Zara jeans (or the real[B]thing rather than Zara knock-offs) are fine - in fact through-out March in Madrid I saw any number of Spanish women wearing them - with boots or heels. Plus - Zara's jeans are comfortable!!! And, when compared to Gap jeans - far better fitting and much less expensive.

Some jeans (again - Zara or better) in Sevilla. Segovia, Valencia, Cordoba, Cadiz -jeans all over - Estepona, Marbella, Malaga ... again - jeans. Please note that the many many Spanish women I saw in jeans had the figure to wear them ....and the jeans were tailored. I didn't see anyone other than the foreign college kids in baggy and/or tattered jeans ...

nevado--how much are levi's in the rest of the country? in minnesota it is not uncommon to get a pair of levi's (brand new) for $15. but when i travel to nyc, it's more like $50-$75, which always just blows my mind. here that would be a pair of earl jeans.

Finally, someone to talk about Zara. Why is it so popular? I went there and bought some scarves and perfume. I didn't see what the big attraction was, but all of the Spanish women carry their little Zara bags around, so I told my husband, we had to go there.

The Spainish like Zara so much because they are nice, trendy clothes that are inexpensive. Mango and Cortefiel are a couple of other popular store like this. Plus, they offer mens and childrens clothes and all the accesories. I but alot of my kids clothes there. If you noticed, buying clothes in Spain is not cheap! I can buy primo clothes lines in italy for the same price of regular clothes in Spain.

Why Zara? They produce well made knock-offs of designer clothing - the company that owns Zara's is about to go public - lot of info in the financial sections of CNN, etc. I like them for jeans and tops, casual stuff not for more business-like attire.

Its well worth going into any one of the Zara stores - if only to look at the multi-national price tags - what sells for 3500 ptas sells for $50-60 US. Tell me, if the clothes fit and you like them - its not a bargain!

I agree, Zara is great for the trendy clothes with prices to match my budget...I especially like their children's line...Anyway, my twenty-something brother-in-law and novia (madrilenos) were hot for the Gap clothing as Gap has moved into the European market (at least in England) and it is just now starting to get recognition on the continent...

Also, was it me, or is everyone, young and old, mad for Burberry everything!!!!?

You are not mad, Burberry is popular, but it is here too. I saw a lady in Madrid with a pair of Burberry jeans, that had a tag like levi's but the red tag was replaced with the plaid. I did like the price tags at Zara, but I found conversion easy as the exchange is the same as the Euro. So, if you ask a salesperson how much in euro, it is the same in dollars. They have a Gap in Madrid in the Salmanca shopping district. I was suprised that Gap Jeans weren't more popular. I guess Levi's will always be more American.

Nic I think what Puna was saying as far as the price tags is that they don't just convert -- the price in dollars is WAY more than it is in pesetas! There is a Zara in the mall near where I live in NJ -- it was great to go in since it looks exactly like the ones in Spain with the same clothes, but wow what a price difference!

Regarding Burberry, when I was in Salamanca absolutely EVERYONE had the tan plaid scarf! We didn't realize it was a brand and just called it "THE scarf."

Thanks for clarrifying for me Majesty318. Your rephrasing was exactly what I meant to say! Can smeone tell me what the draw is re the Burberry look - it was all over the place!!!

The Burberry look has become accessible to many more people due to knock-offs of the plaid that somehow have made it into the market. Also Burberry themselves have saturated the market with an incredibly varied array of merchandise making them much more visible. I've read there are key people in their company who have been adverse to this.