SHOPPING REVIEW:
Tiger of Sweden
Words/ Koko Ntuen
On Jakobsbergsgatan 8 in the heart of downtown Stockholm lies the iconic brick and mortar that houses Tiger Of Sweden. As contemporary as it might seem amongst the other shops that swell the streets, the brand bears over a hundred years of heritage. Established back in 1903 in the south of Sweden, Tiger has gone on to amass zillions of dollars in sales as well as a devoted following.
It’s no wonder. Walking into the store you immediately get a sense of good cuts and quality, but it’s anything but a butcher shop. The store is pristine and clean and the shoppers mill around like they are in an art gallery.
Tiger started the first wave of Swedish minimalist fashion, and this is still a staple on their collections and as I walk though the store beautiful whites, light reds and silk fabrics seem to engulf me. I am drawn to the spring collection of graphic beautiful silk, paint-splattered designs in beautiful tones of orange, red, black and blue, mixed together in a sophisticated and wearable way.
I try on the Muroto Print Dress (1.899 SEK) and want to wear it all day. It’s light and easy and perfect for spring. The Moda print dress (2.499 SEK) has the same effect on me. I ask my husband if he brought his credit card as I twirl in the mirror and try to entice him. He stares at his phone and pretends not to hear me.
When I try on the Jovie Jacket (2.499 SEK) I get a little bit turned off. I played soccer for ten years of my life and my muscle memory and mass has always made it hard for me to find stick straight suits and jackets without looking like a stuffed sausage. The matching Nanao Shorts (1.399 SEK) unfortunately complete my stuffed sausage look, aside from the fact that paying that much for a pair of cotton shorts is a little on the high side.
After about half an hour someone asks me if I am OK, which is the first sign of customer service apart from my husband’s fetching of a pair of shorts in a different size. I appreciate the freedom to roam the store and no pressure to buy, which again reminds me of an art gallery. I politely say I’m fine and the beautiful woman goes on her way, staring into space.
I walk over to the men’s section. As far as suits go, this is the perfect store for any tall beautiful man with no hip-to-waist ratio to get a skintight suit. These suits are made for models and to be worn over cocktails or jet-setting, not really for your typical nine-to-five.
If you are a super fashionable man and not a model, don’t worry – you might find some other items to you liking. The Herris trousers (2,499 SEK) are dark gray with bold white lines running through them and they make me excited but my husband won’t try them on.
If you are just a regular hard-working Joe you can find the basics as well. They have about a million different cuts of pants for every shape and size. The lowest price I see is 1.299 SEK but they look like the kind of pants that will last forever and have an elegance to them that will make any guy attractive.
It’s a place to stop by if you need some statement pieces for the spring or just the wardrobe basics that are going to last forever. You will definitely find pieces that will leave you looking like an extra in a James Bond movie and I’m sure the streets of Stockholm would not mind.
In the end I splurge on the most basic thing ever, a basic white Anja pullover (1.499 SEK) and as I type this up with the white cotton grazing against my wrist I don’t regret it for a second.
