Why Every Man Wants to Look Like a Swede

Stockholm tailor Saman Amel, right.

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Best of the Boutiques

Where to find must-have oneoffs, from mohair sweaters to sustainable sneakers.

BAUMGARTEN DI MARCO

This boutique jewelry line from designers (and style mavens) Jenny Kask and Lisa von Baumgarten is on the sustainability track. Made of the parts that are left over from the diamond-cutting process, the pieces, each with a different mosaic effect, are at once sublimely feminine and raw. baumgartendimarco.com If the New Nordic movement encompassed skincare, its poster child would be this botanical line and perfume house in the Sturegallerian shopping complex. Many of the items, which range from hair care to body products, contain birch leaves and extract, which the Swedish have used for medicinal purposes for centuries. bjorkandberries.com FASHION

Why Every Man Wants to Look Like a Swede

If there’s one thing that Stockholm does perfectly right now, it’s menswear. by Jason Sheeler

HOPE STOCKHOLM

Inspired by men’s workwear and vintage uniforms, the stylish, everyday pieces here focus on soft tailoring and androgynous silhouettes—to the point that, last year, the label decided to defy genderbased dressing by offering all its clothes in sizes for both men and women. Head to its Smålandsgatan location for the biggest selection. hope-sthlm.com

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If you’re in Södermalm, be sure to walk down Krukmakargatan street, where you’ll find one of the city’s most beloved multibrand streetand sportswear destinations. Jane Kønig, Zadeh, and Neighborhood (right) are a few of the local names to get to know. nittygrittystore.com

Left: A shirt jacket on the street in Stockholm. Below: CDLP underwear.

The main floor of Grandpa, in the Kungsholmen neighborhood.

SHOPPING

Department Store Download The city’s multi-brand shops offer both a local and a worldwide fashion view.

NK

Officially named Nordiska Kompaniet, this has been the capital’s central shopping destination since 1915. It’s a traditional department store, to be sure—fashion, cosmetics, jewelry, crystal, ceramics—and visitors take an anthropological tour to find what locals go for every day, so don’t miss the housewares at the Design House in-shop and the curated fine-foods floor. nk.se NATHALIE SCHUTERMAN

For more than 20 years, Schuterman’s boutique has brought haute labels and fashion’s high priests and priestesses to Stockholm.

Known for her discriminating taste and spot-on buys, Schuterman has dictated what Stockholm’s trendsetters wear (Balenciaga, Celine) and how Stockholm style is viewed internationally. nathalie schuterman.com

GRANDPA

The selection of accessories, jewelry, clothing, and shoes at this store is as disarming as its name. The flagship store in Kungsholmen (there are three other locations around Stockholm) is the one to visit.

Not only is the selection better—including exquisite curiosities such as vintage housewares—but there is also the restaurant and bar, Sixten & Frans, and, on most days, a DJ. grandpastore.com SNICKARBACKEN 7

The most unusual of the city’s emporiums, this well-curated mishmash of art gallery, café, market, and department store in Östermalm is the place to go for locally made foods, furniture, and art from area painters and sculptors. snickarbacken7.se NK department store.

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we tend to do it thoroughly,” said Konrad Olsson. “And we can abandon our identity quickly. Right now, men in Sweden are really into the Italian tailoring traditions, with a return of soft suiting.” Olsson is a veteran of Stockholm magazines and a founder of Scandinavian Man, a multi-platform venture that spotlights and, with a new store (scandinavianman.com), sells menswear from Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Finland. As a Swede, he is, of course, partial to designs from his homeland, especially those coming from a fresh crop of younger tailors in the city.

In stark contrast to much of men’s current street style, which seems to be sneakers and sweat suits (“That’s around here too, just more in Copenhagen”), Olsson credited the polished Stockholm peacocking of Byredo founder Ben Gorham and local stylist Lalle Johnson as bellwethers of this new Nordic “ONCE SWEDES GET INTO SOMETHING,

sprezzatura. And the tailor responsible for their looks is young designer and haberdasher Atelier Saman Amel (saman amel.se). Launched in 2010, Amel’s label offers made-to-measure suiting (prices start at around $2,000) rooted in the lightly structured Milanese tradition, along with enough layerable, hand-knit pieces to withstand a Swedish winter. “It’s cold here,” Olsson acknowledged, saying the essential item of the moment is a classic wool shirt jacket from Oscar Jacobson (oscarjacobson.com) that can pull double duty. “Keep in mind we’re indoors a lot, so there’s also a luxury loungewear thing happening here.”

