Dutch Fashion Trends
When arriving to the University of Amsterdam for class, I observed the students crowded around the vast doorways to the lobby. They appeared to be more dressed up compared to what us JMU students wear to class as none of the students were wearing sweatpants or hoodies. I’d describe Dutch Fashion attire as being comfortable and relaxed yet also casual and chic. Comfort is an essential part of Dutch fashion for biking around the city. Colors that they are normally seen wearing tend to be muted colors such as, black, denim, army green, and tan. They may be better dressed than our university but to other European countries, they are seen as more laid back and minimal.
At first glance I noticed that there were loads of people wearing denim. I immediately noticed denim skinny jeans, overall shorts, and jean jackets paired with white sneakers. Leather jackets and long trench coats are also common among older men and women. Denim tends to be a laid back and versatile piece of clothing. To the Dutch, jeans are extremely practical in that they can be worn anywhere and allow for you to look like everyone else in Amsterdam.The Dutch love their denim and it’s a style that tends to never get old.
Women typically wear dresses year round and love to layer other articles of clothing with them. But in spring or fall they like to wear basic tee shirts, long sleeve shirts, sweaters, and hoodies. Although sometimes, light jackets and rain coats may be needed for those wetter days. Patterned pants appear to be a theme here in Amsterdam whether they’re laid back and flowy or dress pants for work.
Men are seen in comfortable pants or jeans, basic tee shirts, and polo shirts.For shoes, men tend to gravitate more toward the sporty name brand sneakers like Adidas, Nike, and Converse, but are also seen wearing polished shoes for work. Women love their birkenstock sandals, cute flats, or comfortable ankle booties with thick heels for the more colder days.
Accessories the Dutch use frequently are sunglasses, umbrellas, and scarves. Lightweight bags such as FjallRaven and Dopper water bottles make traveling on bikes easier as well. Men are sometimes seen in simple sports caps too.
Style trends in Amsterdam tend to be due to the way in which they travel around the city and the unpredictable weather patterns so comfort and accessibility is an essential part for how the Dutch choose their fashion. Dutch fashion can be described as both versatile and practical. The Dutch saying, “Just be Normal, that is crazy enough,” refers to the Dutch wanting to blend in, especially when it comes to fashion. The Dutch fear anything that doesn’t conform and prefer when people don’t act out of the ordinary meaning someone who isn’t acting “Dutch”. In the Netherlands, the Prime Minister, Mark Rutte even bikes to work to show that everyone is of equal value in social status and shows how much they value normalcy.
