An Amateur's Guide to Spanish Fashion

I started writing this post yesterday, which was a rainy, rainy day in Sevilla. Compared to a 45 degree high today in Chicagoland, though, I can't complain. I wore a light sweater for the first time this fall. As much as I've been enjoying the warm weather here in Sevilla, it was so nice to feel the cool, autumn breeze yesterday morning when I rode my bike to the elementary school where I've been volunteering.

This week, I decided to write about something that is near and dear to my heart... FASHION! ;) I've always loved fashion, and it has continued to be a "hobby" for me in Spain. I have really enjoyed observing how Spaniards dress, and I've taken a few too many trips down the two main shopping streets: Calle Tethuan and Calle Sierpes. It probably doesn't help that they're only a 10 minute bike ride away from my apartment...

In true "Ailie style," I tried to do some research about Spanish fashion before I came to Spain. I didn't have much luck figuring out what people actually wear on a daily basis, so it's been fun seeing the different styles and comparing them to the U.S.

Many of the styles aren't too different than in the U.S. The only difference is that almost everyone dresses super trendy. At first I thought maybe it was just because I had never really lived downtown in a city, but I've come to the conclusion that that doesn't explain it all. Spaniards just know how to dress. So, here we go. 5 and a half weeks worth of observations put in to my very own "Guide to Spanish Fashion."

The most popular stores here in Sevilla for 20-somethings:

See some familiar names? I had been to Zara, Mango, and H&M in the States many times, but they seem have entirely different selections here in Spain. My personal favorites are Zara and Pull & Bear. I've also had fun walking through small boutiques.

Now you know where the Spanish fashionistas are shopping, but what exactly are they wearing? Here are a few trends I've picked up on in my time here.

First, I've seen a lot of women wearing light-washed jeans, which is something I don't see too often in the U.S.

A style I really like while the season here in Andalucia is still transitioning from Summer to Fall is a light neutrals look. All of the stores have fall clothes out, but it's still been anywhere from 75 to 90-something degrees in the past couple weeks. Therefore, Spanish women find creative ways to mix and match pieces to stay cool, and light colors seem to help on the bright, sunny days.

Some other popular items are chambray, shirts with words/quotes on them (usually in English or sometimes French--almost NEVER in Spanish even at Spanish stores), and skorts.

As in the U.S., leather/pleather can be seen in all forms. Leather isn't reserved for purses, shoes, and jackets. I see a lot of leather shorts, skirts, pants, and shirts. A more surprising trend that I've seen a lot in the stores here is plaid. I guess the 90's trend is big in the U.S., too, but I'm not used to seeing anything other than button-downs or flannels in plaid. 

Slouchy pants are also HUGE here, either printed or solid. As seen on Kristin Cavallari (Cutler) below, this is also a trend in the U.S., but I think it is a style that women can wear for a bit longer here to stay cool in the heat without wearing a skirt or dress.

As far as shoes go, Vans seem to be a popular choice for people around my age. Sevilla is a very walkable city, but that often means a 25 minute walk multiple times a day. That doesn't keep people from wearing heels, though. It seems like most women over about 30 wear heels almost every day. Now that boot season is rolling around, however, I've been seeing more flat shoes.

That's all I've got for now, everyone. I've wanted to start a street style blog for a few years now. I'm considering doing a post a week on here with some street style photos, as long as I can muster up the courage to ask random people in Spanish if I can take a picture of them... What do you guys think? Comment & let me know! :)

-A

Photo sources:

http://belayanastya.tumblr.com/post/23725784134

http://www.fashforfashion.com/2013/05/deardiary-fashion_3.html

http://www.pursuitofshoes.com/2013/09/pursuitgoestony-bien-fait.html#_a5y_p=987980

http://chicisimo.com/outfit/biker-y-cuadros/

http://www.pullandbear.com
http://weheartit.com/entry/81705195/explore?context_user=LinFaWindy&page=5

Portugal

Last weekend, I went on one of the most incredible trips of my life to the south of Portugal. I traveled with 5 of my friends through a company called We Love Spain. I can't even begin to describe how incredibly beautiful Portugal is... It definitely was the most beautiful place I've ever seen. The cliffs, caves, rock formations, beautiful turquoise/clear water, mountains... It was all so amazing.

