Happy Summer Solstice!
One Last Shopping Day and Picks For Extreme Heat
My favorite day of the year is the summer solstice. It marks the longest day of the year, which in Madrid means it’s not yet dark at 10:00 pm, signaling the beginning of summer. I’m completely enamored with Spain and sorry for talking about it endlessly (I feel you, Hilaria Baldwin).
Madrid is the jewel in the crown of Spain and serves as the easiest point of entry and exit back to New York. My dear friends kindly lent me their apartment in a lively neighborhood adjacent to the Plaza de Olavida. As luck would have it, when I went out on Saturday morning for my café con leche and croissant, I ran smack into a market in the Plaza, which immediately caught my attention. It was fortuitous since I still needed to obtain last-minute gifts, my whole purpose for the day.
After breakfast, I delved into the market scene and was pleased to discover that this was no ordinary market. It was filled with artisanal home goods, indie clothing and accessory brands, and jewelry makers. This bolstered my claim that Spain is ground zero for great indie brands and stores.
I left Dénia on Friday and spent three hours strategically packing my two bags, reaching new heights in packing physics, worthy of its own story (the secret is to fold the clothing as little as possible for the flattest effect with no wasted space in the corners and sides). I knew I didn’t have even an inch to spare, no more shopping for me, but there was plenty of serious temptation.
My main objective was to find a lovely gift for my hosts. This desire was fulfilled at the table of Seara Collection, importers of artisanal pottery and textiles from Portugal. I loved everything they had, and like all the people I’ve met on this trip, the husband and wife were full of passion for their small business and happy to share their story, which warrants a post of its own, coming soon.
After lunch with friends who live in Madrid, I went to revisit Sinclonnison, one of the first stores I went to when I arrived in April and wrote about in Hola Madrid. The shopping gods were with me again, and I scored another gift. While there, I got to know the owner a bit better, with his sales associate acting as translator. Again, I was struck by how kind and generous the people of Spain are. By the time I left, he was insisting I contact him when planning my next trip to Spain, recommending Formentera and Menorca in September, two places already on my list of places to see.
While out and about all day, I got a taste of hot summer in the city weather with temperatures in the mid-nineties. The people of Madrid were undeterred by the heat and were out en force, filling the abundance of outdoor cafe seating from morning until well into the night. I had my eyes peeled for warm-weather dressing. Hands down, the coolest summer looks were long dresses. This woman looked particularly stunning. When I complimented her, she said she didn’t even like the dress, bought at Zara years ago, and couldn’t understand why she was getting compliments. I tried to set her straight. She was selling a line of swimsuits and handmade bags at the market. Her hat was bought from a fellow vendor.
I dined alone at an outdoor cafe at around 8:30, early for Madrid, knowing later I wouldn’t secure a table as a lone diner, an anomaly here. I ended the day on the terrace of my friend's apartment as the wind kicked up and a thunderstorm threatened. Another fabulous day in Spain and the perfect Summer Solstice.
I return to a very hot New York on Monday. Tuesday is forecast to hit 100 degrees. With that in mind, here are more suggestions for super hot weather dressing inspired by the chic people of Madrid.
Linen is your best friend when it’s hot. I’m seriously considering these wide leg shorts in white linen, they would look great with this white linen shirt as shown above, or very chic with this brown linen shirt, one of my favorite summer color combinations, on sale! Just roll up the sleeves for both. I love the proportions of this short white linen shirt (or similar in cotton), when paired with a skirt or trousers.
Nothing is cooler than an easy dress for the extreme heat. From left: love this bias linen dress. This halter is super chic in khaki. This easy navy dress in cotton is currently on sale. If you’re an XS or XL, check out this gorgeous white cotton embroidered dress.
Happy Sunday, everyone. Thanks for reading and your continued support. What are your summer plans? I would love to know, and please hit me up with any summer wardrobe quandaries you may have.
Now I’m off to the Prado.
xxx Jolain
Glad you've had a fab time in Spain. The weather in the UK has hit crazy heights of 30 + degrees Celsius this week. I kept in mind your previous tip of keeping long skirt lengths around 6 inches above the ankle. I took up a bargain- buy white muslin and lace dress and it looks so much better at that length. There's always a danger, I think, that a long cotton dress, especially in white and on an older gal, can veer towards being mistaken for a nightdress so I've experimented with wearing cropped cotton top over a strappy dress. I feel less exposed and definitely in less danger of feeling that I'm in nightwear! Young women can get away with most garments but I'm always aware of the ' mutton dressed as lamb' syndrome. Is that an expression used in the US?
Jolain, following you these last couple of months has given me Spain lust. I just love Indie shops and designers. Happy Summer Solstice!