Being A Plus Size Individual In Spain

I have always been a bigger individual. However, being plus size in Spain has honestly been a struggle. I do not know what I would have done if my airline had lost my luggage because I don’t think I would have been able to find much to wear otherwise. However, the problem is not just with clothing, it’s with the design of the city itself. I would also like to clarify that this is not a Spain exclusive thing. Many of these problems I also have in the United States.

Of course when coming here I saved room in my suitcases for all of the clothes I was going to buy. I knew Spain was a bit more open minded than the US, so I assumed that I would have a few good clothing options to choose from, and oh boy, I was so wrong. I went shopping probably four or five different times, and the only thing I could find was a t-shirt and a one top. There were virtually no options for me to choose from. All of my friends found a bunch of cute options, and I was left with nothing. To be honest, it hurt a lot. I am a person who really likes clothes, especially skirts and dresses, and I really want a few new cute pieces. I’m happy that I ended up over packing a bit, so I wasn’t stuck wearing the same seven outfits, but I thought I would find something. It really makes me wonder how plus size people who live in Spain get by. What stores do they shop at? Do they shop at stores or solely online now?

Sadly, it doesn’t stop with the clothes. The very design of the city is also a problem for some plus size people. The seats on the bus are fairly small, so I either end up standing or being rude by placing my bag on the seat next to me. The last thing I want to do is be pressed against a random person in the Spanish heat. Furthermore, the seats that are single seats are relatively small too, so anyone bigger than me would struggle to fit on to the seat. However, the metro makes up for this a bit because they have benches rather than specific seats. Another difficult part of the city is the size of the chairs. Many restaurants opt for chairs with arms, especially in the outside terraces. 8/10 times the experience for me has been uncomfortable because I barely fit in the chair. There was one time where I didn’t fit in the chair at all. In the US armless chair are fairly common and allow for larger people like me to be comfortable during our meal.

Now, I wouldn’t say that these two things ruined my trip in any way. I am still having a great time, but it’s always something that is there in the back of my mind. It feels so hard to exist as a plus size person in the world, and I really wish more places in the world would think about their choices when designing clothes and seating spaces. It wouldn’t be that hard to try and accommodate your larger guests as well. While the US isn’t great, many places are taking steps in the correct direction, and I think that Spain could follow suit.