HEL LOOKS

Helsinki Looks has long been my favorite street fashion site. Between HEL LOOKS and my other favorite, The Sartorialist , one can meet most of their street fashion needs. Sartorialist seems to be more refined, classically pleasing fashion. There is a mix of funky stuff on the site too, but done with perfect tailoring or with a perfect choice of colors. HEL LOOKS is mainly the opposite. It can be gritty, ridiculous, cool, and even absurd. Here and there you find someone who could be on The Sartorialist's site, but for most part, they would be too chaotic and too "street".

I used to email a few friends my monthly selection of favorite crazy Finnish street fashion but I stopped doing it awhile ago. I am going to start up again and post it here. Please remember that half the fun of the look is the quote by the person wearing it. I don't know if these people are interviewed in English or if it is translated, but their replies crack me up, usually. Enjoy!

Anni (26)
"Dark blue is a protective and easy colour. I like green, too.I like to wear clothes that used to belong to someone I know. I often wear my aunt's old clothes. This bag used to belong to my grandmother.I like Noa Noa's nostalgic clothes. The 50's is my favourite decade. Women characters in Ingmar Bergman's movies are inspiring."


Netta (17)
"My grandmother gave me the shirt. I like its colours like crazy. She recently gave me loads of old clothes. The bag and the necklace are second hand, too. I like to wear dresses. My obsession is travelling."

Niilo (15)
"I like smart and sharp Stockholm style with trench coats and skinny jeans. Many of my classmates are interested in clothes and dress up the same way.I like Cheap Monday a lot and Benetton, too. My coat and shoes are from Stockholm, the jeans by Dr. Denim and the bag from H&M."

Kaisa (21)
"I overslept this morning so I chose my most comfortable and trustworthy clothes. The dress is from Barcelona, the shirt from H&M and the shoes by Nike. I like to wear black-and-white. I'm happy with my wardrobe and try not to buy new clothes."

Susanna (20)
"I mostly wear black. I like simple but extraordinary clothes. Now I'm wearing an age-old cardigan, my favourite sunglasses from a discount store and shoes from DinSko. Yesterday I bought three extremely ordinary and boring 90's sweaters from UFF. They inspire me. And The Teenagers."

Carlotta (26) and Eero (24) Carlotta:"I like 50's style, movies and picnic parties. I like to wear uncomfortable, tight clothes. Now I'm wearing a coat from Zara and shoes by Irregular Choice. I make clothes myself, too."Eero: "Rock'n roll inspires my style. Jack White and Iggy Pop are stylish, for example. The cornerstones of my style are beat boots and tight trousers."

Elli (22)
"I borrowed this dress from my sister. The scarf is second hand. I bought it about a year ago but today I wear it for the first time. The shoes I bought from Amsterdam years ago. I get biggest kicks out of little details. Almost all of my clothes are from flea markets.Róisín Murphy is my true fashion icon. Rich grannies from Turku, design blogs, films and photography inspire me."

Mia (20)
"I like to wear big shirts or dresses with leggings or stockings. I like high-waisted clothes. Red lips always look good. Lately I've been inspired by music, Maija Louekari, books by David Shrigley and street art. I collect buttons and old photographs. Second hand markets are my obsession. The Moomin character Mymble is my style role model!"

Jasmin (18)
"I like flea markets and second hand shops. My favourite decades are the 40's and the 50's. I like feminine, 50's styled cocktail dresses. Red lipstick is the cornerstone of my style. With red lips you look good no matter what you're wearing! Movies, art, people around me and street style inspire my style as well. You can see good styles in New York, but for example India is interesting style-wise, too."

Ninni (18)
"I just bought my jacket at UFF. The skirt used to belong to my grandmother. The shoes I've had for three years. I like details, second hand, red and orange clothes, skirts and Indiska. Hippie style inspires me. Björk has a great, individual style."

Riikka (21)
"I'm wearing my brand new dress, I bought it from eBay last week. The huge leather bag was thrifted a couple of years ago. I have a real soft spot for big bags.My style is quite feminine. I like to wear high heels and dresses with poufy hems. I would love to find a 1950's vintage floral dress for next summer. I'm inspired by the past decades and I'm seriously addicted to new wave French cinema."

Olavi(87)
"I wear a two-piece suit with a tie every day. That's a habit that I've learnt many decades ago. I shop at Stockmann and Dressmann. Clean-cut and tidy clothes make the style."