I recently spent a week in the Netherlands visiting my Dad in his home towns of Velp and Arnhem. The style on the street was Comfy Casual Chic. Most people commute on bike or on foot so shoes are extremely practical. Clothing fits are tailored at best but fluidity reigned supreme. Not many oversized silhouettes.
The first part of my trip was warmer than expected and reflected in the street style. Many women wore dresses with flats. Some styles were dressier than others. Lengths ranged from mini to midi, but knee-length was most common. No maxis. Some women wore dresses as tunics over cropped straights, which was elegant. All sleeve lengths were represented. The occasional need for a topper was usually a denim jacket or lightweight cotton bomber.
Patterns were as popular as solids, and across all sorts of colours and neutrals except for black. Dark blue, denim, tan, olive, light blue and white were popular neutrals. Fabrics were cotton, linen, silk and polyester. Sheaths, shifts and straight shirt dresses with high-low hemlines were everywhere. Fit-and-flares, and tiered boho frocks were less popular. Footwear ranged from flat sandals, gladiators and low-heeled wedges, to ballet flats, loafers, flat oxfords, Birkenstocks, flat booties, Toms, and fashion sneakers (both slip-on and lace-up). No flip-flops and very few heeled pumps. I was surprised at the abundance of classic ballet flats, which made we want a pair next Summer.
The most popular bag on the street was the small crossbody, probably because it’s easy to ride a bike with one. The dressy version with glitzy chain handle shoulder strap was carried by women across all ages and especially in a Sporty Luxe way (with sneakers).
For the last few weeks of Summer, join me in wearing the heck out of your dresses, and especially with flats and low heels up to an inch and a half. Here’s some visual inspiration to get you started. Add jewellery, eyewear, headgear, scarves and watch as desired.
