Parisian Style Is Fine, But in Madrid, Everyone Is Wearing These 6 Even Cooler Trends

I just got back from a month in Madrid, and yes, I ate all the jamón and drank my weight in café con leche. While I’m often in the Spanish capital to visit family, I’m also there for research (read: shopping). The one thing I can’t stop thinking about? What everyone was wearing in the city this fall.

I wasn’t sure what to expect style-wise (Madrid doesn’t get as much hype as, say, Paris) come cold-weather season, but given the fact that Zara and Mango’s selections have been incredible this autumn, I had a feeling it would be good. Overall, Madrid style is playful, polished, and clearly not afraid of a little color or a fun accessory. People looked cool without trying too hard, and I found myself constantly doing double takes on the streets of Salamanca and Justicia.

By day three, I started spotting a few trends over and over—and honestly, I wanted to copy every single one. From sporty track pants to nontraditional suede pieces, these are the seven fall trends I saw everywhere in Madrid. And, before you ask, of course I bought them all to bring back with me to New York. Happy shopping!

Olive Suede

Unlike traditional brown and mocha-colored suede jackets, bags, and shoes, stylish Madrid women are opting for fun, olive shades of the fall staple this season.

Oversize Leather Bags

Want to lug your entire life around on the Madrid metro on your commute from Goya to El Retiro? No problem—Spanish women are skipping the mini bags and clutches this fall in favor of well-made, ludicrously capacious leather tote bags worn-in with character.

Layered Tanks

Layering, but make it Gen Z. At some of my favorite bakeries and coffee shops around Alonso Martinez, I constantly spotted younger Spanish women wearing layered T-shirts and tanks in conjunction with baggy wide-leg pants and sneakers.

Leather Pants

Hear me out. Before you declare leather pants so 2016, I’d spotted more leather trousers than I cared to admit and, shockingly, when styled right, I didn’t hate them. Instead of the ultra-tight slim leather pants of yesteryear, Spanish women are opting for boxier, roomier, wide-leg leather trousers in deeper, richer hues to wear with their sweaters and blouses this fall.

Sportswear Remixed

Spanish women love remixing old and new, just as much as they love remixing sporty elements with traditional feminine shoes and accessories. Grab your favorite pair of workout leggings or track pants and wear them with dainty ballerina flats for a fun look.

"Weird Girl" Accessories

Personality is the name of the game when you’re in Madrid, with Spanish women opting for accessories, shoes, scarves, and jewelry to tell a story (at times, even more than their outfits!). Unlike timeless Parisian style, Spanish women pair their basics with "weird," eye-catching, trendy add-ons.