Sevilla Shopping Tips by fairy_dust

Trajes Flamenca Raquel: Shopping for a flamenco outfit

Since I was in town during the April Fair, I wanted to go all-out and wear a flamenco outfit for the week like most of the local women. I shopped around different stores but since I don't have the same body shape as most Spanish women, many dresses either didn't fit well or were too expensive. But then at Trajes Flamenca Raquel, I tried on a dress on a whim, not really expecting anything to come of it, and it fit so well that all the staff started gushing over it! This was the first dress that wasn't too short, tight, or way out of my budget. So I bought it, along with a fringed shawl, earings, peineta (big comb) and flower for my hair.

What to buy: Flamenco dresses, shawls, hair ornaments, jewelry, etc.

What to pay: The dress I bought was around 480 Euros. The shawl was 40, and the other things ranged in price from 15-30 Euros each.

Theme: Women's Clothes

Micaela Villa: Flamenco dresses

There are many boutiques in Seville where you can buy a flamenco dress, especially in the Barrio Santa Cruz. Micaela Villa is one of them, and I noticed it's cheaper than many other flamenco dress shops. I had already bought a dress for 480 Euros, but here, I bought a second outfit for much cheaper - skirt for 80 Euros and blouse for 40 Euros. And when I bought my outfit, they also gave me a free flower (hair ornament)!

What to buy: Flamenco dresses/outfits, accessories (shawls, combs, flowers, jewelry), etc.

What to pay: Most of the dresses were around 200-300 Euros. Skirts were around 80 Euros. Blouses around 40 Euros.

Directions: One of the streets leading into/out of the Plaza de la Encarnacion.

Theme: Women's Clothes

Juan Foronda: Lace and other pretty things

There are several Juan Foronda boutiques in Seville, mostly in the Barrio Santa Cruz and in the Calle Sierpes area (the shopping district). They sell lace, embroidered shawls, gold and silver jewelry, and more expensive souvenirs. So if you want something classy that you won't find in most gift shops, these boutiques are the place to find it.

What to buy: In one boutique, I bought a black lace shawl, and in another, I bought a pair of earings from Toledo and a cute t-shirt with rhinestones spelling out "Sevilla".

What to pay: The lace shawl cost around 70 Euros, but I can't remember how much the earings and shirt cost... But in most of these boutiques, the prices are higher than in most gift shops.

Theme: Local Craft

Vodafone, Movistar, Orange: Buying a cell phone

If you're a student, working in Seville, and/or staying for longer than 2 weeks, it's worth it to get a cell phone (in Spain, they call it a "movil" - mobile phone). I stayed for 2.5 months and got a cell phone in my second week, and it's the best thing I did for my social life. It was much easier to meet up with friends, make plans, etc (no need to wait for emails or hike out to a phone booth). There are 3 major phone companies - Vodafone, Movistar, and Orange - and they have stores all over town. You can also buy a mobile at Fnac - electronics store (it has pretty much the same options as the phone stores).

What to buy: I got my movil from Vodafone and it was a "package deal" - phone and simcard together.

What to pay: I paid around 70 Euros in total for mine, but some options are as cheap as 30 Euros.

Directions: The phone stores are all over town, there's one on pretty much every street.

Theme: Other

Fnac: Spain's version of Futureshop

Fnac is a big store that sells mostly electronics, but also music, dvds, and books. It's 3 or 4 floors high, very modern, and usually quite busy.

What to buy: I bought some cds there, also a new digital camera after mine got stolen. Aside from that, there are also cell phones, computers, camcorders, etc.

What to pay: I paid 99 Euros for the camera and between 16-20 Euros each for the cds.

Address: Avenida de la Constitucion

Directions: Close to the Cathedral

Theme: Music

Calle Sierpes

Along Calle Sierpes and the other streets nearby, there are a lot of clothing stores. I did some shopping and browsing at Zara, Mango, H&M, etc, and lots of shoe stores too. Most of the shops have clothes for young adults (especially girls/women).

What to buy: Clothes for girls/women, shoes, accessories, etc.

Theme: Women's Clothes

Shoe stores

There are shoe stores on pretty much every street in Seville. So if you want to buy new shoes, shop around and compare prices. But be aware that not all stores have every size and the cheap shoes will likely fall apart after a few weeks.

What to buy: I bought a cheap pair of leather flats in one of the Asian-run clothing stores, a pair of cute wedge shoes at Pasarella, and dressy beaded heels at a clothing store on Calle Sierpes (can't remember which one).

What to pay: From 5 Euros to over 100.

Theme: Shoes

Menkes: Put on your dancing shoes...

If you're a dancer and in need of dance shoes, dancewear, etc, there is a shop in downtown Seville called Menkes where you can find your supplies. Mostly flamenco, but also ballroom, ballet, etc.

What to buy: Dance clothes and shoes, especially flamenco - pretty much every style of flamenco shoe is available here, as well as skirts. There are also shoes for ballet, ballroom, etc.

What to pay: I paid around 85 Euros for a pair of semi-professional flamenco shoes. If you're a student at Taller Flamenco, you can get a discount if you show your student card.

Address: Calle Cuna

Theme: Other

The Asian stores

There are lots of little stores all over Seville where you can buy cheap clothes and goods. Most are run by Asian immigrants, so many of us referred to them as "the Asian stores". Though the stuff they sell isn't usually top quality, it's still nice to shop there if you're on a budget.

What to buy: I bought a dress for less than 20 Euros, a skirt for about 5, a fringed shawl for 5, a flower for my hair for 1, shoes for about 5, etc.

What to pay: Way cheaper than in other stores around town. Mostly in the 1-20 Euros range depending on the item.

Directions: There is at least one on pretty much every street in Seville.

Theme: Discount Store

El Corte Ingles: Big department store

El Corte Ingles is a huge department store where you can find pretty much anything you want. There are two locations in Seville - downtown, and in the Nervion district. One thing I find special about it (though the locals probably see it as normal!) is that for the few weeks before the April Fair, there are sections of the store specifically for feria stuff - dresses, hair ornaments, shawls, jewelry, etc.

What to buy: clothes, shoes, accessories, beauty products, souvenirs, electronics, appliances, house stuff, food, etc.

Directions: The location downtown is in 3 buildings surrounding the same plaza.

Theme: Department Store