Do you wanna dress more chic and elegant like a European? If yes, then this is the article for you. Today I wanna talk about European style, specifically Spain style. In this video I wanna talk about some of the ways my style has changed since living in Spain and also just talk about some of the things that really capture the essence of Spanish style and Spanish women and why they are so incredibly chic and elegant.
What they do differently than we do as Americans. It’s really interesting, it’s been very fascinating for me and I think you guys will find it fascinating too. So, let’s just get into it, right?
Let’s do it.
What is European style?
European fashion style has always favored a simple and traditional look. They wear very neat and clean clothes. European style uses attractive clothing and dresses to look elegant, rich, sparkling, glamorous
1. European Style: Adios Activewear
The first thing that I noticed that was kind of surprising, but not too surprising, is adios activewear, no activewear. Nobody is walking around in Lululemon leggings, no one has Spanx Faux leather leggings, no one is walking around in their exercise clothes all day. Literally in Telluride. In Telluride, I would literally walk around all day long in activewear. Like I would work out in the morning, most of the time sometimes not, be in my leggings, sports bra and tank or whatever.
I’d throw on like a sweatshirt or sweater, put on a coat and then walk around like go to the grocery store, grab a couple things in town, grab kids from school all in the leggings and the same activewear that I wore from the morning. Nobody does that in Spain. They take the time to, if they’re going to the gym, they’ll change. If they work out, they go in the morning and then they go home and change.
You might see ‘kinda catch’ between, but no, the women here are not walking around in activewear. Its just, you just do not see that, which I thought was really interesting. And I don’t see the same level of athleisure and that whole athleisure movement that’s very popular in the States here. They’re not doing that gym-to-street kind of style like we do which, again, they’re just dressier in general.
So that was a big change that I noticed straight away. So let me give you an example. Like I have a Monroe sweatsuit that I bought, I don’t know, a year ago, two years ago, who knows, really love it, it’s a very streamlined, like nice loungewear set sweatsuit that in Colorado wouldn’t even hesitate to wear outside, like wouldn’t even blink about it. Here, like let’s say Travie needs to go outside, I would probably change before I took her outside. Like actually do change.
I put on jeans and something a little more elegant, like I’ll put on jeans, T-shirt and a blazer and go take her for a walk. So that’s one of the big differences for sure that women in general are just dressier. So I kind of threw in the towel, It’s like, you know what I was like walking around, like trying to pretend.
And I’m looking at my phone but I’m really like, snapping pictures. I’m like, what am I doing? Like you guys, I can explain it to you, I can show you a little bit, you can get the point. Okay, to summarize. If you wanna look more European, the first step is to say goodbye adios activewear.
2. European Style: Skirts and Dresses
The second thing that I’ve noticed in European style is that women here wear a lot more skirts and dresses than we do. And it’s actually inspired me. I’ve actually purchased more skirts and dresses here than I have in a very long time. Skirts in general, like I don’t wear skirts ever. I know some of you, right, and you’re like, I need skirts, like, why don’t you feature skirts? And I’m just always like, I don’t like skirts, I don’t wear skirts (laughing). But like, oh, sure that’s a great idea but like secretly I’m like, no, I don’t really like skirts. I don’t know how many skirts I’ve bought here.
bought an Eero leather skirt that I absolutely love. I bought an Eero floral skirt that I absolutely love. I almost forgot a mango skirt that I bought black and white pleated, beautiful, very affordable, very chic. I’ve got a Tweed skirt for mango here. Also dresses, I mean, I’ve bought tons of dresses since I’ve been here ’cause I wear them all the time living here. I’ve purchased a lot, it’s like Saloni, maje mango, Melissa Odabash.
And I’ve also noticed that it’s not just a certain generation doing that it’s across all generations. So it’s little kids are so dressed up and then it’s older people are so dressed up and you know, like you see they get their hair done, it’s a whole thing and it’s much more elevated and dressier than anything I’m used to seeing in the States.
The third thing I’ve noticed is that they wear a lot more color and print, I think than we do. Like if you’re in New York, you’ve got a wardrobe of black and gray probably. And maybe you’ve got a couple of colors popping in there. But here I see color every day, all day and it’s really lovely to see. There’s a shop I walk by all the time called Uterque and it’s just tons of color, prints and beautiful like print mixes and siren pinks and reds, I love it so much. Prints and color are a big deal.
