Spanish style: how to be fashionable without going bankrupt?

In these times of economic crisis, one is forced to review one's spending habits and to learn to tighten one's belt. For the last few years, we have been forced to adapt to this situation by reducing our shopping budget. In fact, the economic crisis reduced our yearly shopping expenses by 700 euros on an average in Spain compared to 2007. However, Spain is still a world leader in men’s fashion and despite the economic crisis we have managed to balance the trade-off between remaining fashionable and maintaining a low budget.

This has been possible thanks to the high quality Spanish clothing brands who adapted to these macroeconomic crises with competitive prices. A clear example would be Inditex, the Galician company which has become the largest clothing firm in the global textile industry. The group founded by Amancio Ortega is known for owning renowned global brands like Zara, Oysho and Massimo Dutti, which have filled our shelves with reasonably priced and stylish clothes. From the operations perspective, an interesting feature of the group is their “fast fashion” model which is based on renovating the clothes available in the shops every day in order to not get stuck in the classical seasons. This helps us Spaniards to have our own style and differentiate ourselves from the others.

Indeed, there are many economical options that we can take into account when updating our wardrobe. The key is to learn to buy wisely and to have some fashion ideas in order to know how to combine and reuse different clothes. If you want to learn how to follow the latest Spanish fashion without getting bankrupt, you should read the following tips that could be very useful for you.

0.The shirt

Although it is true that there are brands like Ralph Lauren or Tommy Hilfiger that offer very high quality fancy shirts, there is no need to spend so much money to wear a stylish shirt. In fact, brands such as El Ganso, Pedro del Hierro or Cortefel have a large range of shirts with very affordable prices which can be combined with almost any outfit.

It’s important to have many shirts with different colours and styles in order to have classy alternatives for your outfit every day of the week.

1. The trousers

This is a key element to combine your shirt perfectly with your shoes. Historically well-known brands like Levi’s or Dockers have always offered the best trousers and jeans in the market; however they haven’t adapted their pricing strategies to the Spanish economic situation. On the other hand, Zara and Mango have established themselves as market leaders thanks to their large range of trousers with economical prices. Lately Spanish men have opted for the “slim fit” trousers which have a snug fit through the legs and end in a not-too-large leg opening. It is essential to buy various trousers with colours that are simple to combine such as beige or navy blue.

2. The jersey

This is the last essential element necessary to follow the latest fashion trends. The number of brands that offer good jerseys is enormous. However, one of the Spanish brands that stands out the most for its jerseys is Massimo Dutti. It offers a large range of jerseys and cardigans with new styles and designs that will make you stand out from others. Moreover, it’s one of the brands with the best quality-price relation for all its products in Spain.

3. The shoes

There is infinite number of possibilities available when choosing the shoes that you want to wear. It depends a lot on your taste and the formality that you want to give to your outfit. Spain has always been one of the world leaders in the footwear industry with a valuable “savoir faire” and very high quality products. This is why I strongly recommend buying footwear made in Spain which is economical, lasting and comfortable.

Brands such as Sebago or Clarks have one of the best and most classy shoes in the world. However, their prices are far from being affordable compared to some small national brands like Cremades. Sometimes it’s better to go to a small and traditional shoes store rather than buying from well-known footwear brands which don’t produce products that are any better than the products of local brands.