Truly, I do not know where to begin………maybe I can start with an admission – I thought the fashion and stores in Barcelona were awful when I first started exploring. Well, here’s my current standing – though the daily street fashion can appear laid-back and beach-bohemian (flat, though somewhat fashionable sandals are everywhere morning, noon and night – comfort is key here – so much walking), AMAZING shopping options do exist – variety, unique, great value and items that will just jump out at you and you will have no idea why you need to purchase it, but you just will because it’s from a local Barcelona designer and one-of-a-kind. Let’s talk about tiendas (shops)……..
TIP: Carry your passport with you or a copy – stores will provide you with tax-refund paperwork to present at the airport upon your return home. You may have to carry your purchased goods with you in carry-on, as some security officials will ask to see the purchased items to make sure they match up with your receipts. Another reason to carry your passport or copy, is that some stores, such as the department store chain, El Corte Ingles, will give you a shopping card for 10% off all your purchases. (Extra care to keep your purse/wallet close by – Spain has a reputation for quick savvy pick-pocketers – tuck your purse tight under your shoulder, and men – carry your wallet in your front pant pocket.)
Walking around the main city streets you will feel right at home with familiar stores such as Benetton, H&M, Zara and Mango…..but don’t be fooled – these stores are even better than ‘right at home’ !! Zara is the world’s largest fashion retailer – the founder is Spanish – and the idea is to bring consumers ‘instant fashion’ – low-priced look-alike products of current popular higher-end items – sometimes pieces copied right off a runway. My credit card plastic for sure melted here more than a few times…..the main flagship Barcelona store is right near the main city central square, Placa Cataluyna – at Passeig de Gracia at Gran Via (there are 12 Zara’s currently in BCN) – men, women, children – it’s all here – even a beautiful home-decor store right next to the fashion store. Ole !!! Massimo Dutti is Zara’s higher-end brand – similar to a Banana Republic, with finer beautiful clothes for both men and women. Desigual stores are everywhere in Barcelona, as are their ads, but the store’s theme of trendy patchwork designs, graffiti prints and asymmetrical fits (hence the name -Desigual – un-equal) were not my speed – but do check out the stores for a taste of Barcelona! Bimba y Lola is another great Spanish brand – beautiful leather wallets, too!
For men, think red pants, suede loafer shoes, scarves, beautiful cashmere sweaters – one typical Spanish male look – it’s a beautiful sight – casual, yet put together – all clothes tailored for the body type. David found great luck in the stores Scalpers Ganso and Macson (actually British) – both carrying casual and business styles that look made-to-order when put on. The familiar brand, G-Star Raw is a popular look in BCN, too.
Etxart & Panno – HANDS-DOWN FAVORITE clothing store – I want to franchise this store here in America!!! Dangerously, the main store in the city was located just a short 4 blocks from our second year apartment…..on Rambla Catalunya. This store has beautifully crafted fabics – of dresses, jumpsuits of vibrant colors, daytime pastel sets, stilettos and all within a reasonable price-range – I’m pretty sure I would conjure up events in my mind to justify the need for a tasteful ‘picnic luncheon’ crop top and skirt ensemble. One of my dress purchases I wore to David’s graduation. I became friends with the store clerks and literally hugged everyone on my last visit there and we exchanged contact information to keep in touch – so sad. This store is a MUST for women shoppers, with clothes actually made in Spain – and luckily items can be shipped to the U.S. from on-line shopping.
Stay on Passeig de Gracia for TOP of the line window shopping and perhaps some extra serious purchasing – Dolce and Gabbana, Chanel, Dior, Louis Vuitton, Saint Laurent – the drooling list goes on…….but I did find a few safe havens – Karen Millen store is fantastic for smart fitted dresses, great colors and some business-wear. My go-to for dance-party dress-up was the Guess/Marciano store on this street. Great mark-downs at the back of the store 🙂 ….and, yes, I would tend to hide these shopping bags from David, but of course, his eye would notice the new pieces I would wear and there was no fooling – just maybe some fooling/downplaying on the amounts I was spending.
