Glamorous Barcelona
When you think about Barcelona, glamour and fashion are not the first words you think of, more ‘beer and tapas’. Therefore it surprised me how glamorous the city can be. During my last stay, I noticed how gracious all the women wear their high heels, are dressed according the latest fashion and just like Paris, the right bag is very important. Later at night I walked from my hotel to a cross-over, grabbing a cab, and I walked in to a bunch of prom visitors. Men in black tie, women wearing prom dresses and it all looked very classy.
Gracious Passeig de Gracia
The best way to spot gracious Barcelona citizens? Stroll around Passeig de Gracia. On this street, the most expensive (international) shops and boutiques are situated, like Chanel, Mont Blanc, Hermes and of course Spanish brands like Massimo Dutti. I love to watch people entering the shops, looking stylish and dressed up. Not even the people, also the buildings are very impressive, like Casa Mila and Casa Batlo, the famous Gaudi houses and the impressive Mandarin Hotel!
Santa Eulalia
One of the most beautiful shops I visited at Passeig de Gracia is Santa Eulalia. This Barcelona brand since 1843 is famous for its tailor made suits, but also sells pret-a-porter fashion collections for both men and women. With brands like Celine, Balmain, Christian Louboutin, Mulberry, Lanvin, Moncler, Proenza Shoulder, Stella McCartney and many more international and local designers, Santa Eulalia is one of the top boutiques. I fell in love with a beautiful blue satin dress from Neil Barrett, but unfortunately it didn’t fit. The brands, the perfect staff, dressing rooms as big you can dance in them and the luxurious products and atmosphere, makes a visit to this shop unique. I felt like a little princess wondering around the shop. They cooperate with the British brand Smythson, where I found the best ’thank you’ notes ever, with an owl…
Even if you can’t afford anything the shop sells (I was surprised about the affordable items though), the shop and its cafe with roof terrace are worth a visit. Dress up properly, you can walk right in to the arms of a famous FC Barcelona football player, as they designed a special shirt and provide the suits to the team.
Extra plus: the shop has a blog, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook and use them pretty well. If you check-in on Foursquare, you get a discount if you visit the Santa Eulalia outlet store! Like!
