Munthe: Danish womenswear, soft shapes with a tailored edge

Who Munthe are

Munthe was established in Copenhagen in 1994 by Naja Munthe, who remains creative director more than thirty years on. The head office is at Holmen in central Copenhagen. It is a heritage brand by Scandinavian standards, and it does not look like the Scandinavian stereotype: there is more print, more texture and more character here than the word minimalism suggests.

The brand describes what it does as the conceptual fusion of contrasts, soft silhouettes with a tailored touch, producing versatile styles that adapt to multiple occasions. That is a fair description of the actual rail: soft knits and blouses next to structured jackets and tailored trousers.

What we stock

Our Munthe range is a wardrobe collection rather than an occasion one. Shirts and blouses are the deepest category, then knitwear, then jackets and coats, then trousers and jeans, with a few skirts, tops and a gilet. There is only one dress, which is worth saying because it is the opposite of how Rixo works.

This is a brand you build outfits from rather than buy a single statement piece from.

Danish sizing, and the trap in the chart

Munthe sizes in EU numbers and says so explicitly. The conversion is EU 32 is UK 4, EU 34 is UK 6, EU 36 is UK 8, EU 38 is UK 10, EU 40 is UK 12, EU 42 is UK 14, EU 44 is UK 16, EU 46 is UK 18 and EU 48 is UK 20. Skall Studio uses the same EU to UK mapping, though it labels its garments in letter sizes rather than EU numbers.

Now the part that catches people. Munthe's own size chart gives body measurements, not garment measurements. The brand states this plainly and almost nobody reads it. If you measure a garment you own and compare it to Munthe's chart, you will size wrong. Measure yourself, not your clothes.

On whether it runs large or small, the available view is that Munthe runs true to size, neither consistently small nor large, with structured styles worth sizing up in if you are fuller through the bust or hips and relaxed cuts taken in your usual size. We would treat that as a starting point rather than gospel.

Where Munthe stands on materials

Munthe chooses materials from what it calls a Preferred Material List, prioritising natural fibres and aiming for 50% or more to be responsibly sourced. Note the wording: aiming for is a target, not an achievement, and we are not going to upgrade it. The brand tests materials in house and wears them to see whether they stand up to use, and does most of its pattern making in house. It publishes an ESG Annual Summary. It holds no certifications, no B Corp, no GOTS, no GRS.

Munthe does not disclose where its garments are made and we are not going to guess.

Buying Munthe in Belfast and Ireland

Munthe is widely distributed in the UK through independents, so the argument for buying here is not scarcity, it is the edit and the service. We carry a curated edit rather than the full range, the same stock hangs at Rio Brazil in Victoria Square, Belfast, and if you are choosing between an EU 38 and an EU 40 we will measure both rather than let you guess.

If Munthe suits you, it is worth knowing we also carry Stine Goya, Stella Nova, Samsoe & Samsoe, Baum und Pferdgarten and Skall Studio, which is one of the deeper Danish womenswear selections on the island.