CDLP (cdlp.com), founded by Swedish filmmaker Christian Larson and Andreas Palm, is the base layer favored by locals, from tighty-whities to windproof long underwear. Larson and Palm, who work exclusively in biodegradable materials, have recently expanded into socks and very loungy—if impractical—velvet swimming trunks. With a premium placed on an exacting signature (as well as sexy, Instagram-friendly marketing), CDLP is emblematic of the new class of Swedish menswear brands that were founded on one absolutely perfect thing: Ron Dorff (sweatshirts), Tärnsjö Garveri (boots), All Blues (men’s rings), and Palmgrens (briefcases). “Swedish men’s style has shifted aesthetically from the skinny jeans and slim silhouette established during the early years of Acne,” said Palm. He recommended the department store Nordiska Kompaniet (nk.se) and small menswear concept shop Jus (jusstore.tictail.com) as places to find both the smallbatch and global Swedish menswear brands.

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NITTY GRITTY

FROM TOP: ROBERT J SPANGLE/THOUSAND YARD STYLE; COURTESY NITTY GRITTY

BJÖRK & BERRIES

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT: MONICA GUMM/LAIF/REDUX; SIMON BAJADA; COURTESY CDLP; ROBERT J SPANGLE/THOUSAND YARD STYLE

SHOPPING

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Crafts KONSTHANTVERKARNA

Located in the heart of Vasastan, A.Marchesan is a must-visit for timeless menswear—from 1900s Harris Tweeds to Alfred Sargent shoes and Bresciani socks.

While the boutique’s wide selection of namesake-label shirts is contemporary, they’re tailored from vintage patterns. amarchesan.se

RÖNNELLS ANTIKVARIAT

With more than 75,000 new, rare, and secondhand finds, this shop is considered one of the largest bookshops in the Nordic universe. Since 1929, it has been Stockholm’s treasure trove for everything from English fiction to out-ofprint reads. ronnells.se

The Next Acne?

It’s hard to start a label in Stockholm without the inevitable comparison to the original cult brand.

TOT Ê M E

Launched in 2014, Totême makes women’s wear that combines stark Scandinavian simplicity with an aggressive, sexy edge. The latest collection features clean, feminine silhouettes in a muted palette, inspired by the work of Swedish artists Eric Grate and Eva Lange. toteme-studios.com

O U R L E G ACY

The Stockholm-based company started in 2005 as a graphic T-shirt line. Soon after, the label released its first full collection as a minimal menswear uniform— including its signature (and best-selling) mohair crewneck sweaters. ourlegacy.se — A.D.

I T TA K E S 350 H O U R S to craft a Hästens Vividus bed (below). Only four artisans at the factory 90 minutes north of Stockholm are even qualified to work on the company’s haute-couture-level bedding.

And if you’re in the market for such a nocturnal upgrade, the company offers byappointment tours of its so-called Dream Factory in Köping. The curving, nearly ruffled 1940s building, designed by Ralph Erskine, is an architectural gem, and the tour includes a mattressstitching course, a visit to the horsehair room (the secret ingredient), and a tranquil sense of nostalgia: a fully operational factory without a single robot—it could lull you into a peaceful slumber. hastens.com — J.S.

Above: The Modernity gallery.

Left: A Ragnar Helsén armchair from Svenskt Tenn.

SHOPPING

Objects of Desire SW E D E S A R E N O T H I N G if not designconscious, and there’s no shortage of great Stockholm spots to buy furnishings and objects by Scandinavian design stars past and present. The best place to start is the Östermalm neighborhood, which is noted not only for pricey real estate and chic nightlife but also for furniture shops, especially along Sibyllegatan.

Topping any must-see list are Modernity (m o d e r n i t y. s e) a n d Jacksons (jacksons.se), galleries that offer exceptional vintage pieces by blue-chip Nordic names like Finn Juhl, Kaare Klint, and Hans Wegner—at prices to match.

