"Metro" style

I have always been a people-watcher. It’s in my blood. No matter where I am, where I go, or what I’m doing, I inevitably space out and stare at the people around me. Sometimes I attempt to imagine what they are thinking or doing, where they are from, and I try to create their life story in my head. Other times, I just admire their hair and clothes—especially here in Spain.

Not until I came to Europe did I realize how under-dressed and non-stylish most Americans are. Every day here in Madrid, whether going to or from school or going out with friends, there is a full-flung fashion show in my face, starring the other commuters. The first thing I’ve noticed is the crazy hair. I’m not talking about, “I’m in my rebellious stage and decided to dye my hair pink and purple against the wishes of my parents.” Oh no, it is far worse and interesting than that. I’m talking about buzz cuts with rattails (think early 1990s meets hicks from West Virginia). And these hair-styles are not gender-stereotypical. Girls and guys alike sport these looks. Or how about the beautiful girl I saw the other day who ruined her looks by shaving random parts of her head?

Then there are the more “normal” hairstyles (but what is normal, anyway?) of the style mavens of Madrid. I barely ever see women with ponytails or bad hair days. Everyone around me curls their hair, straightens it to perfection, etc. –they must spend two hours a day doing their hair!

Besides just the hair, the clothes that people wear in this city are amazing. Even women in their 70s don’t leave the house without dressing to the nines—hair, makeup, and clothes alike. And women are not the only ones who dress well. Almost every man here must have had a personal shopper in their teens, because they dress better than any American guys I’ve seen (American guys: take a hint from the Europeans!) It’s as if babies in the womb are taught how to dress well! I always feel underdressed, but no worries: I’m learning by people watching.

So again, I can’t stress this enough: look around you during your commute. Don’t just hook yourself up to your iPod and nuzzle into your own world of newspapers and staring at the floor. Read the newspaper, but look around at the live fashion show; you never know what you might see. ¡Viva Madrid!