Some Copenhagen Fashion Week guests treat their outfits like a moment to flaunt the most eccentric, over-the-top items in their closets. It's is the unofficial start of the globe-crossing outfit marathon known as fashion month, after all, and the city is as recognized for its whimsical, boundary-pushing street style as its sustainability efforts. How could it not be, with designers like Ganni, Cecilie Bahnsen, and Saks Potts calling it home?
But as a fashion editor covering thirty-plus shows in four days and meeting with designers the whole way through, I have to think of my Copenhagen Fashion Week street style more like a series of work trip outfits with a sprinkle of personality. I'm not necessarily trying to get photographed for a gallery or test-drive a polarizing fall trend. I'm here to track down stories and represent my company. I want to look good, but I also want to look like a professional.
That doesn't mean I hit snooze on colorful outfits. Instead, I approach getting dressed for the week like a balancing act: a dash of comfort for hours spent running between shows here, a hint of pattern or a big hair accessory for some playfulness there, and some modesty all around because I'm on the clock.
Ahead, I'm breaking down every summer work outfit I packed for Copenhagen Fashion Week this season. In my humble opinion, they keep up with the Danish capital's style reputation without getting in the way of what I came here to do: work.
The Easy Linen Outfit
The first day of international work travel is almost always the hardest, physically, mentally, and sartorially. The jet lag and the urge to wear pajamas are real. Comfort that could keep up with more time zone-adjusted guests was especially important for this season's day one: I rolled straight off an overnight flight from New York City—plus a stopover in Iceland—into the start of Copenhagen Fashion Week without so much time for a power nap. I landed on an oversized COS top and Everlane trousers I wear all the time at home. They're loose and billowy in a way that feels intentional yet just as comfortable as my usual travel sweatpants. Sparkly mesh flats by Loeffler Randall gave me some extra pep in my step—and inadvertently coordinated with the mesh dresses, shorts, and tops I saw on the runways at Mark Kenly Domino Tan and A.Roege Hove (among others).
The Great White Skirt Outfit
I competed with a lot of Copenhagen Fashion Week attendees for the title of the white skirt trend's most devoted fan. They were as prevalent in street style as the maximalist hair accessory trend, showing up with everything from sequin sheer tops to holey, slouchy sweaters. As much as I would have loved to wear mine with nothing but a bikini for a dip in the canal between shows, the look wasn't quite appropriate enough for all the interviews I had lined up. Instead, I took another page from the Scandi playbook and matched mine to an oversized button-up and ballerina flats—plus an extra-extra large scrunchie from the J.Crew x Maryam Nassir Zadeh collaboration for good measure. I thought the whimsical cornflower blue had a touch of whimsy that felt Copenhagen-core, but button-ups are a business casual special.
Marie Clarie's offices follow a corporate casual dress code, so I could wear this exact combination back at home. Still, I might swap my ballerinas for the sturdier loafers that were too heavy to pack instead.
The Pattern Play Outfit
By day three at Copenhagen Fashion Week—or any work trip—I start to lose steam. The hours are long. The deadlines are tight. I need a one-and-done piece that hits me like a triple espresso and gets me back into power-dressing mode. That piece happens to be my all-time favorite work dress. This Rixo number's mixed prints take the neutrals I love and lean on and bring them somewhere new; instead of rifling through my suitcase for something visually interesting and a little vintage, the dress does all the work for me.
I hit the track where Baum und Pferdgarten hosted its Olympics-themed show, pairing my mood-boosting outfit with pointed-toe mules and some '80s gold jewelry. Between my outfit and the runway's thumping soundtrack, I felt energized enough for a 100-meter dash.
The Sneakers and a Dress Outfit
Four seasons of traveling to Copenhagen Fashion Week have taught me you can wear chunky sneakers with anything—even if you're not riding a bicycle to and from the shows. I chose to follow the quintessential Scandi girl formula halfway through the week, on a day when I had six back-to-back shows and a few appointments before and after. Flouncy, high-volume dresses paired to sporty sneakers are an unofficial uniform over here; I interpreted it my way with a drop-waist dress I snagged on sale at Revolve and Nike's V2 Max—one of Kaia Gerber and Jennifer Lawrence's favorite styles. I layered a T-shirt underneath for modesty (I repeat: This was a work trip!), but I usually wear this with nothing but sandals at home.
The '90s Slip Skirt Outfit
When I needed to dress up for my lone late-night show of the week and dinner with editors afterward, I turned to an outfit formula I wear all the time at home: the little black top and white skirt. It takes maybe two seconds to pull on, but the stark contrast feels refined. A fashion friend once told me I looked like the ghost of Carolyn Bessette Kennedy in this exact combination, which I'm taking as a major compliment.
A little cardigan thrown over my shoulders added another tone to the neutral-on-neutral palette I was working with while keeping me safe from Copenhagen's chilly after-dark temperatures. You can't see them here, but I also slid my Manolo Blahnik mules back on for a finishing touch. All the pieces in this outfit can mix and match with the more casual shorts, oversized button-downs, and sneakers I packed for working from my hotel the following week—so they really earned their real estate in my carry-on.
The Elevated Jorts Outfit
This summer, I evolved from a staunch anti-jort activist to the jort trend revival's biggest advocate. (I blame daily exposure to Hailey Bieber and Gigi Hadid's stylings while leading Marie Claire's fashion news coverage.) I gave my collection of work dresses and skirts a break on my last work day in Denmark, styling my go-to Agolde pair with an oversized black blazer and peony button-down. With the help of my best mesh flats and a straw bag over my shoulder, the vibe was a little business-casual-meets-beach—perfect for a final day of outdoor shows and coffee meetings when the energy started to settle down.
I'll add that at Copenhagen Fashion Week, no trend is too controversial for a street style moment—and I saw more jorts in store for Spring/Summer 2025 on the runways at Marimekko, ÓperaSport, and Caro Editions.