And I’ve noticed in European style that I, you know, I’ve told you guys before, like I really didn’t wear prints before, I was really like kind of a prints though, but I was just always like, prints are scary, prints can be aging, they can look cheap and that’s all true, but I feel so drawn to prints here and I have purchased a few kind of investment prints while I’ve been here. Mostly buy actually French brands.
Euro, Bosch and Ulla Johnson. I don’t know where Ulla Johnson’s from she could be American. And by the way, if you just wanna know more about just general fashion trends for this season, I did do a couple of articles now on trends. I think it’s really good to know what the trends are. Doesn’t mean you have to wear ’em, but just to have a general idea so that you feel like comfortable and confident in your shopping choices and feel a little bit more intentional about those shopping choices.
4. European Style: Effortless but evolved
The fourth thing I’ve noticed in European style, and this is a big deal, and this might be the most important thing of the bunch. And that is this effortless vibe among Spanish women. It’s everything, okay it’s not just one thing, it’s a whole thing, all right. Let me kind of delineate. So it’s more natural hair color, more natural hairstyle, more natural makeup, more natural nails. Everything is natural, but elevated. I think that’s really different than we are in the States. Like we go all in with the hair and we get the barrel waves going and we get the nails going and we get the makeup going.
And I am wearing like the little magnetic lashes right now, like Spanish women aren’t really doing that I just am doing it for you guys.. But yeah, I mean, they’ll rock, with red lip all day long, but it’s just a very natural look, it’s damn but elevated. That’s kind of my vibe anyway. I mean, yeah, I do sometimes get out of control with the barrel waves, but you don’t ever see me with like pointed long crazy nails or anything like that.
I’m pretty chill in my style, but I just really admire that, it has this whole like effortlessness. Like I just threw something on and it looks perfect and polished, but it’s not overdone, it’s understated, it’s elegant, it’s chic it’s sophisticated and they nail that. So if you can like somehow capture that essence, then you a hundred percent can elevate your style and also look more European and more authentically European.
Last tip I wanted to share in terms of looking more European and really elevating your style is to think about new inspiration. So I know that in many articles I talk about, you know, if you have a designer or a brand that really works well for you, like why reinvent the wheel, why fix something if it’s not broken? But it’s also important to step outside the comfort zone once in a while. It’s also important to push the envelope a little bit every now and again. And it’s also important to discover new things. And that was one of the things I talked about with the trends.
Like you really should know what’s going on with trends so you feel modern and current with your style. Well, it’s the same with brands, right. Like step outside and find new brands. Like you always go to this brand, this brand, this brand, or this store, this store, this store try some new ones, see what happens. It sort of like breeds new life into your wardrobe and it adds a level or a layer of excitement that may not already be there.
It has for me since we’ve been here, you know, because I’m seeing all these designers I wouldn’t ordinarily see, like the other day I saw Elisabetta Franchi, who’s an Italian designer and I am now obsessed with her pieces and the store and everything. And I’m looking every day, like Italist and Farfetch and the tailoring is just so, it’s so exquisite. And so I’m fired up, you know what I mean? Like it’s infusing excitement into my wardrobe.
So I bought a sweater and some stirrup pants believe it or not. Do you remember those? Yes, I bought some stirrup pants because European women are rocking them over here and I was like, “why not” But, like finding something new like that can really breathe some new life into your wardrobe and just bring the joy and the fun back into it, because that’s what it’s really all about. I mean, I don’t want this to be just something utilitarian where you’re like everyday, like, I just need to get dressed,
I need to throw something on, you know. I want it to be something that you actually look forward to and feels good, you know. Like, who do I want to be today? How do I wanna feel today? Do I wanna be sporty today? Think about how you want to be that day and then dress accordingly. And again, just don’t be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone because life’s too short not to take these risks. And these are minimal risks, right. Like we’re talking about minimal, what’s the worst that can happen?
Somebody says something to you like who cares? Like if you’re over 40, you don’t care anyway so why not, And by the way you don’t have to live in Spain or live in Europe to find new inspiration. You can find new inspiration at the department store that you go to on a regular basis. You can find inspiration in a new retailer or e-tailer. You can find inspiration in your blogger that you follow on this celebrity you are introduced to.
You can find inspiration with architecture, with paintings, with anything street. I mean, if you live in a city, just sit down on a bench somewhere and watch women walk by, there’s no better way to get inspired style-wise than to do that, that always inspires me so much. I’m so visual, I need to see things so I love people watching like that. So maybe that’s the way that you can find your inspiration.
