In this episode of the How to Live in Denmark podcast, host Kay Xander Mellish answers frequent questions about appropriate work attire for newcomers to Denmark. She explains that Danish business dress is understated: fitted trousers, dark shoes, and solid‑color sweaters or shirts in muted hues such as burgundy, dark blue, dark green, black, or brown. Designer logos are discouraged, while quality fabrics and good cuts are valued. Industry nuances are highlighted—suits and ties are generally limited to finance and some sales roles, with male executives typically wearing a blue suit and open‑collar shirt, and female executives favoring high‑quality knits and accessories. Women are rarely required to wear dresses except for royal engagements; if skirts are chosen they should be long, loose, and paired with leggings or thick hose for warmth, as cycling and cold weather are common. Footwear must be practical—high heels are uncommon and impractical on cobblestones. Accessories such as silk scarves, simple jewelry, and colorful eyeglass frames add personal flair. Winter outerwear should be well‑made, waterproof, and not overly bulky; a good coat or jacket is a worthwhile investment, but a cashmere trench is unnecessary. Mellish advises buying most work clothing after arriving in Denmark, taking advantage of bi‑annual sales at department stores or ordering from EU‑based retailers to avoid customs fees. The episode concludes with a reminder to visit the website and follow the podcast on social media.
Chapters
Hello and welcome to the How to Live in Denmark podcast. I'm Kay Xander Mellish. Today we're going to look at another chapter from my new book, How to Work in Denmark. Now, the full title of the book is How to Work in Denmark: Tips for Finding a Job, Succeeding at Work, and Understanding Your Danish Boss. You can get it on Amazon, on saxo.com, on iTunes Books, or on Google Play. Or you can get it at any bookstore in Denmark in paperback or order it from any bookstore in the world. Now, what we're going to talk about today is in response to a lot of emails that I've received at howtoliveindenmark.com. People who are coming to work in Denmark ask me, what should I wear to work? What type of business clothes should I bring with me? So we'll talk a little bit about that. There's no reason to spend a lot on what you wear to work in Denmark. Danes by nature are not flashy dressers. In most Danish business environments, you will be perfectly well dressed in a fitted pair of trousers, dark shoes, and a solid color sweater or dress shirt. Male or female, you'll never go wrong with quiet colors like burgundy, dark blue, dark green, black, or brown for the adventurous. Subtle good taste is the preferred style. Obvious designer labels are considered kind of tacky, but quality cut and fabric are appreciated. Now, for a personal touch to this simple outfit, you can add a chic scarf in silk or wool, or an eye-catching but not too flashy jacket. Or simple jewelry like a silver pendant or a nice watch. Colorful eyeglass frames are also considered a good way to personalize your look. Suits and ties are only required in the financial industry, although younger bankers often prefer an open collar. Some salespeople also wear business suits to make their products look more high-end. The standard uniform for the male executive is a blue business suit, pale shirt open at the collar, and pointy leather shoes. Female executives usually wear expensive knits set off by expensive accessories. Women are almost never required to wear a dress in Denmark unless they're meeting with Danish royalty, and even then many women wear formal trouser suits. If you like wearing dresses and skirts, you can, although the Danish love of bicycling means that the skirts worn in Denmark are generally long and loose. If women do wear short skirts, they usually wear thick hose or leggings or even trousers beneath them. This is less about modesty and more about warmth. High heels are uncommon in Denmark. Any shoes that are difficult to walk in are considered upraktisk, impractical, an anathema to the sensible Danes. Heels are particularly treacherous on uneven bricks or cobblestones, which you'll still find on a lot of Danish streets. Danish women's makeup is generally light and natural looking, and their hairstyles are simple. This is at least in part because Denmark is a windy, rainy country. The exquisitely painted face or complex hairstyle you leave home with is unlikely to make it to your destination. A good investment in work clothing is to have a high-end coat or jacket that works for Denmark's long winter season, which lasts from roughly October to April. You'll be arriving to meet business contacts and shaking hands while still wearing your coat, so your military surplus duffel jacket from your college days is probably not the best choice. Now, you don't have to show up in a cashmere trench coat, but well-made waterproof outerwear that won't crush your business clothes will be worth its weight in gold. Keep in mind that while Denmark is chilly in winter, it is rarely Arctic. Some foreigners arrive with fleece-lined parkas more suitable for northern Norway than for Denmark. They sweat their way through a few October afternoons before realizing they've made the wrong choice. You could always buy your outerwear after you get to Denmark. There's a wide selection and it's often discounted, meaning it only costs twice as much as it would anywhere else in the world instead of 3 or 4 times as much. In fact, buying the majority of your Danish work wardrobe after you get to Denmark isn't a bad idea. After a couple of months on the job, you'll get a sense of what the general look is in your company or industry. To get your Danish-conforming wardrobe, shop the twice-annual sales at the local department stores. It's what the Danes do. Or order your clothing online, but remember to buy from shops that ship from within the European Union. Otherwise, you're going to get some punishing customs fees. And that's the How to Live in Denmark podcast for this week. You can leave a Comment on our website, howtoliveindenmark.com, or follow us on Twitter, howtoliveandkay, the two as a number, or follow us on Facebook. See you next time.
