What to Wear, Where - Barcelona, Spain

My time spent in Barcelona was short & sweet. It was my first trip of many outside of Italy during my semester abroad – and I went to visit a high school friend of mine studying at University of Barcelona. Their fast fashion was very affordable, and I happened to have extra money left over from opting out of buying books for the semester. This trip was my first introduction to Mango, a mix between Zara, H&M, and Forever – but with more color, texture, and personality. It was also my first trip to Top Shop, which I had been dreaming about for years prior, as well as Corte Ingles (which is it’s own little phenomenon). The main shopping street is called Las Rambles, and luckily my dear friend lived close by (as well as 5 min walking distance to the Mediterranean). Dressing in Barcelona is a bit flashy, uber colorful in the flavor of Custo Barcelona, and all about form fitting silhouettes.

Outside of shopping, there is a ton of partying. Everyone always says that about Barcelona, and it is definitely true. There are specific venues that serve only Chipitos (shots) of varying combinations and themes. The Chipito bars were insanely crowded, but that just added to the flavor and experience of it all – it was like the college version of going to a wine tasting, an endless menu of shots.

Maybe it’s because I was with a gay man, but that trip was especially interesting for many, many reasons. Although it is very Western and comfortable – when I went I kept badgering my friend about how lucky he was to have normalcy, because Rome is VERY authentic – I still loved it. It was nice to speak English and use the Spanish I had learned in high school but never utilized – even though Catalan (dialect) really puts a hitch in your step. Looking back, 85% of my time studying abroad was spent partying, and thank god. There’s a reason why they made concealer for under eye circles - so you can live in the moment.

Mango fringe dress $109