Hitting the news yesterday was the story about Tesco introducing a shoppers dress code in a supermarket near Cardiff. Apparently it has become the trend to wear pyjamas -outdoors- during the day! Living in Spain we have missed out (if that’s the right term!) on this development. But it did bring to mind the subject of appropriate holiday clothing.
If you visit popular Costa resorts it is quite usual to see women in bikinis and blokes in swimshorts sat at bars and browsing the open-front gift shops on the promenade. What about food shops and supermarkets then on the beachfront? Where do you draw the line? Should people cover up? I’ve certainly been in supermarkets several streets back from the beach and seen women tourists shopping in skimpy bikini tops. In the popular coastal resorts you could argue that the supermarkets exist for the tourists and half-naked shoppers en route to, or returning from the beach are to be expected.
In the rural parts of Spain it is different. Around here, for example, it is a relatively new phenomenon to have foreign tourists. And we are 30 minutes inland from the sea – so the locals are simply not accustomed to seeing scantily clad holidaymakers. The older generation in particular can be offended by it. Last summer we heard that a group of male English tourists were shopping in our local supermarket without t-shirts. The local shoppers complained and security asked them to leave. The guys were pretty amazed at the reaction and remarked that back home no-one would mind, also that they had been in supermarkets eleswhere in Spain without t-shirts and no one had complained. That’s the point though isn’t it? They weren’t at home. They were guests in another country. And they weren’t in Benidorm they were in a rural “non-touristy” area.
It’s a matter of being perceptive to where you are and respecting the local culture. Look around you and observe what is regarded as normal and acceptable.
So, if you don’t want adverse reaction my advice is to just tame down the holiday attire a tad when you are visiting rural towns. Blokes should avoid the bare belly look -whether it is a 6 pack or a beer belly it won’t go down well! And women should avoid bikinis or very revealing tops. A small light cardigan or shawl that will fold up small and fit in your handbag is useful quick cover-up when needed, especially if you plan to visit churches or official buildings. Smart shorts of a decent length should be ok for both sexes. But, be aware that even shorts can look out of place if it is early season and few tourists are around. The Spanish don’t start wearing shorts until the last week of June when summer “officially” starts – no matter how hot it is!
To return to the Tesco story. I’m quite relieved that this shop made a stand. I hope others follow suit and I do wonder, now that the issue has been raised, whether they will next decide to ban the bare-bellied shoppers! What are your thoughts?