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How To Wear Denim, The Euro Way
A guide to wearing Levi's inspired by festival style at Primavera Sound in Barcelona, with styling tips and suggestions for baggy jeans, shorts, and capris.
In the pantheon of summer music events, the American-based festivals are often see-and-be-seen affairs (see: Coachella transmogrifying from a Cali-cool affair to an all-out outfit parade), while the Europeans still keep it low-key. At Primavera Sound in Barcelona — perhaps the most organized and highly anticipated festival of the circuit — there was an emphasis on comfort, with denim being the easiest way to turn a look while still withstanding 14-hour days on one’s feet. Enter Levi’s, the American brand Europeans can’t get enough of.
I joined Levi’s for the three-day festival, with the Spanish Powerpuff Girls Charli XCX (Buttercup), Sabrina Carpenter (Bubbles), and Chappell Roan (Blossom) headlining and hundreds more DJs and It girls in the making slated to perform. The brand had an entire plaza and warehouse onsite, where sexy Spanish girls and boys gathered for intimate sets — and gave this author a look at the jeans styles they’ll be hawking this summer.
Whereas other festivals can lead toward maximalism, the name of the game in Spain was to try as little as possible (or at least look like it). Baggy denim shorts were worn with black or white tanks with boxers peeking out. The hero denim capri was styled with simple boots or a statement sneaker, which were often the only pops of color I saw the whole weekend. As a very telling trend-centric moment, I spotted lots of studded belts, shoes, and bags, which provided gleam where the denim was matte.
For Troye Sivan’s last outfit change of the night during his and Charli XCX’s Sweat redux, he slipped into some custom Levi’s, paired with a graphic T-shirt and some Pumas for good measure. He fit right in with his stage dancers yet stood out with scarlet paneling. The stereotype of Euro men wearing spray-painted skinny jeans still exists in some corners of the continent (read: the U.K.), but the Spanish (and one sexy Kiwi) are all-in on puddling denim.
I gave it a go with some help from Levi’s in some summery essentials that slipped right into my wardrobe. The 478 Baggy Capris were an unexpected hit both at the Levi’s Plaza, and in my group chat where I vetted all my outfits before heading out for the night. I channeled every Spanish and French influencer on my “following” list and wore black sneakers and a graphic ringer T-shirt (this one a Spanish Zara collab with Guitarricadelafuente). By the second night, I realized how chilly it actually gets on the Spanish seaside; this was a secret blessing to wear jeans. The Levi’s 578 Baggy were right in line with what I needed: ankle-pooling, uniform washes, and a generous waist to allow for pizza-churro-beer-filled evenings. I wrapped a plaid shirt around my waist like it was 2012 and I was at a Lana Del Rey concert, but somehow it felt more Bottega Veneta-chic than Urban Outfitters.
There was one more combo I had to pull off before heading back to JFK, and that was flip-flops and denim. It’s something I’ve done as a child but considered beyond the pale since then, but seeing girls and gays don their Havaianas with street-filth-gathering jeans made me reconsider. I didn’t overthink it — an ethos I gravitated towards the whole weekend — and it was surprisingly comfortable, toe-freeing, and worked in proportion with a baby T-shirt and buggy sunnies.
When it comes to the clothes, simplicity is key — get freaky with accessories with denim acting as your blank slate.