Modern rug enthusiasts will want to book an appointment to browse the exuberantly patterned carpets at the Märta Måås-Fjetterström showroom (mmf.se). And Asplund (asplund .org) presents two floors of elegantly minimalist contemporary furnishings in a pristine setting that feels like the Scandinavian home of your dreams.

For more unusual vintage finds, (sjostrom antik.se) sells iconic pieces like Poul Henningsen Artichoke lights, Bruno Mathsson Eva chairs, and kitschy heirloom objects, while the gloriously crowded design den Gamla Lampor (gamla-lampor.se) specializes in old lamps but also has idiosyncratic collectibles such as Coca-Cola coolers and old Omega watches. A pair of standout shops are tucked away inside converted parking garages: Nordlings (nordlingsantik.se) focuses on Nordic pieces, including silver jewelry from the ’50s and ’60s, while the more international Dusty Deco (dustydeco .com) offers a mix that might range from a stunning 1950s Italian bar cart to classic Eames chairs.

Next to the harbor, don’t miss Svenskt Tenn (svenskttenn.se), featuring timeless, beautifully crafted furnishings and vibrant textiles—including many classics by Josef Frank—and Malmstenbutiken (malmsten.se), which highlights the influential and continually stylish work of Carl Malmsten. Both shops are owned by the same foundation, preserving two pillars of impeccable Scandinavian taste.

— Stephen Whitlock Sjöström Antik

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A Stockholm resident for more than 20 years, Lisa Larsson Second Hand is perhaps the city’s best-kept secret.

Larsson’s packed, three-room vintage boutique of women’s clothing and accessories is a bit chaotic—but a little digging will go a long way, for finds such as a 1960s Oscar de la Renta gown or an ’80s Yves Saint-Laurent cape. lisalarssonsecondhand.com

FOR MANY FASHION LOVERS, Swedish fashion is crystallized best in an Acne Studios store. From the poured-concrete floors to the ever-changing, slightly nostalgic color palette and the intricately cut basics, Acne has a cultish look—and cult status in the fashion world—despite having more than 50 stores around the globe. The label began somewhat modestly in Stockholm in 1993 as Jonny Johansson’s graphic design, film, production, and advertising firm. But it was the introduction of just 100 perfect pairs of five-pocket raw-denim jeans in 1996 that brought the fashion division of the company to life.

Twenty years later, Johansson remains in place as creative director, the jeans are still among the industry’s best (the cropped Land style is so impossible to find that it’s nearly an urban myth), and from its flagship store on Norrmalmstorg square in downtown Stockholm, the company continues to define what Swedish fashion looks like. And while the inspiration sometimes moves away from Sweden—the new Manhattan sneaker is inspired by ’90s New York streetwear; a new Musubi bag is based on a Japanese obi—the company stays true to its Scandinavian roots. Yes, it’s a clothing store, but the company remains more than a clothing company: Acne published a biannual magazine called Acne Paper and produces furniture including sofas inspired by designer Carl Malmsten. — Annie Davidson

So you can tour the Hästens factory.

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LISA LARSSON

How Acne Studios came to define Swedish style.

FROM TOP: COURTESY MODERNITY STOCKHOLM; COURTESY SVENSKT TENN; COURTESY HÄSTENS

A.MARCHESAN

Sweden’s Original Cult Brand

D E PA R T U R E S

Shopping for antiques and secondhand items is an under-the-radar pastime in Stockholm.

STYLE GUIDE

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Vintage

Why buy a $150,000 mattress in Sweden?

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT: COURTESY ACNE STUDIOS; ISAK BERGLUND MATTSSON-MÅRN; COURTESY TOTÊME; COURTESY MICHAEL FÖRSTER/KONSTHANTVERKARNA

Nearly 100 artisans can be found at this center of Swedish handcraft in the Söder neighborhood. As a primer on Swedish design and one-stop shop for crafts, it has ceramics, woodworking, paintings, glassware (left) and sculptures from the members of Konsthantverkarna’s collective, which self-selects the artists whose works are allowed to be shown. konsthantverkarna.se