The bus ride from Sevilla to Albufeira, the town where we stayed, was about 3 hours. After getting settled and changed into our swimsuits, we met back up with our group for a boat tour. The boat tour consisted of a one hour BYOB ride on a pirate ship along the coast of Albufeira and a one hour speed boat ride through caves, arches, and along the coast, as well.

During our pirate ship ride, the drivers stopped to let us all jump in. The water was pretty cold, but it was refreshing and such a beautiful turquoise color. We brought some local beer, listened to music, and sat on the top deck in the warm Portuguese sun. :)

Post-jump with my "Sagres" beer

Pirates?!

The speed boat ride was also very fun. We were all just so happy the whole time. It was a perfect mid-80s day- we really couldn't have asked for anything more.

When we got back to our hotel, we ended up going to a nearby supermarket to buy some food for breakfast and lunch, since we stayed in apartment-style hotels with full kitchens. We decided to save money on breakfast and lunch so that we could go out to dinner and enjoy some local cuisine. And, boy, did we go for it! On Friday night, I had a delicious swordfish with a ton of onions on it. It was very delicious and fresh. (My real taste of Portugal came the next night, though. Get ready for it several pictures down...)

After dinner, we went on a bar tour with our group. At the first bar, there was a Michael Jackson impersonator who was actually very good. He didn't even lip-synch! He called up my friend Caroline on the stage, and she worked it as a back-up dancer!

Caroline & MJ

Caroline, Kathleen, Olivia, & me at the second bar where we danced the night away!

After a minimal amount of sleep, we woke up and met our group. We headed to a magical place called Cabo San Vincente in Sagres, Portugal. Cabo San Vincente was known as the "End of the World" before the Age of Discovery, since it is the farthest southwestern point in Portugal. 

It was so incredible! Just quite cold...

Creative poses at the End of the World ;)

We hopped back on the bus and drove to Lagos, Portugal, where we spent a few hours at Dona Ana Beach. It was a bit cloudy and cold, but the sights were so beautiful we didn't care! The water was really clear, and there were a ton of cool rock formations and caves.

There was a cute restaurant at the beach where we went for some tea, coffee and dessert. I got a plate of kiwis for "dessert" (it really was on their dessert menu) and some mint tea. It was perfect!

We left the beach and made a stop at Ponta do Piedade, an absolutely unbelievable lookout point. After taking some pictures, we climbed up to the top of a rock point. I'm not usually too afraid of heights, but it was pretty small up at the top. It made it even more exciting though!

Our bus then departed for the nearby city center of Lagos, where we had two hours of free time to walk around and eat dinner. 

After getting lost on our way to the restaurant where we originally wanted to go only to find out it was closed, we asked some guys in a surf shop where to eat. The place they recommended ended up being one of the most memorable dining experiences ever! It was called The Garden, and we ate outside on a uniquely-decorated patio.

The fish of the day was sea bass, which I had never tried. I decided to just go for it, because "when in Portugal," right? I had a glass of wine and a delicious "Sex on the Beach" cocktail (good decision). When the waitress brought out my dinner, I was a bit surprised to see a whole fish, eyes and tail included, on my plate. I had never eaten a whole fish before, and was a little nervous about it. It ended up being one of the best fish I'd ever had. I was happy with my choice and proud of myself. (I immediately told my mom and dad! Haha!)

We drove back to Albufeira and went out on another bar tour that night. It was very fun, and I broke my personal record for "latest night out ever." Still proud of me, Mom and Dad?

