goletian

My wife and I will be doing a 2 week whirlwind of Spain in early October: Madrid-Cordoba-Seville-Granada-Barcelona. We want to travel light, using one carry-on each. We are, shall we say, a mature couple, but both of us could easily get away with wearing comfortable jeans on vacation in the US. What suggestions do forum readers have? Many thanks!

Robert2533

Not knowing anything about you other than you're a mature couple, I guess you should dress the way you want, and according to the weather.

greg

You can also get away with wearing jeans. You will find that Spaniards dress sharply. It is really up to you if you are ok with it. Even at high end restaurants, I have not encountered dress code requirements. For me, jeans only and traveling light are not compatible for a 2 week trip. For trip more than a few days, I certainly want to carry a change of pants. Jeans eat up valuable luggage space. Additionally, jeans don't dry fast after wash or wearing it in on a heavy rain day.

MmePerdu

I have to agree with Greg on 2 counts. Jeans are casual and if you want the most flexible choices of outfits in as few items as possibe in your carryon you'd be much better off with khakis or knit pants. And to be able to rinse things out in your hotel sink jeans are the worst. So all in all I recommend less casual and more quick dry for such an excursion.

Look on the Travelsmith, Magellans & Orvis websites for lots of options.

Rastaguytoday

I totally agree with both greg and the MMeP.

For me, jeans in Europe is a big no-no.

I'm heading out in 9 days to Eastern Europe, and it's khakis only.

Not only are they more appropriate, they are lighter.

kerouac

Even if it were true that Spaniards were sharp dressers, in all of the tourist areas, you will only be "competing" with poorly dressed Germans, Dutch and English, so you really do not have to worry about looking chic.

Jeans are totally appropriate in October, once the summer heat is gone.

nona1

Sorry, but I still don't get this anti-jeans in Europe thing.

If you like wearing jeans, wear jeans. Millions of Europeans do, I promise!

I also don't get the too heavy/get wet/can't wash them argument.

Jeans don't really show the dirt so unless you have some sort of accident, you don't need to wash them on holiday. I'm quite happy to wear the same pair for a week at home (or maybe I'm disgusting, but I don't think it's uncommon). So why not on holiday? Yes they hold water when they get soaked, but they also don't seem to get soaked as easily as light trousers in the first place, they are a bit more weather-repellent.

Nikki

If jeans are such a poor choice for travel, nobody has told the many people I always see wearing them.

ribeirasacra

There are thankfully no fashion police here in Spain.

Stores sell everything from say Ralph Lauren down to copies of American baseball team caps.

hetismij2

I'm with nona1 on this.

Jeans are fine. Wear what you are comfortable in and remember to bring something for if the evenings are chilly.

Spaniards won't notice what you are wearing - and if they do does it matter? You are unlikely to ever meet those clothes snobs again.

Anna_Galea

I would certainly take a couple of pairs of jeans, plus a couple of more formal pairs of trousers and tops, a nice jacket, etc - a bit of everything - even these would fit in your carry-on luggage.

SloJan2

Jeans are fine if that is what you like to wear. I would add a casual pair of pants in another color, and if I was your wife, I would throw some skirts into the mix.

Ummm...rastaguy, I hate to tell you this but many europeans laugh at the khakis. If you like them, wear them, but don't think that they are 'better' than jeans.

Dukey1

You are going to see jeans and so-called "athletic type" shoes EVERYWHERE you go and not just on teenagers and younger folks.

Whereas I agree that washing a pair of jeans out in the sink isn't the easiest task I also agree that asking you if you are even going to wash anything out in a sink might have been a wise idea.

Get ready to see lots of denim being worn. If you want to wear something like dark-colored Dockers, or similar, that might be a better idea.

adrienne

<< Ummm...rastaguy, I hate to tell you this but many europeans laugh at the khakis. If you like them, wear them, but don't think that they are 'better' than jeans. >>

SloJan2 - I love it that you said this. On another thread Rasta told me that if I traveled more I would know to wear khakis. I think khakis are the worst choice in trousers as they get dirty so quickly. And in the winter it looks as though you have no clothes sense to go walking around in khakis when it's freezing outside.

Wear what you want but I prefer dark slacks that won't get dirty in 5 minutes and that don't take forever to dry.

mamcalice

To each his/her own. Wear a pair of jeans on the plane, pack an extra pair and a couple pairs of dark colored Dockers (or the like). You won't have to wash the jeans, they shouldn't get all that dirty unless you plan to bullfight or something. Your wife doesn't need skirts but should have a pair or 2 of nice pants for evening.

You can be nicely dressed for 2 weeks from a carryon - we've done it for years. It will likely be quite warm in Southern Spain in October so be sure to have a coupld of short sleeved shirts.

Ackislander

Eeew --

If you wear your trousers every day and don't wash them for two weeks, you may get a whole row to yourself on the plane. Of course, not brushing your teeth for two weeks would have the same effect. Or wearing deodorant. And think of the space you will save by leaving the toothbrush and toothpaste and deodorant at home.

People don't recognize when they smell offensive, and trust me, putting on more perfume or after shave does not mask it.

kerouac

Jeans are my favorite every day wear and also my favorite travel wear, and I'm a Parisian. And I also wear athletic shoes quite a bit of the time.

nona1

Ackisander, I don't think anyone was suggesting they only have one pair of trousers (of whatever type) for the entire two weeks?

weber6560

Re "fashion sense": I think European reactions to any particular fashion choice will just about the same as would be the American reaction to the same outfit. In other words if you'd wear jeans on a similar trip in the US, wear jeans in Europe. If you would wear dress pants on that trip in the US, wear dress pants in Europe. Much of the world wears the same clothes and reacts in the same way.

I do think however, in some situations, what you wear does afffect the way you are treated.

Christina

I agree with above, but that is true in the US, also.

I was sitting next to a French young man coming back to the US from France a few years ago and (horrors) he was wearing khakis. He didn't seem ashamed about it. He was young, however.