The basic clothing in Norway is water-resistant trousers and a jacket that can withstand heavy rain for several hours: a minimum of 8,000, and preferably 10,000 mm of water column per square metre. Be sure to check these values on the manufacturer's website or on the label.
Don't worry too much about fashion. Norwegians dress sportily. Simply putting on a blouse or loafers, or a short leather jacket, is already considered dressing up! And if the clothing has some folk-inspired detail, such as reindeer and star patterns, it is an absolute hit.
Don't take
- High heels and heeled shoes (well, take one pair if there is any chance you will go to a party); limit sandals to one pair, in a sporty style
- Several pairs of short summer shorts. Unless you like wearing them in the mountains and the forecast is 25 degrees, meaning a major heatwave, or you wear shorts anyway at 16–18 degrees Celsius
- A suit—you won't even wear it to a job interview
- Things that must not get wet because they will be ruined, such as suede footwear or a suede coat
- Several handbags to match different items of clothing; in Norway, you mainly use a backpack
- Clothes that are neither sporty nor practical: dresses you last wore to a wedding, trousers that leave your “back exposed” when you bend over, and so on.
Be sure to take
- Comfortable trainers or footwear for walking in the mountains
- For women, I recommend leggings; most women wear them here
- Blouses and undershirts for layering, plus a zip-up sports sweatshirt
- A backpack or a cross-body bag, so that both hands remain free
- If your jacket is a softshell, that means it is not waterproof. Buy a protective hooded poncho; it will be more useful than an umbrella both during a downpour and during persistent all-day drizzle. Rain in Norway likes to fall horizontally, and after such rain you can see broken umbrellas abandoned on the pavements
More good advice on the blog Skandynawianka.