The German capital of cool, Berlin is one of the most unpredictable, design driven cities in the world.
Since the fall of the Berlin Wall, which signified Communist reign, Berlin has moved on from a society of uniformed ‘sameness’ to a thriving creative hub full of individualists. Fashion, film and nightlife epitomise the stadt today, attracting a population of stylish youths and forward thinkers who run rampant the city streets.
As such, youth culture and urban wear are the bulk of the Berliner’s wardrobe which flips between iconic fashion decades like the Seventies, Eighties and Nineties – for an almost too-cool aesthetic in modern times.
Even the office and creative agency types have little-to-no-need for wearing traditional suits. A key look however is a Berliner’s outerwear game – a place where structure and formality creeps its way into everyday style.
At the end of the day, the Berlin man is an individualistic and doesn’t conform to any specific trend. Here’s how you can pull it off.
In This Story…
Casual Jacket Layering
Berlin and grunge go rebelliously hand-in-hand, retaining some of the reckless flavour of the Eighties when east Berliners tore down the great Berlin Wall. Today, the next generation flaunt their freedom with grungy street wear looks in mostly black.
Leather biker jackets or cotton Baracuta Harringtons (made famous by Steve McQueen) found the grunge style, effortlessly layered with black basics – from tees to knits to long-sleeve shirts – paired always with black denim jeans in slim-fit.
Red and blacks checks or punk-ish plaids are key signatures of the ‘whatever’ vibe, peeking out as lining of a coat or more offensively as a classic button-down tied irreverently around the waist. Let loose.
Winter Coats With Denim
Not quite formal enough to be deemed smart casual, the elegantly undressed Berliner thrives on sticking it to the ‘dress code’, working tailored pea jackets and waistcoats over washed out denim, matte leather shoes and scruffy beanies.
Even outerwear gets played around with, as men opt for functional, relaxed parkas or a well-worn knitted jacket cut slightly slouched, over a crisp white button-down and sleek tie. It’s common office attire for the Berlin creative, swapping a felt trilby hat for a snapback cap and his briefcase for a leather backpack. It’s expense, toned down.
Indigo Tops & Bottoms
While double denim is trendy in most fashion cities right now, the Berlin lads are taking notes from the Japanese, working allover indigo ensembles as street wear looks. The classically uncool look of matching denim is pulled-off in Berlin, with a vintage wash cropped jackets down up over blue jeans – broken up by natural hues of brown belt and leather hiking boots.
The other indigo feel comes from denim-look items; most specifically blazers in an unstructured fabrication that eliminates lapels and breast pockets creating more of factory jacket look that suit coat. Keeping the blue tonal emphasises the organic look, over washed-up relaxed jeans and retro sneakers.
Slim Suits & Unstructured Blazers
When tailoring finds its way onto the Berlin straße, it comes eclectically sharp with all the quirkiness in the details. Age is no barrier when it comes to sartorial style; with unstructured blazers in light cotton fabrics accented by shoved-in-the-pocket silk scarves and oversized bow ties.
Little things like riding gloves for everyday wear and swapping slacks for raw denim jeans, ride well with the Berliner’s mismatching of leather pieces, such as dark brown belts and tan shoes.
Statement accessories in zebra-crossing stripes don’t take away from the superior cut and shape of a Berliner’s suit, with defined shoulders and lean lapels worked into classic grey suits. Keep the suit slim and trim – it’s the only thing kept in line like this in Berlin.
Dressing Like A Berliner FAQ
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Click through the slideshow for key German labels to get the Berlin look.
Dyn
Dyn offers modish tailoring and retro-inspired casual wear in mostly in dark colours and blacks. All items are produced locally in Germany sourcing luxury wools, cottons and cool synthetics to make their chic men’s wear.
Zeha Berlin
Zehra is sports shoe brand formed a century ago. Known for cycling and soccer shoes, the label relaunched in 2002, crafting colourful kicks and dressier leather lace-ups.
Adidas Originals
Yes, Adidas is German. The label has redefined itself as a sports brand that packs a stylish punch. Sneakers are its thing as well its fusion of retro colours with innovative fabrics.
Frank Leder
Hugely popular in Japan, Leder’s shirts and jackets stand out for their optimal fit. The tweedy tailoring draws inspiration from Bavarian style centuries old.
Kostas Murkudis
A purveryor of clean looks, Murkudis’ garments stand out for their cool mix of materials, bold proportions and admirably suited colour schemes and heavy use of black.
Damir Doma
Growing up in Germany, Antwerp-based Doma reflects his melancholic mood through his clothes with a lot of neutrals and luxury wools and cottons. His latest collections are rather sports-inspired and minimal.