Style and the City – Antwerp

If there’s a city you are missing out on, that’s Antwerp. And I have the perfect girl to tell you all about this town : The Styling Dutchman. I talked to this fun fashion icon about shopping, food and more. If you are looking for the ultimate cool weekend get-away, search no more, keep reading.

De Wapper fountain in the middle of The Meir, Antwerp’s main shopping street

How do you define your personal style?

I have always had a knack for quirky style, being a bit of a punk in my teens and slowly moving towards more of a feminine silhouette as I get older. Right now I’m into prints, colors, midi skirts, vintage and Mad Men!

Style is…

I am drawn to people who have a very cohesive look. A look where the hair, the face, the personality, the clothes, the colors and the accessories all match to exude a clear personality. When you see a person that has found that look that matches them to perfection, they almost come across as a perfectly styled character from a movie.

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The Hof van Liere, just outside Annebeth’s University Library

Tell me about Antwerp

I actually live in a tiny little village outside Antwerp, but study there. Antwerp is a beautiful city with a very metropolitan feel compared to certain other Belgian cities, like Ghent or Bruges. It’s very open, very international, very ahead of the pack and very clean but still with lots of personality. In Belgium, Antwerp is known for its arrogance but me as a “Dutchie”, I fit in nicely. Dutch people are considered arrogant by Belgians too, you know. There is this joke where they say that people from Antwerp see Belgium as only having one real city, and consider the rest of Belgium just parking space, haha!

What are your favourite places to shop in Antwerp?

Do I really have to say it?? T2 VINTAGE!! Just of the main high street (the Meir) and jam packed with treasures waiting to be discovered for ridiculously low prices. They have monthly sales and prices go down to 1 euro a piece!

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Annebeth styling it up over at The Styling Dutchman

Best things to do in Antwerp over a weekend?

The Antwerp Zoo! My favorite animals there are the otters,  they never fail to cheer me up! Also, the zoo is an awesome place to stroll around in your Sunday’s best. You have to think of photo ops as a styleblogger 😉

If you could only eat in one restaurant in Antwerp, which one would it be?

Sushi, sushi, sushi!!! The amazing all you can eat sushi restaurant in the Keyser Center, Kaiseki, just outside the central train station and it makes me hungry just thinking about the place now. The entire district just outside the train station is filled with lovely places to eat. We went to a pitta place slash Mediterranean restaurant a while ago that looked really iffy from the outside but quite lovely on the inside. Also, my favorite pizza place Leonardo Da Vinci! I failed miserably at recommending one place, didn’t I? Oh well that’s how I am when it comes to food: insatiable.

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Annebeth Bels is a student of Communication Science at Antwerp and the style icon also known as The Styling Dutchman. A pro at outfit posts, her site is a must-see in fashion blogging.

Pictures: The Styling Dutchman