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So you want to go Feria de Abril? Great idea, it is the best festival of Seville! Let’s break down our top tips on how to dress for the Feria so you won’t look like a tourist. It’s best that you experience the Feria like a local every day of the festival with style tips and insights of locals!
Spring has finally sprung. Here in Seville that means two things: girls are going to start to wear beautiful summer clothes and the Feria de Abril, or the April fair of Seville, is coming! That is why today we are going to cover the 5 things you have to know when getting dressed for the Feria.
There’s something magical about the spring. Everything becomes so intense, lively. It is magical. That’s the reason the people of Seville have their most important festivals in here. Everything is blooming, including your style at the party of the April Fair.
What is the Feria?
The Feria is a special event for the families of Seville. It’s about the people you love. It’s about reconnecting with family. It’s about the kids. It’s about celebrating our way of life. It’s about dancing and flirting with hot chickas. It’s about having fun while eating and drinking in the casetas. Historically it also has been the place where people show their wealth and be fancy. Some people have a special set of clothes, just for the Feria. You don’t want to miss out by looking like a tourist.
Een bericht gedeeld door ｕｎａｒｍａｒｉｏｄｅｃｏｌｏｒｅｓ (@unarmariodecolores) op 1 Apr 2017 om 12:42 PDT
A lot of people of Seville wait all year for Feria. So they can wear their finest clothes and show off a little bit. Here you have 2 options: you can either go with a suit, or a traditional traje de corto.
Een bericht dat is gedeeld door @flamencasconarte op 7 Okt 2015 om 5:02 PDT
If you don’t plan on coming here multiple times, you might not wear a traditional Andalucian suit when you return home. In that case you might go for a modern business suit. I am not an expert on style, I just want to help you discover the real Seville. There are a lot of style gurus out there who tell you have to pick out the best one for you.
If you decide to wear a traje de corto, you have to know that these suits are only for horsemen. You are going to look a bit silly without the horse. It’s like being dressed as a knight at the premiere of Star Wars…?
When it comes to colour of your suit, you should ask yourself: “Would a stereotypical American tourist wear this?” If the answer is “Yes.”, then it is perfect. If not, try something with more colour or something powerful. The Feria is the place to dress extra nice, with strong colors. You want something that says: “The winter is done. Summer is coming!” Something with strong colors are colors like red, green and marine blue. You can go with a light blue shirt with a blue blazer and khakis. Something less serious, like pink shirt with green blazer and red pants.
Just don’t go overboard with this. It’s not because your ‘inner American tourist’ would this that you have to. Don’t be too crazy and leave the really bright, flashy colors to the women.
The Sevillianos go home during the feria to change their clothes. They have a day and a night outfit. Depending on the time of day be doing something else depending. If it is day outside, you are going to walk around. Go see things. Go to the Calle del Infierno. Here you want to go for comfort. Wear something that is light and breathable - you don’t want to end up in a hospital with a heatstroke. “Light fabrics and white colors”. Those are the magic words.
When the night falls, you will see other types of outfits. The Sevillianos will have changed in a more traditional outfits. At this time you see more people walk in castellanos - This shoe right here - and less people in comfortable shoes. Which is weird, because at night people return to their casetas to dance, drink and eat.
If you want to add a little more personality to your outfit, there’s a couple of things you can wear.
Especially during the day, I would highly recommend un sombrero. Not the hat you see Mexican people wear in old Western movies, a Mariachi hat but un sombrero sevillano like this one. It protects your face and ears from the sun. Though it is very typical and traditional, it still looks stylish as hell. There is no better accessory to the Feria than a hat.
Depending on which pants you are going to wear, you should go with a belt. Don’t go with a leather belt, because that is going to get sweaty. Either go for a fabric belt or for a traditional belt. Though the traditional belts are often handcrafted with cow leather, they don’t fit every pants because of their width. That doesn’t stop them from being beautiful.
As I said earlier, the Feria is about being noticed. This is why your entrance is very important. If you have the money to spend, you should go for the last accessory on our list. A horse. Yes, a horse. Since the beginning of the Feria, the most prominent families have arrived on horseback or in carriages. The impact is of arriving like this is so big that this is where the king of the Netherlands, King Willem-Alexander, met his wife Máxima here.
Never underestimate the impact of a great first impression!
All right, gentleman. Here’s the deal: the feria is finally upon us. It is an event that many people look forward to. Now you know what you have to wear with these our style tips. Let us know on social media with #ATDferia.
If you want to learn more about the feria, we have a Feria tour where a guide will bring you to the feria grounds and tell you all about it. Though we recommend first getting a feel for the city with our daily bike tour before diving in the Feria madness.