Pegontheroad

My sister and I are going to Spain on October 1. We'll be traveling mostly by car and staying in good hotels, but not in anything too grand. I've traveled in Europe a lot, but I've always dressed fairly formally--in coordinated slacks, tops, sweaters, and jackets. No jeans, shorts, white sport shoes, etc. This time I'm tempted to put in a pair of jeans or two, but I've never paid much attention to what other travelers--especially travelers my age (I'm 68)-- are wearing. Whaddaya think? Am I going to look too conspicuous if I'm flouncing around in jeans and my good old SAS walking shoes? I just don't want to look like the stereotype of an American tourist.

patg

Older women in Spain usually wear skirts. The under 40s wear jeans, but they are the skin-tight style.

I don't see the point in taking jeans since they are heavy to carry, hard to wash and dry and not very versatile. I've brought casual pants made of Tencel (a type of rayon)that worked very well, as do pants with some stretch fibers in the weave.

Surfergirl

Wear what makes you feel comffortable. My mother (age 75) spends two months in Europe each year and has never felt out of place wearing jeans. Nor would she care if anyone else felt she did.

artlover

We were in Spain last year and I mostly wore black pants that are comfortable and travel well. Didn't bring jeans for the reason patg mentioned, though there were Spanish women wearing jeans, mostly younger ones. And yes, many of the Spanish women wore very tight pants.

We've going back to Spain and Italy next year and I don't plan to pack jeans, but I sure hope to buy some in Italy and will wear them when I do!

suze

Sure take a pair of jeans, they'll be fine for touring. (Side story: I saw the cutest couple yesterday here in Seattle, obviously tourists, both in jean outfits head to toe, they were 80 if they were a day!).

I wouldn't take more than one pair only because jeans are quite heavy and bulky in the suitcase. And I wouldn't wear them on the plane myself, because they are more restricting than cotton knit, elastic waist (for example & which is what I wear for long flights).

TopMan

Baby, if your butt looks good in jeans, WEAR THEM! I notice none of the women here who have been to Spain were complaining about the Spanish studs and THEIR tight jeans.
You aren't goping to live forever or look good in tight jeans forever, either...seize the day!! (and have a great trip, too).

TopMan

And they won't be nearly as heavy as that duffle bag full of make-up that some of these other people cart over to Europe!

Christina

I've been to Spain and worn jeans and lots of other women and tourists do. However, I'm a bit younger, and if you want the truth, I would say that you will indeed stick out as a stereotypical American tourist if you wear jeans at that age. I'm not saying you should care or not, that's up to you, but I think you will--in Spain or anywhere in Europe. I don't think slacks and tops/sweaters and jackets are dressing formally, that's usually what I wear during daytime as even though I wear jeans at times, a lot of the time I don't.

m_kingdom2

Alexander McQueen has a couple of pairs of straight legged jeans in his fall/winter 04/05 collection - they are slightly faded, and feature a ponyskin badge. They're not flashy, and are pretty classic.