Truly Great Street Style™ - Sidsel Alling

Do it like the Danish

Jul 24, 2024

Okay you guys, for today’s post I even LOGGED BACK INTO INSTAGRAM. That’s when you know I’m getting the good stuff, when I’ll even ~~sacrifice my mental health~~ access the web version of the hell that is IG.

I don’t know how I first started following Sidsel Alling but as soon as I did I felt something click for me. She is one of those fashion people who don’t rub it in your face, who doesn’t jump on every trend and who makes her clothes work for her - not the other way around. I feel like she wears the h*ll out of her clothes and makes a point of feeling like herself, whether she’s at a fashion show or picking up from daycare. It does feel slightly awkward to say “oh this really didn’t work” when talking about someone so… normal. So maybe I’ll skip “the mehs” today and instead focus on what I really truly love. There are so many of those I can’t even fit them into this post - so make sure to go follow her if you’re still on that app.

The wows

This was the first outfit I saved because damn, I want to wear this. In her caption, Sidsel writes that she was inspired by The Row and went to thrift pieces to get the right vibe. Now if that isn’t relatable, I don’t know what is.

Have you heard of sandwiching an outfit? You know, dressing yourself formal-casual-formal or sporty-dressy-sporty (top to toe, that is). Here, Sidsel has instead dressed herself like a three tier cake with the flavours being formal-romantic-casual. It works partly because the colour scheme is classic black and white, which makes everything speak the same language in a way. But it also works because there is a *secret sandwich* in there — notice how the t-shirt under the formal blazer is actually casual? So the recipe is formal/casual-romantic-casual. Genius.

Have you heard

Amy smilovic

of Tibi talking about how her closet should cater to the entire spectrum of her life whilst still making her feel like the same person (herself, obviously)? If you compare the outfit above with this outfit they’re quite different from each other, but I still feel like I’m seeing the same person. This is something that Sidsel does so well, aka experimenting with a wide range of style but maintaining the elements that feel personal to her.

Okay, moving on to the actual outfit. If we remove the blazer, the bag, the belt, the ballerinas and the sunglasses, this is quite a nerdy outfit. Beige high-waisted shorts with a beige square tank? But just by adding the more classically feminine black ballerinas we get an anchor to the outfit that also balances out the nerdy. The (leopard) belt says we don’t take ourselves to seriously whilst also breaking up the beige. We could stop here and this would be a pretty great outfit formula, but adding 70’s sunglasses (irony and fun), an oversized blazer (fashion) and a suede bag (texture) give this outfit pizzazz and flavour. Love love love.

Okay so here I will actually give you a “meh” and a “wow” because these outfits are so easy to compare. I think Sidsel looks great in both but the outfit to the left (grey sweater + gold skirt) doesn’t speak to me quite as much as the one to the right (beige knit + gold (?) skirt + gold ballerinas). The colours in the second outfit harmonize more and also feature more interesting textures, like soft knit, silk and metallic leather. II also love the accessorizing of the gold drop earrings, the 70’s sunglasses and the little red bracelet that again add Sidsel’s own personality. Like there’s juuust enough tension in the small, slightly weird, details.

It doesn’t have to be more complicated than this: a pair of great-fitting jeans, a black top, silver heeled sandals. The 90’s vibe of the jeans balance the formality of the black shirt and the heels - whilst the silver of the heels still say “I’m fun and I’ll dance all night if I want to”. The texture of the suede bag speaks to the more masculine texture of the jeans, whereas the silkier top and the daintier heels connect the feminine. Perfect balance without being too complicated.

This is one of those outfit formulas that I would live in. You can actually switch out any part of the outfit and it will still work. Swap the pants for jeans - great! Or swap the knit for a t-shirt - still great! Put on sandals instead of sneakers - excellent! Skip the scarf and put on a cap - yum! I think the key is that each piece is quite classic in itself and the two main pieces are in neutral colours (you can choose the neutrals that work for your colouring). The sneakers are cool and sporty, but in a colour that reads *colour* without reading *crazy colour*. And the scarf is butter-yellow so no notes.

I think this might be my actual favourite because it’s just so damn wearable. Those jeans that always makes your ass look great, a comfy yet luxurious knit, a barn jacket and teenage dirtbag shoes. I would feel cool and comfortable in this no matter if I was walking my dog, going to the movies, staying at my summer house - or drinking with friends, like Sidsel.

So this is the part where I have to stop myself from sharing about 20 more outfits because if I don’t stop now I probably never will. But I hope you’re convinced to try a few of these super simple yet elegantly chic outfit formulas - let me know if you do! I’ll leave you with a potpourri of more Sidsel outfits that make my heart sing with inspiration: