lines of flight

There is a movement afoot on the streets of Helsinki to celebrate creative personal style.

“Hel Looks” is simple but engaging. They feature photos and short comments from people on the street, a glimpse into the fashion lives of Helsinkiians (Helsinkites?). I really enjoyed devouring the site. Not to say that there isnt some serious euro-fug going on here, cuz there is. Vice DOs & DONTs would eat these people as easily as a seagull snaps up a silvery Baltic herring.

First off, WOW@how far they took the skinny jean trend on both men and women! One Finnish guy says he wore skinny jeans for so long that when he put wide-legged jeans on again, he felt “liberated!” Haha, I bet he did!

Another thing you cant miss is that tote bags are popular in Finland. Everyone is carrying one, lots are hand-printed. How very quirky yet practical. In the tote bag on a summer day heading to the park: alcohol, some food, maybe a blanket to sit on. With a friend kicking back on the grass drinking strong beer and eating ice cream. I wonder if the tote bag is a summer thing, or will they carry into winter, too?

Seems plenty people are feeling cheap, free & home-made clothes — even second-(third? FOURTH?)-hand clothes from Grandma’s closet or pieces “on loan from a friend.” No doubt clothes there are kind of expensive, but I think there is a valuing of craftsmanship that goes beyond H&M. As a teenager I was able to raid my mom’s wardrobe, taking clothes from hippie days and some she’d hand-made as a teenager herself, but of course had never gotten rid of. The American way is different.