Just got back from a week exploring Zaragoza and the surrounding area in the Spanish region of Aragon and I thought I’d report in on things that worked and didn’t work, wardrobe wise.
I had a challenge going in because I was looking at temperatures from the 40s to high 70s with light rain as well as occasions ranging from tramping through vineyards to city sightseeing to relatively fancy dinners.
I did not entirely meet that challenge.
Here’s what I took:
Blue jeans, black waxed cotton jeans, black cropped wool pants, black leather jacket, Burberry rain coat and scarf, worn on plane, black Chelsea boots, worn on plane, black heels, navy flats, black canvas Toms, white, purple, cream and aqua silk shirts, light gray cashmere sweater, black cashmere sweater, dark red silk dress, casual olive/black dress, navy silk jacket, black long sleeve T, white long sleeve T, black sleeveless T, worn on plane, black leggings, worn on plane. Everything went into my 19-inch roll-aboard with camera, laptop, liquids and extra pair of shoes going in my backpack.
The style takeaway:
The vibe in Zaragoza is casual but put together. Tourists wearing neon sneakers and athletic wear stood out. Follow your bliss if that’s your thing but I prefer to blend in as best I can. Lots of walking so you do need comfy shoes neon or not. Also something warmer for the late-night tapas crawls through the “El Tubo” labyrinth of narrow alleyways.
How I did:
MVPs:
The black waxed cotton jeans were great for sightseeing paired with the cream silk shirt and light gray sweater, and provided a little water resistance, too. They went to dinner with the white and purple silk Ts and the Burberry and were equally at home in both humble cafes and white tablecloth restaurants.
The Chelsea boots were bomb — looked great and performed well. Ditto the cream sleeveless shirt and gray sweater, I wanted to wear them every day.
Navy silk jacket (Grana) was surprisingly wrinkle resistant, looked great and provided a good light layer for warmer days. Worn with the aqua and white silk Ts with the blue and black jeans.
Adequate:
The olive and black dress (Anthro) is one of my favorites and it worked fine climate-wise paired with the leggings and leather jacket with the option of taking the leggings off when it warmed up. I thought the outfit was a little on the dark side, though.
The black leather moto jacket (Madewell) is normally one of my favorite pieces but I wasn’t loving it as much as usual. It did pack a fair amount of style but wasn’t that warm and seemed to have picked up a slightly rancid smell. Probably should have spent more $$ and gone with a higher quality jacket. The Burberry wasn’t the most practical choice; I have waterproof, hooded and wrinkle-resistant jackets that make more sense. It got pretty beat up on the plane, sadly I was in economy. BUT, the scarf came through like a champ in the chill winds of the Madrid train station and I felt like a million bucks skipping around town in my classic trench so there’s that.
Black Toms did the job and I didn’t worry about messing them up but they cannot be called stylish. Still looking for that unicorn shoe that is comfy, can take abuse and looks moderately cool on my size 10s.
Sub-par:
All jeans fall down my butt and these were no exception. Awkward since I’d kind of forgotten the white long sleeve T and aqua tops were cropped. I ended up tugging things up and down all day. Realized later I’d been sporting a pretty good-sized muffin top, too. Awesome. It may be time to forget about jeans which I have never found comfortable and stick with leggings and skirts/dresses. The aqua T situation was salvaged when I tried it over the cream sleeveless shirt.
Don’t know why I bothered:
Navy flats. Pinched and there was no day when I didn’t need either the boots or the Toms. Same thing for the heels.
Black cropped wool pants: Too hot for day, too cool for night.
Red dress: Too cold to wear this without black tights, which is a look I always think I’ll like until I put it on in the hotel room and I’m all, Nope.
Wish I’d taken:
Packable Patagonia down jacket, navy silk joggers, gray hoodie, white T.
Overall packing grade:
B-
Fashion highlight of the trip:
Dude at the #Goya museum asked me if I wanted the French language guide and I am feeling pretty darned cool. #jenesaisquoi #igotit
— Michelle Locke (@Locke_Michelle) March 27, 2017
And that, my friends, is why we pay Burberry the big bucks. (Although I did get mine on sale.)
Cheers, sartorially.