When people think of the Berlin style, it's often in the context of getting into Berghain, the city's notoriously difficult to get into nightclub/ dayclub/ underground style centre. But actually there's a lot more to Berlin's fashion than dog collars, harnesses and a no holds barred approach to self expression (you might as well just walk around naked). Yes, in Berghain there's a certain look, but it's a lot more diverse than that. My friend saw someone in a full-on kids entertainer clown suit there last Sunday, and that's not unusual. Inside the club, you're likely to see people trotting around in whatever they feel like (right now, there's a particularly gothic edge to it). The crowd has its own style, but it's not replicated everywhere in Berlin; on the street, people have a far more modest look, that's non-gendered and practical. Looking like you tried too hard is an easy mistake to make, not to mention a time-waster, so here are the mainstay trends you can't go wrong with in Berlin.
THE NATURAL LOOK
To a Brit, Berlin is seemingly full of beautiful girls. But as a friend kindly pointed out, maybe it's just that Berlin is a young city and when you come here you spend more time out, hanging around in bars surrounded by cool people having fun. Whatever the case, these girls don't wear much make up. So when in Rome, do as the Romans do, but when in Berlin, make like the natives and ditch your mascara. And obviously: you can forget about contouring. The streets are dimly lit and the bars are dark, so keep it minimal.
Photo: @underage_mom
NO HEELS
It's a fact, Berlin girls wear flats. As one Berliner, pointing to a tourist in a pair of heeled shoes, said, "Why do girls do that? It's so stupid." And he's kind of right. With the city's cobbled streets and casual style, choose Doc Martens, loafers, Nike kicks or chelsea boots - anything to keep you warm on your way home.
Photo: @sarah_jane
WIDE-LEG
Stash away your skinny jeans and put on a pair of proper trousers instead. The oversize aesthetic at Acne has become a mainstay in Berlin and wide-legged pants (preferably in black or navy) are a thing. Plus, there’s something cool and effortless about a loose top and baggy trousers – it says you haven't spent too much time getting ready.
Photo: @voostore
ALL BLACK EVERYTHING
Black rules in Berlin. Anna Wintour may have said of the New York runways earlier this year, there's "much too much black" but in the German capital, there's no such thing. From the cafes and the parks, to the clubs and the afterparties, guys and girls are layered in black. With the permanently grey skies and prevalence of techno and minimal music, the obsidian look is the city's signature style.
Photo: @stellaanastasiafath
HAIR
In keeping with the androgynous style of the city, the girls have cool hair, that's not too pretty. People are bold – blunt fringes, shaved heads, neat bobs, contrasting dye (think white blonde next to jet black). Forget layered blowdrys or L'Oreal vibes. Viktor Leske is the go-to salon for pretty much everyone in Kreuzberg and the stylists there know what they're doing – you don't tell them what you want, they tell you what will look good.
Photo: @transbratz
POST-SOVIET STYLE
While the girls may be effortlessly stylish, it’s the sixteen, seventeen year old guys that have really got it going on. These kids are mad for Russian designer Gosha Rubchinskiy. It's one of those things that once it's been pointed out, you realise it's everywhere. Think early-’90s bazaar in Moscow, Russian babushkas and awkwardly fitting velvet trousers. Perhaps this Soviet reference is to be expected. Post-communist chic has been prevalent in Germany – especially in Berlin – for a long time. The most famous expression of this is something known as 'ostalgie', a hybrid of the German words for nostalgia (nostalgia) and East (Ost). Some say it's an act of defiance in view of the perceived ‘colonisation’ of East Germany by the West German elites.
Photo: @gosharubchinskiy
POST-SOVIET STYLE, II
"Moscow and Berlin have a lot more in common than many inhabitants of either city might imagine. Designers like Rubchinskiy are definitely part of this process. Rubchinskiy is selling his clothes to German consumers, who want to dress themselves up in the edgy chic of regimes past," says Michal Murawski, from the UCL's School of Slavonic and East European Studies.
Plus, today, several hundred thousand of Russians live in Berlin – from the super rich oligarchs, like Mikhail Khodorkovsky, to the economic migrants and hipster types too.
Photo: @gosharubchinskiy
ALIGN WITH A TRIBE
Whatever look you go for – be it Russian, distinctly gothic or even half naked – the thing to take home is that anything goes in Berlin. Different tribes have different looks, just take your pick.
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