Oh yeah. Capris are *the* thing to wear now in Madrid. Following on the jeans thread though, I do notice that most women here tend towards very sexy, tight capris and that they are not "sporty" but rather stylish.

picara, wishing I had more money and more shopping time. sigh. :p

I still haven´t figured out how the women pour themselves into those tight jeans and then feel comfortable walking around in spikey heels, in the heat, on cobblestoned streets. And then climb up on those bar stools to have tapas? Screams uncomfortable to me. Oh well.

Yes, Zara would be the place to go shopping if you are a US women´s size 10 or smaller. If not, try El Corte Inglés.

I am LOVING the shopping here in Spain...Especially ZARA!!!!! However, when I first got here, I felt like I stood out in my "American" jeans. I have since bought jeans from Zara, Mango, Truco (they do kind of have the "painted" thing going on, they are a blend of cotton, plus some spandex like material)...they just somehow "look" more formal than your basic Levis. I have found with a pair of "Spanish" jeans, decent black dress shoes, a funky belt and "nicer" shirt (aka- NOT a t-shirt), I fit right in! Have fun

I thought that the original subject line, Jeans appropriate in Spain was pretty funny. Of course, jeans are totally international!!!! But it's definitely the BRAND, the WAY YOU WEAR THEM, and THE STYLE. i.e. how baggy as previous posters including MM mentioning his ladyfriend trying on US jeans saying they were too baggy. This is my take on Spanish ladies and their jeans..see if you fit in: (by the way, I consider myself to be a fashion plate..I was born to shop, and consider it a high priority on any trip!!

Here in Canada we are pretty conservative and if we try on a pair of jeans, that shows a bulge or a body part protruding out too much, we are not likely to buy them. BUT then spanish ladies, I find are alot like the Mexicans in fashion. REGARDLESS of their shape or size, they squeeze into their tight fitting, low slung, hip fitting jeans so they are so skin tight, you couldn't grab an inch of fabric if you tried.

I really feel that the Spanish are not as fixated on looks as we are. They don't starve themselves to look good. They accept the body they have and wear whatever fashion comes in, although it may not even suit them in our mind. They definitely dress more sexy and chic then us North Americans.

I found Zara a very trendy reasonably priced store and they are everywhere. If you're there for a few days, why not take some time to pick out a pair of jeans from the many trendy stores around the city. And when you bring them back home, you'll always be a season or 2, or 3 ahead and be the fashion leader.

And about that statement regarding shorts in October hahaha!! I'm glad she passed on that thought real quickly. Firstly, yes you'll definitely look like a tourist. I went in May and it wasn't that hot. Stick with the dresses, casual pants / capris, jeans idea.

Yes I'm aware jeans are international ; ) But if you look at all the message boards out there, some of which contradict each other incidentally, you begin to wonder just what you're supposed to wear. The only universal no-no's seem to be white sneakers, shorts, baseball hat's in restaurants, fanny packs, and T-shirts. That leaves a whole lot of gray area. What's a tourist to do? Of course we want to blend in and respect the culture; that's why this board has been great.
Thanks a lot everybody : )
Suzy

Suzy - as another poster said - Spanish women - like the French/Italian, etc. - i.e., continental European women just to seem to have an extremely well-developed flair for looking "right". Reading some of the above comments I can see where you might get confused - as in "painted on". Because I've spent a lot of time in Spain, I understand exactly what other board members are saying - but based on words alone - it can be really misleading. Pick up a copy (or browse in your favorite bookstore) of a European edition of a fashion magazine - that should give you some guidelines. Accessories can do wonders- example: many women in Madrid wear scarfs.

Most important and so often said - common sense your best guideline - Have a super trip!

Puna thanks! That's a great idea! I'll have to get down to Barnes and Noble!
Gracias!