I would hazard a guess that if you’re reading this, you’re already a proud owner of a pair of jacquard Ganni ballet flats, own far too many crochet knitted skull caps and have been wearing flip-flops with trousers long before it became socially acceptable. I would also wager that you’re familiar with these wardrobe staples from the cohort of incredibly tasteful Danish women who regularly wear them. Should that be the case, it should come as no surprise to see them on display through the street style spotted during Copenhagen Fashion Week.
Compared to its contemporaries, Copenhagen Fashion Week is a rare opportunity for attendees to truly let their inner maximalists shine. From the candy-coloured buildings along the Nyhavn to the sandstone buildings of Vesterbro, the city’s vibrant landscape serves as the ideal backdrop for truly spectacular outfits. Built on a foundation of elevated basics, like a striped top from beloved-but-now-defunct brand Saks Potts, a rosette from Pico and a colourful button-down by Caro Editions, attendees are prone to go the way of the magpie and layer sheaths of lace, polished millinery, bold tights and stacks of jewellery.
Sitting in the front row is as good an excuse as any to get dressed up. But if you want to embrace this peacock-esque style philosophy into your everyday life, certain trends will enable you to look like you’ve just come from a Skall Studio runway or Rotate after-party, even if you’re just nipping up to Sainsbury’s.
No one truly does it like the Nordics, so consider this as your official invitation to lean into experimentation, unexpected pairings and the wrong shoe theory and uncover the key street style trends seen at Copenhagen Fashion Week this August.
9 Key Street Style Trends Spotted at Copenhagen Fashion Week August 2026:
1. Capri Leggings
Style Notes: This season, “awkward length” pieces like three-quarter-length sleeves and capri leggings are dominating the street style set. The latter is a silhouette that will always be marred in controversy, so whilst it might seem like the calf-grazing trouser has become commonplace, consider the ubiquitous nature of this shape at Copenhagen Fashion Week as proof of its versatility. To look like a Frederiksberg native, pair with a loose blouse and pumps, or to channel your inner Christianshavn local, wear it under an elongated blazer and apron dress.
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2. Banadas
Style Notes: If you’re only going to pay mind to one thing at Copenhagen Fashion Week, it’s the accessories. Paris might have exceptional bags from the likes of Dior and Chanel whilst London plays home to subversive shoe brands including Miista and Dear Frances, but Copenhagen will always excel with superlative styling pieces like brooches, ties, waisted scarves and hats. (The millinery alone is worthy of its own piece.) After a few years of bonnets, the August season has ushered in a wave of stylish bandanas. Whether you tie it to look like a Pirates of the Caribbean extra or in the style of Ingmar Bergman’s Persona, this subtle layer is incredibly affordable and exceptionally versatile.
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3. Bermuda Shorts
Style Notes: Tailoring might evoke imagery of Savile Row or Madison Avenue, but as Copenhagen Fashion Week is proving, you shouldn’t discount the streets around Bredgade to see clean lines and fluid shirting. Of all the most prominent styles, however, it’s Bermuda shorts that seemed to reign supreme. Rather than the knee-grazing denim styles you’d see in Highbury and Islington, these pieces are accented with lace trims or made from super fluid wool. Both essential when you’re spending the majority of your day cycling around trying to hunt down the perfect post-show cardamom bun.
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4. Raglan Shirts
Style Notes: Revived by chic Manhattanites like Emily Ratajkowski and Zoë Kravitz, raglan tops have instantly become a core style of those looking for cooler ways to wear basics. The tonal piece offers a fresh method of injecting colour into your look without having to rely on coloured jeans or a saturated tote. Throughout the week, the shape kept cropping up when paired with utilitarian staples like cargo pants and khaki drawstring trousers.
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5. Fringe Accents
Style Notes: Tassel scarves were a fixture in sophisticated wardrobes this winter, especially when tied around the waist of a coat or slung on top of a pony hair blazer. Summer’s answer to this trend is through excess fringing, and attendees of Copenhagen Fashion Week proved there was no shortage of ways to wear it. From elongated tank tops cut on the bias to the sold-out Nii Hai skirt, wearing fringe certainly had its benefits this season.
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6. Stripes
Style Notes: Copenhagen Fashion Week should always be considered a litmus test for new trends: if it makes an appearance, it’s a bona fide thing. So, when I was inundated with countless striped outfits, I knew this print would be here for the long run. Replacing polka dots as the pattern du jour, stripes appeared everywhere, from Breton-esque cardigans to multi-coloured football jerseys and low-waisted trousers.
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7. Pointed-Toe Mules
Style Notes: Don’t think that Scandinavians just ride around on bikes and call it a day. Footwear is an essential part of the Copenhagen Fashion Week uniform, especially as they commute from venue to venue, be it the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art or Hotel Bella Grande for Rixo’s upcoming collection preview. This season, shoes oscillated from the toe-baring flip-flops to strappy ballet flats. However, the most dominant style seems to be pointed-toe mules. A style that’s stepped out of the ‘90s—hello, Carrie Bradshaw and Carolyn Bessette Kennedy—this shoe was seen in neon primary hues and sleek animal prints.
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8. Pencil Skirts
Style Notes: Take notes. Once reserved for secretaries and ‘60s socialites, pencil skirts are stepping out of hours and into the streets. Though you think a silhouette as constrictive as this wouldn’t fit into the sartorial milieu of a city so eclectic and diverse as this, as the Copenhagen Fashion Week set is proving, by pairing it with a casual polo or in a zany print, it won’t feel stuffy or managerial at all.
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9. Mustard Yellow
Style Notes: Copenhagen is a city famous for its hot dogs. (Or, as its denizens will tell you, its pølsevogne, which is the Danish word for the street vendors who sling them at exceptionally cheap price points.) So, it should come as no surprise to see mustard yellow hues wash over the city. More autumnal than chartreuse, albeit with the same piquant undertones, this delicious hue is particularly cropping up in the forms of knitwear and long-sleeved tops.
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