I've been lucky enough to have spent much of the summer in Spain. While I was there, I took notes on what everyone around me was wearing. Cities in Spain aren't considered fashion capitals, and they don't have flashy fashion weeks. But I think a lot of the women in Spain dress with an effortless ease that's hard to replicate. It's less buttoned-up than Paris, less eclectic than New York, and not as loud as Milan. It's sexy and subtle, though, which is exactly what I want to look like every summer. It is always said that the Spanish work to live, and I think you can see that ethos in the way they outfit themselves. There's a vivacious practicality to it.
One thing I immediately noticed this summer was that all the women in Barcelona, Madrid, and the south of Spain were wearing studded tops. I'd assume the trend started with the Spanish brand Gimaguas's studded bandana top, which sold out so quickly. The brand even made Rosalía a custom one in red to wear in the music video for her song "Omega."
A model wearing a Gimaguas studded bandana top
It's the kind of top that, to me, encapsulates everything I like about Spanish style. It feels as fun as the people and has a little bit of quirk and texture without much complication. You can wear it with a bikini underneath and a simple pair of running shorts or with a long silk skirt. It has the kind of versatility that's essential to Spanish dressing. You can drink a tinto de verano in this top just as easily as you could take a siesta in it. This is a true going-out top. You can do anything in it.
A custom studded Gimaguas top made for Rosalía
Rosalía wearing a custom studded Gimaguas top
Every store—whether it was Mango, Zara, Gimaguas, or a local boutique—had some iteration of this top in stock, and I was seeing women buying multiples in different colorways. I snatched up my first at the Gimaguas shop in Barcelona. It is a black halter with small circular and star-shaped studs speckled throughout the top that also exposes my midriff and a sliver of chest. It is perfect, but I couldn't imagine really needing it in other colors.
Then I walked into Mango the very next day and immediately gravitated toward a similar top in gray. I didn't even realize it until I fell in love with it in the mirror and then connected the dots, yet I decided to walk out of the store with it. Realistically, that's what the Spanish women around me would have done. When you find a top that simple that works for everything, it's just what has to be done. You'll be catching me wearing them all year.
Shop the studded-grommet-top trend below.
