Rebellishment: WWFW - WALK LIKE A BERLINER

DEATH OF THE UGG

I did not dedicate any time at all to documenting the vibe on the Berlin street. I spent my precious 48 hours looking, urbexing and thinking. To my chagrin I was forced to sacrifice 90 whole minutes trying to track down warm, affordable boots in Alexander Platz. You see the Ugg boots (see previous post WWFW - UGLY IN BERLIN) started to disintegrate the moment I set foot on German concrete. This was by no means an indication of the particularly abrasive quality of Germanic aggregate cement, or indeed my big toe. The Ugg goose was cooked is all. No matter how I searched, there was nothing under €100 that took my fancy apart from some Missoni Converse, which offer nothing in the way of protection for a Raynaud's sufferer on surfaces of -8. The sun was casting arresting shafts of light all around the brutalist post war constructions. The city beckoned. I had no further desire to suffer fluorescent shop lights so I slacked off the search. I wasn't the only person with their toe sticking out of their boot and to be fair my feet were still warm even with the extra ventilation!

Berlin has an unequivocal 'lived in' vibe when it comes to both architecture and fashion, particularly in the East. The ambience was that of a Glastonbury some 20 years ago with clothing to match. These crazy kids still use their stuff before they chuck it in landfill, go figure! Though there is a Primark monolith looming in the central shopping area, I noted a distinct absence of clones populating the forecourt. Where were all the acrylic cardigans with the faux lace sleeves, the parkas with the sequin sleeves? Perhaps the homogenisation is yet to materialise in the wider populus? Or the good people of Berlin are firmly rooted in their individuality!

With regards to street style, one main fashion thing I gleaned after just a few hours of observation:

tHE kITSCH kNIT is a big hit

These hipsters tell me that the novelty knit is not just for Christmas. And it can be tasteful.

New Look has a great selection of novelty knits, many of them on sale. Here is my top 5

Clockwise from top left

black embroidered jumper, was £34.99 now £15

pale grey floral sleeve funnel neck, was £27.99 now £10

black l'amour badge cardigan, £49.99 now £22

cream floral cropped jumper, was £27.99 now £12

pale grey floral bird funnel neck, £29.99

Further afield, I found these charming yarns:

Clockwise from top left

Yellow embroidered cotton jumper, was £50 now £25, Yumi

Burgundy floral embroidered jumper, £39, Vero Moda @ La Redoute

Tiger embroidered jumper, was £85 now £42, French Connection

Buterfly embroidered alpaca & yak jumper, was £1200 now £720, Valentino @ Mytheresa.com

Grey embellished floral jumper, was £1462 now £731, No21 @ Farfetch.com

Valentine heart jumper, was £55 now £37, White Stuff

I would only wear the tiger one myself as I am going through a tough grown up phase. Here are 6 ways with my new jumper. On the 7th day it needed a wash.

1. Low rise wide leg cropped jeans, £375, Balenciaga @ Net a Porter

Ezra jacquard ankle boots, £50, Asos

2. Denim mini, £25.99
Pom Pom slides, £59.99, both Zara
Fluro yellow sunglasses, £230, Dries van Noten @ Linda Farrow

Gold bamboo creole earrings, £59.99, Precious Moments @ Debenhams

3. Tasseled crochet lace skirt, £295, See by Chloe @ Net a Porter
Platform wedges, £45.99, Zara

4. Leather zip skirt, £530, Kenzo @ Farfetch
Pink fishnets, £4.99, Dazzle Dancewear
Yellow leather snake mules, £65, River Island

5. Prince of Wales checked trousers, £39.99, Zara

Reine feather heels, £49, Topshop

6. Upholstered skirt with frill, £29.99, Zara
Men's ripped jeans, £74.98, Sons of Heroes
Espadrilles, £158, Howsty Aremi @ Anthropologie.com

If you enjoyed this extensive post on Berlin style, there will be more fashion & philosophy next Tuesday :)