Thankfully, since we didn't have to meet our group until 1:00pm, we got a decent night's sleep in preparation for our last day. On Sunday, we went to Dos Pescadores Beach in the city center of Albufeira. This beach was a bit busier than the other areas we had been to. When we got down to the shore, we were greeted by a water activities cabana that offered activities such as parasailing, jet-skiing, and banana boating. I had never been parasailing before, but I had always wanted to try it. Three of my friends wanted to do it as well, so we spontaneously decided to just go for it... BEST. DECISION. EVER.

We hopped on a boat and went out to sea. My friend Caroline and I were up first. I wasn't too nervous, but I just didn't know what to expect. After getting strapped in and hooked up to the parachute, we sat down at the end of the boat, and... up we went! We went up so much higher than I thought we were going to. I had seen people parasailing on many vacations before, but I don't honestly think I've ever seen anyone go as high up as we did. It was, without a doubt, one of the coolest experiences of my life. We looked down at clear water, long stretches of beaches, and tons of white-washed buildings with red roofs sitting along mountains. 

The Portuguese boat driver had a good time making us go up really high and then stopping so we would slowly descend to the very cold water. We had such a great time cracking up and soaking it all in!

We rode on the boat while our two other friends, Alex and Laura, went parasailing. Back on land, we hung out at the beach for a little while, and then walked around in the city center before hopping on the bus back to Sevilla!

Laura, Caroline, Olivia, Me, Kathleen, Alex

It was such a great weekend that I will remember for the rest of my life! I can't say I'd mind going back some day...

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU to my mom and dad for giving me the chance to see this beautiful country. I felt so blessed the whole time I was in Portugal. Can't wait to see you guys in 5 and a half weeks!!

¡Adios!

Update!

¡Hola, everyone!

I can't believe it's been so long since I've written on here. I thought I was going to be so good! I wanted to write a post about my trip to Portugal, but after a long conversation with my BFF Cara who's studying in Florence right now, I realized there are just so many things to share! Expect a Portugal post later this week, though. ;)

Some updates!:

• Time is flying by. Seriously. The fact that it's even been two weeks since I've written here is crazy. I am so thankful that I have two semesters here. There is so much I want to see!
• I can (finally) tell my speaking has improved. I was getting a little upset last week, because I thought I would notice some growth within my first three weeks. I think it was a mix of both high expectations and the inability to really notice improvement on your own day by day. Last night at dinner, though, Olivia (roomie) and I were able to talk much faster and much more. We both didn't realize until today. I have so much farther to go, but I have started keeping a separate journal with vocabulary words, phrases, and grammar concepts that I need to work on. Yes, I did this on my own... loser? I'm just obsessed with this language and can't wait for the day when it just comes naturally. 
• Tomorrow, I am going to start volunteering at an elementary school! I went to see the school yesterday. It is about a 20 minute bus ride/ 30 minute walk away in a really cool neighborhood called "La Macarena." I will be assisting in a 4th grade classroom during their language studies. The school is very nice, complete with ceramic tiled walls and a vegetable/plant garden. I can't wait to speak lots of Spanish with my new 9-year-old friends, while helping them with their English, as well!
• My bike pass finally arrived! Sevilla is a very flat city, so biking is huge here. As I mentioned in an older post, every sidewalk has a separate bike lane. They have a system called "Sevici" that has a ton of locations all around the city where you can rent bikes. I had to wait two weeks to get my Sevici card, so now that I have it I love to ride bikes everywhere! With the card, it is always free for the first 30 minutes, and then after that each hour is only 50 Euro cents (less than $1). 
• My classes are going well. Last week, I gave a 20 minute presentation and wrote a paper about the education gap in the U.S. between Latinos and non-Latinos in my "Spanish in America" class. Other than that, I have not had any homework. The classes are two hours each, twice a week, so we are able to read and go over things in that period of time.
• I had a small medical problem two weeks ago... I couldn't hear anything out of my right ear. It was so funny and pathetic all at the same time. I ended up going to the doctor, and now it's all fine.
• Ben is coming to visit in two and a half weeks! We are spending about 5 and a half days in Sevilla, and then going to Rome for a few days. I can't wait! I started a list today in class of all the things I want to do when he's here. :)
• I officially have all but one of my trips planned! My weekend trips this semester will include: Portugal (last weekend), Granada, Rome, Florence, and Paris. My parents and I are still planning a weekend trip for when they come for Thanksgiving week.
• Last, but certainly not least... After a few weeks of searching for something pumpkin-flavored in Sevilla with my friend Alex (and I mean ANYTHING- we even looked at Dunkin Donuts...), I am happy to announce that today we found the most amazing pumpkin bread at Sevilla's big market, El Mercado de Triana. I miss Fall... 

