Street Style in Malta

Malta is renowned for many things but most of all for our gorgeous, warm sea and glorious sunny days. It is a fact that most ‘Maltesers’ hate cold weather and as a result, many tend to hibernate during the colder part of the year, swamping themselves in huge jackets when they do venture outdoors. It’s Spring now, and the days have got warmer and longer leading to most of us giving a huge sigh of relief, end the forced hibernation and renew their interest in fashion.

The concept of street style in Malta is actually a relatively new thing. As a rule of thumb, we can be quite conservative and this mentality has generally extended itself to fashion. Up till a few years ago, the idea of individuality in the way we dress was something virtually unheard of. Times have changed however and now more and more people are choosing to express themselves and make a statement with their look. From the clothes we wear, the colour we choose to colour their hair, body piercings and tattoos – fashion individuality is becoming a marked presence on our streets.

On a sunny Saturday afternoon, I took to the streets of Sliema with photographer Kurt Paris to spot as many interesting and varied looks as possible. The people spotted range from Maltese-born, expats – men and women alike.

There are some interesting trends around – jeans and denim, in general, remains a popular choice of garment for many people. I also spotted a lot of sneakers, some of them bright and colourful. Designer bags are always popular here, many women opt for a simple, polished, look paired with a designer bag; logo, monogrammed designer bags tend to generate a higher surge of interest than plainer options. It’s also interesting to note that on a relatively warm day, there were still people wearing thick jackets.