Although I’m a firm believer that one should always get dressed without anyone else’s influence driving the outfit choices, getting dressed in a foreign country is a totally different ball game. Putting on an outfit in America is simple: you pick out what you want to wear and you know exactly what will be the pros and cons of wearing that outfit. After spending a month living in Europe, however, I can assure you that getting dressed for a day abroad is never easy.
Of course there are the obvious challenges for dressing abroad—is the outfit comfortable for a day of exploring, will the outfit keep you warm/cool depending on the weather or can the outfit easily be dressed up/down in case plans get changed? These are the top three items on your study abroad clothing checklist. The most pressing, and in my opinion, least thought of dilemma is dressing for the culture.
Walking around the streets and the underground Metro in Spain and France, I’ve taken notice of the cultural clothing and how my clothing doesn’t exactly fit in with these European standards. The clothing is monochromatic and they’re lacking any daring patterns. It’s hard to wear what I want to wear without worrying if I’m sticking out like a sore thumb. This Fashionista, however, was able to create an outfit that was totally her own style but still easily able to blend in with Madrid’s culture.
Her striped romper and light denim jacket are perfect for a day of exploring in Madrid. She’ll keep warm in the slightly chilly May weather and she’ll still be comfortable for a long day of walking across the city. Her black felt hat gives the outfit that extra special whimsy look that immediately makes her stand out from the crowd. All of her items look like they belong on her and nothing seems out of place. Her look was very intentional and it works very well.
If you’re looking for an outfit to wear on a vacation or study abroad in Europe, look no further than the clothes this Fashionista carefully put together. She wasn’t afraid to mix prints, match colors and accessorize with ease. Not only is this Fashionista looking good in Europe, she’ll look good anywhere she goes around the rest of the world, too.
Captured: I found this Fashionista hanging out with a friend at the Palacio Real de Madrid in Madrid, Spain.
