I've spent at least one month every summer of my life in Spain, at my grandmother's apartment. And every year, my mom has always tried to convince me I need a pair of espadrilles. Growing up, she always owned a pair, but for some reason I never understood the appeal of the Spanish shoe that's everywhere come June. There was something about the texture that has always thrown me off. That and the fact that when you're young, you tend to just have a natural aversion to any fashion your mom suggests.
Fast forward to now and I can't stop thinking about how I wish I would have bought a pair years ago. It's taken me decades but I've realized my mom was right all along. I came to the realization earlier this June, where I attended Primavera Sound in Barcelona. Observing the style of Spanish girls there made me realize a couple of things. One of them being that they're definitely wearing denim better than we do in New York and that if they say espadrilles are extremely chic, then they're extremely chic.
In light of the recent filming of American Love Story, I've also been thinking a lot about Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy. And while she wasn't Spanish, the style icon famously said in a 1992 interview with Glamour, "If I want to add some impact [to an outfit] I'll do it with texture." Espadrilles are the kind of item that add instant texture to an outfit, and that, for me, where the appeal lies.
While in Barcelona, and then later in Cadiz with my family, I saw Spanish girls wearing espadrilles with everything from jeans to crochet dresses to peasant tops. When I rewatched Jamon, Jamon, which stars a young Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem, I realized Cruz wears espadrilles with nearly all of her iconic simple and timeless summer looks. My mom shook her head and was thrilled to say, "I told you so" when I expressed me desire for a pair just a couple of weeks ago. And I spent the rest of the night scrolling through the instagram of Castañer, the Spanish brand that's credited with making espadrilles appeal to the fashion world. The brand's editorial images proved to me just how versatile the shoe is, not to mention they always add height while still providing comfort.
So if you run into me this August, there's a pretty high chance I'll be wearing one of the pairs of espadrilles below.
