin underneath. If you’re imagining cowgirl cosplay or Britney Spears circa Baby One More Time, think again – these styles are tied together all the way down, like a button-down done up with ribbons.
Take Ganni’s poplin peplum blouse, which was the original viral favourite with its loose, boxy style. Fans include 40-year-old Scandi influencer and mum of three, Pernille Teisbaek, and 37-year-old Australian stylist and mum of two, Rachelle Rowlings, proving you don’t need to be Gen Z to love the look.
Plenty of designers and labels beyond Ganni have got on board with the trend. Damson Madder makes fun tie-front dresses and tops in their signature vibrant gingham and animal prints. The high street has taken note, with Nobody’s Child, H&M, Anthropologie, ASOS Design and Cos offering their own takes, whether these are blouses, waistcoats or dresses. Designs can come in everything from vibrant patterns to crisp white, with fun details like peplums, frills and pockets.
There’s something undeniably sexy about the style, too, making it a good option for when you want to dress up, but in a more relaxed way. “There’s an easy-breezy feel to these tops so I’d save them for summer weekends, evenings and holidays when it feels more appropriate to show some skin and leave the top tie undone,” agrees stylist Lucy Walker. “My favourites of these tops are the loose, cotton style with long sleeves and thin ties.”
There’s a danger with anything too zeitgeisty that anyone over the age of 30 looks a bit try-hard, so the way to make the Copenhagen top work if you’re a millennial and above is to balance out the look. “The key is to keep the rest of your look modest, minimalist and grown up – you don’t want anything skimpy, revealing or tight on the bottom half,” advises Walker. “Team them with loose jeans, like the relaxed style that Cos does, or loosely tailored cotton trousers – my favourites are at Matteau and Toteme. I would then add some simple, modern earrings and flat sandals.”
Unlike say, a halter neck or a bandeau, they also feel surprisingly acceptable for work, and are fairly practical for the current unpredictable weather we are having, as despite the open front, they still offer a fair amount of arm coverage, depending on which style you choose. That said, it’s probably best to stick to the white blouse or black waist coat styles for the office, rather than anything too funky.
And make sure you’re well-covered – whether that’s through thicker or closer together ties. “If you do decide to wear one to the office make sure the ties are tightly tied – one slip to the right or left and you’ll reveal far more to your co-workers than you’d probably like,” advises Walker.
Unfortunately, as with a lot of fashion trends, the Copenhagen blouse does rather discriminate against those with a larger bust, as Walker notes in her final piece of advice: “A word of warning… You can’t wear a bra with the less structured styles so it’s worth considering that if you’ve got bigger boobs.”
If this is you, then you can either opt for a more rigid fabric, like cotton or linen, which will hold its shape better, so that you know exactly what will and won’t be on show, or one of the styles with a thicker tie and bigger bows, like the dresses at Damson Madder. If you’re nervous about going bra-free, Skims do great bralettes which you could either match to the blouse or wear in a contrasting shade.
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