Everything I Wore to Copenhagen Fashion Week as a Midsize Model
Jennifer Atilémile is the definition of a woman who does it all. A true multi-hyphenate, she is a model, writer, creative, activist, and intellectual. As an editor in residence, she gives us a behind-the-scenes look at the fashion industry.
I love Denmark. Every time I go, I come home with a renewed appreciation for my own life and for the Danes themselves. There’s a reason Copenhagen was just named the world’s happiest city, topping the 2026 Happy City Index. This was my first time experiencing it in summer—10/10, would recommend.
Naturally, I did what any curious person does and typed “Why are people in Copenhagen so happy?” into Google. What I found kept coming back to one idea: empowerment. The city consistently gets credit for how much it lets people design their own lives, and there’s a lovely line in an article about the topic from the Danish professor Christian Bjørnskov that says, “What is special about Danish society is that it allows people to choose the kind of life they want to live.”
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That’s why so many people look to Copenhagen for its street style and why I feel so drawn to it. It’s a reflection of how people actually want to dress rather than how an algorithm told them to be cool or chic. They are the embodiment of taking up space.
Their concept of hygge is one I relate to. I have a Substack blog called To Life, With Love, after all. Hygge is about enjoying the simple, good parts of life together with people you care about, and that’s something I try to practise every day. It’s no wonder the fashion reflects the way people live here. Every day, people get dressed with intention, with joy, and with love, and it shows in the street style.
I stayed at Hotel Ottilia in the old Carlsberg brewery. Other than the fact that it didn’t have air conditioning (a privilege I’ve come to learn is a luxury now that I live in the U.S.), it was a perfect base. It was a little far from the centre of town for an event like fashion week, but it was a 15-minute cycle, something I ended up doing almost every day. By the end, I think I was biking for several hours a day. The hotel bikes had only three gears, and after arriving to one too many things sweaty, I switched to a LimeBike. Here’s everything I wore in Copenhagen.
Day 1
Morning: OpéraSport sheer dress, Good American jeans
I went to the OpéraSport show and was given this look to wear. I loved wearing the sheer top over a pair of baggy jeans. (These are Good American.) My first instinct was to wear the dress on its own with a contrasting set underneath, but I opted for the jeans instead. It was my first day, and I wanted to suss out how dressed up everyone else was going before I committed. That’s the thing about a piece like this, though: Knowing I can style it at least two ways is a reason I’ll buy something, and bonus if you’re trying to pack light. It’s another outfit for your trip.
good american
Vintage Low Slung Baggy Jeans
Evening: Stella Nova dress, Nike Moon Shoes
This dress was lovely. I rode my bike to the presentation and opted for Nike Moon Shoes instead of kitten heels. For evening, I think I’d have preferred the kitten heels, but the dress’s open back won me over.
Stella Nova
Embroidery Anglaise Maxi Strap Dress
Later: Dissh matching set
This was one of my favourite outfits of the trip. It’s a dress and a pair of pants, and in true Scandi style, I wore them together. The beauty of it is I could wear each separately for the rest of the trip too. That first day was very, very hot, and since I’d committed to biking everywhere, the loose fabrics went down a treat. It’s much easier to cycle in pants than a dress, although I’ll maintain that riding a bike in a dress is very chic.
DISSH
Cordelia Sandstone Ramie Cami Top
dissh
Cordelia Ramie Crop Pant
Day 2
To the show: Saint Art pants, The Frankie Shop shirt, basic tank
I knew I’d be getting out of this almost the second I arrived, so I wanted something comfortable I could sit around in and get my makeup done in while still looking effortlessly cool. I didn’t realise how valuable my flip-flops would be here or how much everyone in Copenhagen wears them. It made my shoe packing very easy, and honestly, it’d make a great carry-on-only hack.
The Frankie Shop
Peri Striped Fluid Shirt
Saint Art
Clyde Oversized Taffeta Pant
On the Gestuz runway
I wore a boss ’80s-inspired suit down the runway for Gestuz. I love a blue-collared shirt with work-style pants, and the khaki-and-blue combination was really striking.
To watch: By Malene Birger dress, The Frankie Shop shirt, AWD sunglasses, Polène bag
I loved the colour of this dress; it really popped in golden hour, which is exactly when the show was. I added the Frankie Shop shirt as a layering piece, and the pop of blue from the sunglasses tied back to my shoes. But the bag was the star: a special-edition Polène Béri Lif. It’s out of stock now, and I feel very lucky to own what I can only describe as a piece of art.
By Malene Birger
Laya Maxi Dress
Day 3
Showroom appointments: Oasis tee, Shona Joy pants
On my final day, I attended a couple of showroom appointments before my last show. I wore my fiancé’s old Oasis tee over these Shona Joy pants, and it was a genuinely cool look—right up until I put a massive tear in them adjusting the seat of my LimeBike. I look defeated here. It was hot, my pants were ripped, and I was running late. Classic fashion story.
shona joy
Drawstring Pants
On the Almada runway
For Almada, I walked in a black dress and a silk cape that billowed behind me as I moved. I felt beautiful. The brand actually operated a see-now, buy-now model for its debut runway, so you can actually shop this look right now!
The Copenhagen Trends I’m Bringing Home
From what I saw on the runways and, honestly, even more on the streets, here’s what’s worth stealing.
Flip-Flops
Everyone wears flip-flops in Copenhagen—to shows, to dinner, on a bike. It made my packing easy (although you know I brought more shoes than days), and it’s the ultimate carry-on-only hack, which I did not do this trip. To alternate between styles, opt for leather, maybe kitten heels, and then the classic Havaianas. Maybe even throw in a jelly pair.
Balloon Pants
I love balloon pants. They’re so comfortable, and I think they look good on everyone. They’re bike-friendly, too, which goes far in Copenhagen.
Draped Silk and Chiffon
Bias-cut silk and layers of chiffon are fabrics that catch the light and the wind. I even wore the trend on the runway for Almada.
Just look at this detail from By Malene Birger.
A Pop of Blue
Blue was my little obsession this trip. Move over, red! A single hit of blue—on sunglasses, a bag, or shoes—running through an otherwise neutral or tonal outfit is the easiest way to incorporate it. Blue was everywhere, and it’s so easy to make it yours rather than copy the algorithm.
Taking Up Space
No matter where you live, this one’s the most important to remember. In Copenhagen, the fashion people were not afraid to wear silhouettes that didn’t make them look smaller. They wanted to take up space, and they wanted to do it loudly. They were confidently themselves. It’s not just a trend. It’s an actual way to live, and we should all want to steal it!
Final Thoughts
Copenhagen reminded me that getting dressed is supposed to be fun. Sure, Scandi minimalism was still alive and well, but getting dressed here felt intentional. It’s a moment at the beginning of your day where you decide who you are and show it to the world. I think that’s why the happiest city in the world also happens to have the best street style. When people are free to choose the life they want, they know who they are, and they dress like it.
Once again, I’m bringing a little bit of Copenhagen home with me: the permission to take up space loudly, to wear the things that make me feel like me. You don’t need to be in Copenhagen to do it; you just have to let yourself be free.
If Copenhagen showed me one thing, it’s that curves aren’t going anywhere. Take up all the space you want!
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