From Scandinavia to Sintra: Why Summer 2025 Belongs to the Portuguese Girl

A poetic rebellion of cherries, crochet, and coastal sensuality

A vintage yellow tram ascends a picturesque, cobblestoned street in Lisbon, flanked by colorful buildings and bustling pedestrians, with a glimpse of the cityscape and river in the distance.

Somewhere between the soft edges of a seaside ceramic plate and the sun-bleached pastels of Lisbon’s tiled buildings, she exists.

A girl who looks like she just walked out of a 1970s fruit market poster. She’s wearing a crochet mini-dress stitched with pineapples, cherries, and hearts. She laughs into the lens, glass of vinho verde in hand, her beaded earrings swinging like childhood charms. She doesn’t match—she clashes. And that’s exactly the point.

This summer, the world isn’t dressing for a gallery opening in Copenhagen. It’s dressing for a picnic in Cascais.

A Shift in Sensibility: From Clean Girl to Colour Girl

Scandi fashion was the epitome of “clean girl energy”—neutral palettes, utilitarian fits, functional chic. It whispered elegance, anchored by brands like Totême and COS.

But post-pandemic fatigue, digital maximalism, and fashion’s growing obsession with “softness” have led to a different visual hunger: something less perfect, more personal. Enter the Lisbon Look, Portugal’s answer to what happens when femininity goes on holiday.

"Quirky and vibrant fashion tips from claudete.ai on how to dress like a 'Portuguese Girlie'—featuring a mix of playful elements like a colorful bag, personality-filled jacket, mismatched shirt, funky pants, ballerinas, and a fun flower clip."

This isn’t dopamine dressing 2.0. It’s something more nostalgic. More playful. Less about performing girlhood and more about returning to it.

The Palette of a City—and a State of Mind

Charming Portuguese architecture featuring vibrant azulejos tiles and classic wrought-iron balconies on a picturesque street.

Lisbon, as a city, already dresses like a woman in love. Its façades are candy-toned. Its sidewalks shimmer with azulejotiles. Its light is golden and forgiving.

The style that has emerged from this cultural landscape is a sartorial postcard:

• Textures: Loosely woven crochet, embroidered linens, scalloped hems

• Silhouettes: Wide-leg trousers, halter dresses, ruffled co-ords

• Prints: Giant hearts, fruit motifs, stripes that feel like beach umbrellas

• Accessories: Beaded handbags, pearl anklets, oversized novelty sunniesIt’s not polished. It’s not engineered. It’s effortfully effortless.

A vibrant selection showcasing the "Portuguese Girl Aesthetic," featuring eclectic fashion pieces like vibrant knitted vests, quilted jackets, and funky patterned trousers. Accessories include colorful shoes, a green bow, and a chic handbag, emphasizing playful pops of color and unique layering.

What the Lisbon Look Really Says

Fashion, especially in 2025, is less about what we wear and more about what we’re yearning for.

The Portuguese Girl aesthetic taps into:

• A desire to be seen joyfully—not as an accessory to male gaze minimalism, but as a main character in her own technicolour film.

• A rejection of “quiet luxury” and performance perfection.

• A soft nationalism—pride in one’s cultural flair without needing it to be commodified or filtered through Paris or Milan.

In an era where trends are algorithmic and fast-moving, this one feels tactile. Slow. Real. The Lisbon Girl isn’t chasing “what’s in”—she’s just showing up in what makes her feel like herself. And the world is following.

How to dress like a Portuguese Girlie

Cultural Backdrop: Why Now, Why Lisbon?

Portugal has quietly been becoming fashion’s new darling—not through massive luxury campaigns, but through vibe. It’s the unfiltered morning light, the ceramic earrings, the fruit stand bags made by local artisans.

In a world over-saturated with “main character energy,” Portuguese Girl Style is giving us ensemble cast realness. She's cool, but she’s not trying to be iconic. She’s trying to feel like summer.

This taps into the emotional economy of fashion—where what we wear reflects our emotional state. The Lisbon Look is emotionally abundant. It’s summer in clothing form. It’s irreverent. Feminine. Borderline silly. And that’s why it works.

Fashionable duo embracing girlie Portuguese aesthetics with vibrant vests and plaid patterns, posing stylishly for a mirror selfie; image credits: Harper Bazar Arabia|All images belong to the creators

How to Wear It Without Faking It

Whether you’re in Bandra or Barcelona, you don’t need to recreate the look head to toe. What matters is the spirit:

• Choose one fruit-print item and lean into its absurdity.

• Wear colour like you’re on vacation—even if you’re heading to the metro.

• Let softness be your power, not your weakness.

This summer, take a slice of Lisbon with you. And let it remind you that style, at its best, is just another way to say: I’m alive, and I’m enjoying it.

Illustration by Negin Sgh

We’re not just dressing for the 'gram anymore. We’re dressing for feelings. For textures that remind us of someone’s grandmother. For outfits that could only belong to that one hot summer in Europe.

The Lisbon Look is not a product. It’s a palette of liberation.

It says:

• You’re allowed to wear colours that don’t match.

• You’re allowed to love cherries and hearts without irony.

• You’re allowed to take up space with flair and softness at the same time.

Scandinavian minimalism told us less is more. Portuguese Girl Style reminds us that more can be magical.