Since I have officially lived in Sevilla for a month, I think I can make some conclusions about the Spanish culture and how it differs from the U.S.

Some cultural differences I've noticed so far:

• Spaniards like to dress up. It seems like women past their 20's wear wedges all day, every day.
• Electricity and water are very expensive here, so it's impolite to leave the light on if you're stepping out of the room even for just a bit, and long showers are a no-no. 
• Spaniards are never in a rush. Ever. This has sometimes been a challenge for my American, always-in-a-hurry self, but I have learned to appreciate it. Waiters never rush you. In fact, you have to call them over and ask them for the check, because it is rude for them to bring it to you. Also, everyone walks pretty slow- especially older people. Almost every day I am greeted by a chain of elderly Spanish women taking up the entire sidewalk. I kid you not, four of them will link arms and walk slower than I could have ever imagined...
• The Spanish culture, in general, is much less worrisome than the American culture. One thing that has surprised me is that more than half of the dogs I see are not kept on leashes- in the city center!
• They smoke a lot more than in the U.S. I knew this one coming in, but I've been surprised by all of the young people smoking, as well.
• Socializing is done outside the home. My host mom, Eva, is constantly meeting up with friends for beer and a tapa (small portions of food that are very common here). 
• Speaking of socializing outside the home, everyone drinks in the streets at night. Literally, groups of hundreds of people will stand outside in the street drinking Cruzcampo, the beer of choice here in Sevilla. It's so fun.
• Beer is the most popular drink. When I came here, I was expecting wine to be a lot bigger. One of my professors said it's because it's so hot here in the south of Spain, and in the North wine is much bigger. 
• Ice cream is EVERYWHERE. I'm not sure if this is a Spanish thing, European thing, or just a way for the people here in the south of Spain to keep cool during the 90 degree October days (and the 110+ degree summer days....) It's literally on every corner and is so tempting.
• They seriously do not know the concept of a line. If you ever want to get anything done, you have to either cut or be aggressive. Bathroom lines, the coffee bar at the university, at the Foreigner's Office where I went to take care of something for my visa... everywhere. 

I could go on and on... I'll have to add more at the end of the semester.

For now, I leave you with some pictures of Barrio Santa Cruz, a neighborhood in Sevilla that was the old Jewish ghetto before the 1492 Inquisition that expelled all Jews from Spain. It is without a doubt the most beautiful and charming area in Sevilla, with extremely narrow streets known as "kissing lanes," exclusive private residencies with gardens, lots of plazas, and lots of cute places to eat.

My friends and I did a self-guided walking tour from Rick Steve's book that I had on my kindle. It was awesome and brought us to so many different places we most likely never would have been able to find within the maze that is Barrio Santa Cruz.

We started by the Giralda Tower/ Cathedral.

Patio de Banderas (above) was once a military parade ground. Rick Steves described this as a "postcard view." :)

Monasterio de San José de Carmen: where Mother Theresa stayed when she visited Sevilla!

Casa de Murillo: one of Sevilla's most famous painters, Bartolomé Esteban Murillo (1618-1682), lived here.

An adorable tea shop that I couldn't resist... I got some awesome loose tea called "Té aires de Sevilla", which mesns roughly "Sevilla's air." 

