Is it Feria yet?

A few weeks ago, I was telling Kike that I wanted to buy a traditional gypsy flamenco dress for the Feria de Abril. But, given my body type and budget constraints, I didn’t know where to find one. He enlisted his friend Susana to help me, and she assured me that I’d have no trouble at all finding something.
Last night, she picked me up at 6pm and we drove just outside the city to a huge factory specializing in flamenco dresses. The wide space was crammed with dresses in every color, style, length, pattern and material imaginable, from traditional trajes, or one piece, to skirt and corset sets. Susana and I spent 20 minutes scouring the racks, not knowing my size. Like a good shopper, I picked out anything that I might remotely be interested in (thank you, Nancy Gaa) and soon both of our arms were piled with flamenco dresses. All of them were for me. I picked out a pink one-piece dress with white polka dots. Very traditional, yet stunning. For the first time ever in my life, something fit me so amazingly that I didn’t want to take it off. Nothing has to be done to the dress – it needn’t be taken in or out nor lengthened. I gasped when she zipped it up and I turned around.
Despite having a lot of body in many places, the dresses was snug around my butt, around my hips and around my chest. It actually made me look really thin and curvy. I was just about decided when she encouraged me to try on other skirts and dresses, but nothing fit me like the pink lunar (pink with white polka dots). The price tag, at 99E, was much more favorable to the 500E trajes I’ve seen elsewhere. Susana told them woman helping us to get me complementos to try on – big white hoop earrings, a white shawl, a pink and white flower for my hair. All together, I have to say I looked Spanish. And all Susana could say was, “Kike va a flipar cuando te vea” – Kike is going to go crazy when he sees you. He asked later about whether or not the trip was successful. I said yes, but you’ll have to wait until Feria to see me dressed up like a Sevillana. For now, I’m off to Cadiz for the Carnaval – a full week of drinking, singing, partying in the streets and fireworks.
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About Cat Gaa

As a beef-loving Chicago girl living amongst pigs, bullfighters, and a whole lotta canis, Cat Gaa writes about expat life in Seville, Spain. When not cavorting with adorable Spanish grandpas or struggling with Spanish prepositions, she works in higher education at an American university in Madrid and freelances with other publications, like Rough Guides and The Spain Scoop.

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