TIP: There are tons of women’s nightware/lingerie/swimwear stores in Barcelona – mainly chains – and a true play-on-words chain, ‘Women’s Secret’ – not to be confused with ‘Victoria’s Secret’ – is a replica of what we have here in the States. If you’re looking for something different, beautiful materials and be a stand-out, check out a local designer just off the main shopping roads – Andres Sarda
If you are in the market for fun women’s shoes, Barcelona, to me, is lacking – plenty of low-heeled not-so-attractive shoes, but perhaps necessary purchases to carry you through the days of walking. Men win in this category – beautiful leathers, great designs and affordable prices. There are plenty of shoe stores – you will not miss them and the window displays of hundreds of shoes! Have fun popping into the smaller stores in the Gotico area or even the more residential streets just off of Passeig de Gracia, in the Eixample neighborhood (I ended up finding my wedding shoes at a local boutique store in the Sarria area – for $40!).
A few malls do exist – while not the norm, they are fun to check out, because believe it or not, unique Barcelona brands can be found here. The two malls I would recommend are Bulevard Rosa and L’illa. Bulevard Rosa can be found right on the main drag, Passeig de Gracia – and it’s easy to miss it – a small entrance into a large multi-level in-door shopping complex which is built down into the ground. Find colorful delights here – small store fronts packed with dresses, some ‘outlet’ priced stores, low-priced fashion jewelry, the most beautiful stand-out store: World Family Ibiza – 100% handcrafted bags, sandals, accessories and kaftans – recently mading it to Paris runways and European magazines.
The mall at L’illa is on Avenue Diagonal in the Les Corts district (barrio). This area is the financial business district of Barcelona with many good hotels and restaurants, but little in the way of tourist attractions – yet, still this is a great area to walk around, large promenades, tons of locals, great vibe and excellent shopping – from high-end jewelry to H&M….and yes, another Etxart & Panno !
TIP: If you happen upon a cute boutique and decide to move on and come back to it later, keep track of the time. Most smaller stores will close for siesta around 1-4pm or 2-5pm and you may be out of luck if you are on a tight schedule. As frustrating as this ‘down-time’ may seem, enjoy it by finding a little cafe, ordering some tapas and a cerveza (beer) or cortado (coffee shot) and kick back — maybe even catch a re-run of a Barca football (soccer) game and cheer for the Champions! (P.S. Spain’s Prime Minster Rajoy is proposing to do away with siesta times and bring the work day into line with France and Germany – only a one-hour lunch break – with the hopes of boosting the Country’s economy – will be interesting to follow this!)
Shopping for goods other than clothes is equally as fun and the treasures you will find in Barcelona are memorable – the store settings alone are historical treasures which deserve a few minutes of your time just to look around and soak in the physical details of the store. There are tons of great chocolate/candy stores (meringues and marzipan are great here), beautiful old book stores with hand-crafted leather bound albums and calligraphy sets (store in the Gotico barrio, Paparium), an out-of-this-world jewelry shop that I dare anyone to find even a close replica of – it’s a museum of artistic creations by different designers that can be worn as jewelry – don’t know how else to describe this concept store – La Basilica Galeria. I purchased a few earrings here, but never got daring enough to go for the more extravagant pieces of coral interwoven with netting and parts of dehydrated fish pouring out of a necklace chain – out of this world!!!! Loved bringing visitors here – right around the corner from the Main Gothic Cathedral.
TIP: Feel like a hunter of antiques as you peruse through the weekly ‘flea market’ set up on the square out front of the Main Gothic Cathedral every Thursday – two rows of tables under umbrellas present you with vintage estate jewelry, old postcards and music sheet music, antique cameras, sets of porcelain, old dolls and toys, coins – and though prices are marked, negotiation can be done – and cash will help!
…..and returning to clothing for a moment – I cannot leave this post without a mention of another artistic dream store a few stores down from the Basillica jewelry store – Valentina BCN – specializing in hand-crafted corsets covered in crystals, feathers, lacing – and worn by the ‘Hollywood’ of Spain, these pieces are so extraordinary to look at. Trying them on and trying to breathe is another story! There are gowns here, too and the shared space next door in a hand-made perfumery – all worth the visit down this narrow winding street in magical El Gotico.
TIP: Most, if not all, main stores are wheelchair accessible in Barcelona. The boutique stores tend to be very compact and can be tricky to navigate. http://www.accessiblebarcelona.com/
Women del Mundo 