The Copenhagen Effect
Everybody wants to look like a Copenhagen girl. Danish Fashion brands like GANNI and Baum&Pferdgarten are globally represented, TikTok Trends and Viral Products, Scandinavian Hairline, Copenhagen Fashionweek Streetstyles all over the Internet destroy Personal Style and the sense of Individuality. But is that really true?
Spoiler: I don’t think so.
To dismantle why I don’t think we become all the same we have to use more than just our visual sense and a pinch of optimism rather than cynicism. Under the premisses that Fashion is a tool for expression, true Personal Style can never become same-ish even if we would all wear the same clothes.
Over time, through evolution and transformation our outfits would naturally change and diversify because the inherent curiosity in humans is as individual as a finger print and looks for representation constantly. That means even if we tried (what we’re doing as we speak) we will never look all the same. So what is the Copenhagen effect and what does that have to do with Holistic Styling?
Copenhagen effect
Let’s start with the obvious: The Copenhagen effect and how I will use the term in this text is just representative for environments with impact and secondly because I’ve got to experience this effect first hand as I live in Copenhagen for 1.5 years now. We could also call it Paris effect, Amsterdam, Berlin or London effect. That’s not the matter of the subject because they all describe the same mechanism: That our environment has an effect on us, our circumstances shape our experience on that environment and our Personal Style is influenced by it. Fashion became so global that critics say everybody looks the same no matter where you go because you can buy all the brands from different countries and have access to the street styles as if you would live there.
My Personal Style is a good example of that. Moving to Copenhagen, I had all the ✨right✨ items in my suitcase already: GANNI bou bag, Acne Studios blazer, Baum&Pferdgarten glitter skirt - you name it. Yet, something shifted throughout this time: I became homely within myself and that was my REAL Personal Style Glow up. So, not the brands or even the garments itself shaped my personal style but the hygge mindset that came with living there! Now guess what, you don’t have to move anywhere to apply it on your Personal Style. In the following, I’ll roughly explain it to you how that looks like. And if you’ve always wanted to work with me to dive deeper and truly transform: I’ve also just launched an E-book that shifts your mindset within 12 days!
Hygge Mindset
In Holistic Styling, the sense of home is one of the pillars to take into consideration when building a style that’s rooted in authenticity and self. As mentioned in this article I believe that Personal Style is our Soul and the truest expression of ourselves. Fashion is one way for the Self to express what the Soul wants: experiencing itself - other ways are nutrition, movement, relationships etc. - while Trends are ego-driven gateways ruled by fear and urgency. Applying the Hygge Mindset on your wardrobe means becoming cozy with the greatness of your soul and finding ways to express said soul. It’s characterised by this:
Intentional ease: It’s not about sloppiness but feeling held
Warm refinement: Yes, you strip away the unnecessary but keep what sparks joy, beauty and creativity
Focus on feelings: Prioritizing coziness over appearance to create a homely atmosphere
Signature wearability: Or wardrobe-life balance; Accessories create presence and are easy to apply in your daily life
Nervous System Support: Embodiment of a Fashion that is body driven instead of trend driven
Dressing as Ritual: The Hygge Mindset encourages you to turn everyday moments into art by presence and being devoted rather than disciplined
Togetherness: A hygge mindset wardrobe is built for community as your coziness creates an atmosphere for others to feel cozy, too
Coming home to yourself
Instead of making us look all the same, the Copenhagen effect invites us into a new level of intimacy with ourselves. Fashion may have become global, but Personal Style is still and will always be deeply personal. Trends can travel, outfits can be copied, hairlines can go viral, but the inner world they land in is never identical. Your experiences, your values, your body, your energy, your desires… all of it shapes how you express what you wear.
It’s about remembering that environments influence us but they don’t define us. They simply hand us new textures, new atmospheres, new ways of being. And when filtered through authenticity, these influences become fuel rather than formulas or regimes.
Instead of asking “What should I wear?” you begin asking “Who am I becoming and how can my wardrobe support that?” Instead of copying aesthetics, you cultivate intentional ease. Instead of trying to fit into a city, a trend, or an algorithm, you learn to fit into yourself. When you come home to yourself, you become unmistakable. Not because you resist influence, but because you alchemize and learn from it. We’re not becoming the same. We’re becoming more ourselves if we’re willing to engage with style consciously.(Remember the SWIFT Theory?) That’s the message the world misunderstands when it fears that Copenhagen, or Paris, or TikTok, or fashion itself is making us clones.
So whether you live in Copenhagen or thousands of miles away, you can integrate the Hygge Mindset, nurture your nervous system, honour your soul’s expression, and build a Personal Style rooted in authenticity rather than trends. Because the real glow-up isn’t looking like a Copenhagen girl. It’s looking like YOU with courage, creativity, connection, clarity, and coziness.
x
Lea