Plaza de los Venerables

Alex & me! There is such beautiful ceramic tile EVERYWHERE!

We spotted a cool rooftop bar/lounge, so we decided to go! We were pleasantly surprised by this view...

We ordered some champagne and toasted to how incredibly lucky and blessed we were to be there in that moment!

Spanish Meals: A Crash Course by Eva la Cocinera

As I've mentioned in a few different posts, my host mom is the BEST COOK IN THE WORLD. Food was one of the things I was looking forward to most about living in a home-stay, but there was no guarantee that my host mom was going to be a good cook. Boy, did I luck out! Not only is she a wonderful cook, but she loves doing it. She buys fresh ingredients almost every day, and most things she makes are entirely from scratch. I call her "Eva la cocinera" (Eva the cook).

I did a lot of reading about Spanish culture before I came to Spain, so I was fairly prepared in terms of the difference in meal times and sizes. The adjustment hasn't been too hard, and it's been so exciting to try different dishes and learn about Spanish cooking.

Don't worry- I won't keep taking pictures of every meal. I just wanted to explain some of the differences I've experienced in my time here.

Breakfast is a typically smaller and different in Spain than it is in the US. A typical breakfast (even at restaurants) consists of some toast with something on it and coffee- NEVER eggs. (You do however eat eggs with lunch or dinner.) I usually have a piece of fruit or yogurt, as well, but I'm not sure if that's as "Spanish." Orange juice seems to be pretty popular for breakfast at restaurants, but we don't have it at my house. Like in the U.S., breakfast times vary and it is common for family members to eat their meal quickly and not all together.

Blueberry jam, strawberry yogurt, black tea (instead of coffee)

Lunch is the Spaniard's biggest meal of the day. It is served between 2:30-3:30, and is very comparable to an American dinner. The meals are usually pretty hearty and have multiple parts. Some common lunch items: soup, really any kind of meat (ham is very big here), LOTS of bread, things fried with olive oil, fish, pasta, and MORE! Everyone usually eats together for lunch. Adults return home from work, and it is late enough that kids are usually already home from school. It is very common for everyone to stay at the table for a while as well. This after-lunch chat is known as "sobremesa."

Squash soup with olive oil, cheese, and other delicious ingredients

Soup with sausage and vegetables

Ham croquettes, fried in a pan with olive oil

Lentil soup is very typical in Spanish houses- especially mine!

Another soup with garbanzo beans, bread with tortilla de patata (Spanish tortilla, which is kind of like a potato omelet)

My lunch on our hike, packed by Eva: a bocadillo (sandwich) with chorizo and sharp cheese on a soft baguette

This one was sooo good! She made the pasta with some spicy pepper and garlic. There is also chicken and carrots. I have started to love chicken with the bone in it- it's so tender and amazing!

...And, finally, a healthy lunch of green beans & potatoes with olive oil,  served with hard boiled eggs and bananas

Dinner is usually smaller than lunch. It is served very late- rarely before 9:30 pm, but we've had dinner as late as 10:45! For some reason, I haven't taken as many pictures of dinner. It's been very good, though.

Spanish tortilla

Pork, olive-oil fried potato, ham & crackers

Pasta with vegetables, homemade pizza with ham

**Weekend dinners are sometimes a bit bigger, because people are out and about and often don't have both breakfast and lunch.**

I've loved everything I've eaten here at Eva's kitchen. Her friends tell her she should write a cookbook, and I agree! Everything she makes is so delicious and authentically Spanish. I have loved learning about the culture through her food. 

On another note, I officially am booked to travel to Portugal next weekend and Florence in November to visit my lovely BFF Cara! I will also be visiting some more places in Spain, Granada, and Paris with my student group, API, and Ben, my boyfriend, and I will be going to Rome for a weekend when he visits the first week of November! I can't wait to explore this incredible continent!

¡Buenas noches!

Ailie