You know what Madrileñian women are really good at doing? Wearing color. Head-to-toe, in spurts, gradient; blocked, bright, and bold as hell. The older women do it especially well. And it’s starting to rub off on me.

Consider this: Lately, I’ve been carrying a yellow bag. I have never in my life carried a yellow bag. Yellow is hot this summer – I know, I read Substack – but it’s not just that. I’m wearing a yellow bag with burgundy shoes. For some, this would be nothing of note. For me, it’s… different. Little jolts of color give big life to the jeans and white tops I lean on so heavily. Other nice color combos are kelly green (bag) + rusty orange (maryjane), and tomato red (tote) + pale blue (slip-on).
The jeans I’m into wearing with colorful accessories are sort of their own “color” – clear indigo without any fading around the hips or knees. Like blue pants. But… jeans. Rachel Comey’s patch-front pair and ToJ’s Sally style are excellent options. It’s worth saying that distressed denim is not a thing I see on the streets of Madrid. Whenever I wear my vintage 501s, I feel deeply – noticeably – American.
Here are some more yellow bags I’d buy if I didn’t already have one I love so much. I’ve mentioned before that cool Madrileñas don’t really carry logo-heavy handbags (Loewe being an exception). This selection reflects that. All of these bags would go so great with jeans – dark wash, light wash, real vintage, faux vintage. The combination with any white tee (I love this one) is gorgeous.

There’s a store in Malasaña, across the street from Antigua Casa Crespo, called Lacambra that makes the kind of everyday, handmade-in-Spain leather goods you see women carrying all over Madrid. I’m especially into this mini tote, which is offered in nine buy-now colors and twenty-five more made-to-order ones. Lacambra bags can be personalized, shipped internationally, and they make perfect presents.

Maybe some of my willingness to wear all this color-on-color comes from wanting to make the limited clothes I brought with me feel shiny and new. Tired of the purple cami I wear on auto-pilot with my Levi’s? Let’s pair them with the bright blue Leset pants I keep talking about and see how that feels. Fun! Boredom really is the gateway to creativity.

I’ll also use this letter as an excuse to show you that time I tried on a traditional flamenco dress at Madrid’s historic dance superstore Maty because it’s as much of everything – purple, polka dots, tiered skirts, and hips – as you may ever see of me. Again, fun!
One of my favorite things to do on the weekends here is take my kids to Parque del Oeste, where there’s a creek full of tadpoles and daisy fields and dogs. It’s safe to say that the time I’ve spent in the park has also started to affect the way I see and live with color. Here’s how in looks on theme for today:

Vale, that’s a wrap. Thank you for reading. I have less than a month left of my stay in Spain and I’m starting to panic shop (as if I buying linens and perfume will help me bring all of Madrid home). It’s been such a wonderful time (I have deeper reflections on it drafting). For now, I hope something here makes you happy. Thank you for trusting me with your jeans and things. As always, Denim Forever.
Jane
More good links…
In celebration of espadrille season, Soludos is giving JoJ readers 20% off site wide. Use code JANE20.
The most clicked-on thing in last week’s letter was this jacket.
The best-selling jeans from last week’s letter were these.
The color both in fashion and design here is a language unto itself. Somehow always comes off as sophisticated- rarely garish.
Doña Juana: always happy to see you embracing your life there. And color. And yes, yellow is a thing there as well, because everything is born in Europe first.
Nota: The correct expression is MadrileñAs y Vale! Because
Valle means Valley, as in Valley of the Dolls.
Posdata: go have an unforgettable meal in Sala de Despiece in Chamberí before your return.