Global Trend Report '08 - Stockholm

Welcome to Sweden, home of the “normal girl.” After all the boring kids in Stockholm went into emo overload, the quirky girls have gone straight in rebellion. That means no makeup, long, limp hair, and a scrunchy on the arm for windy days. It’s the kind of look where you know that if you called her in the afternoon to see if she’d fancy a pint she’d be ready and downstairs in 15 minutes.

Pants have high waists now, and worn-in, light Levi’s 510s have been popping up all over. And no glitter anywhere. Your clothes are thinking of going to the clothes library, and they don’t want to disturb anyone.

Tomboys are another version of the normal girl. They wear jeans that are tight but still manage to sag around the ass and the thighs, a t-shirt (sporting beer brands, vacation spots, favorite bands, ironically raunchy slogans) without a bra, and flat Chelsea boots or Docs, which are very much here again.

Remember when men had kids and jobs? Neither do we, and maybe that’s why everyone is trying so hard to bring them back. The “painted on” jeans aren’t working anymore, since most of the guys have decided to get real jobs where they’ll need to be able to bend at the knees. Shirts are tucked in and shoes never, ever have Velcro on them. Inherited watches are also good.

Of course there are the exceptions to the normies. Some gay guys and sensitive straights are turning into weird nerds with huge glasses, huger army jackets, and a snaggletooth if they’re lucky enough to have one. It’s either that or a full beard and a doom band on the side. Also, the number of classic metalheads is growing exponentially every day. You know the ones you’ll see at metal shows who look like

Matrix

extras with backpacks that look like latex porcupines? These guys are the opposite. They love Maiden and Overkill, they wear ancient steel-capped boots or white Reebok high-tops, and they have stringy hair and a jean jacket that is 90 percent patches and 10 percent denim. The back patch is usually Bathory. They’ll also have a whitened ring on one of their back pockets from their Snus box.

Then there’s the art school party girl. She’ll pile on layers of sheer and slinky materials, and you can never be sure if it’s a skirt or a shirt or what. But it doesn’t matter since all eyes go immediately to the metallic American Apparel leggings. These girls are Sweden’s only defenders of high heels—wide or slim, but never lower than three inches. They wear makeup, but it’s creative rather than beautifying. Imagine a skinny, unmarried Divine in

Polyester

.

Photos: Maja Flink; coordination: Patrick Crotty; models: Camilla, Adam, Max, Johanna, Björn, and Maja