How to Dress Spanish In Spain (If You Are a Toddler)

On one hot spring day in Sevilla,  it was probably 82 degrees out, I was enjoying a cool beverage in the Alameda next to one of the playgrounds. There was a toddler wearing what looked like wool tights, a sweater, and a coverall type dress. Perfect for like, a rainy day in November that also was picture day at school, but this was June in southern Spain. The kid's face was all red and sweaty, and the mom called her over and said, "are you hot?" and I thought, okay the mom's gonna peel off a layer. Nope. The mom added a hat to the ensemble and sent her kid back out into the sun.*

I get it. I put my kid in a snowsuit if it's under 40 degrees outside, and I'm sure that would cause Minnesotans to give me the side eye. But seriously. I feel strongly that kids need to wear comfortable clothing and dry clean only doesn't say that to me.

Kids in Spain often dress like 1950s children. They look great but as a parent I just have zero desire to dress my kid like that. #1 it makes it hard to get messy and #2 I'm just not into clothes.

I do like the Spanish child clothing trend of the chanda, or sweat suit. We bought a few chandas for Don Loco last time we were in spain--the zip up sweat suit isn't popular in the US and yet it's so useful!

*I am convinced that feeling slightly too warm and a little sweaty is the coziest feeling in the world for Spaniards, based on being super-layered up as babies.

Just gonna throw in this photo of the beautiful Alameda. It has gentrified tremendously since I first visited

Don't forget the baby bonnet!'