September 23, 2011

Today's Everyday Fashion: Buongiorno from Milan

Dinner in Milan





































Next stop on our vacation: Milan! We spent two nights and approximately 1.5 days in Italy's fashion capital. The minute we stepped off the plane, I couldn't believe how hot it was!! I totally did not pack for weather that warm (eek). I was also in shock at how tall, tan and thin everyone was. One subway ride full of Milan women and I felt short, fat and pale (oh well). I was absolutely exhausted from traveling, so we did something different for sightseeing on our first day - we went for a run! It is one of my favorite ways to see a new city and it felt great to get some exercise (the one and only time I exercised on the trip despite bringing plenty of workout clothes, whoops). That night we treated ourselves to an authentic Italian meal and I wore the outfit above. The next day, we went sightseeing throughout Milan, the Duomo being the biggest and best stop on our tour (totally obsessed, and I loved walking on the roof). I originally planned my outfit with a trench coat but it was hot, and I was even a little overheated in the dress. I loved wearing my new gold boat shoes though! They are a great alternative to sneakers on a trip like this and proved to be incredibly comfortable. I did not shop in this city, but I did plenty of observing again. Here's what I learned about fashion in Milan:

- People are dressed to the nines in this city. They definitely care more about fashion and are "flashier" than people in Paris.
- The best comparison I can come up with for the US is that they dress kind of like Miami, very sexy and I saw a lot of fishnet shirts, lace tights, sundresses and sandals.
- White pants are a staple in this city. Everyone was wearing them, and it was well past Labor Day (a US holiday, but you catch my drift).
- If you are planning to visit a church (like Duomo) in Italy, make sure you are within dress code. Your skirt/shorts needs to be knee length, no v-necks or small straps. I totally forgot about this rule and they almost didn't let me in because of how short my pink dress was. In another city I brought a scarf in my purse to make my skirt longer when I entered churches. 

Dinner outfit
Shirt: J.Crew, $45
Skirt: J.Crew, $45
Belt: H&M, $20
Shoes: Michael Kors c/o Marshall's, $50 (style name: MK Plate Driver)
Purse: c/o It's in the Bag, $79
Earrings: c/o Pop of Chic, $12

The outfit I planned






































Sightseeing outfit
Dress: c/o Varga Store, $44
Necklace: My Stella & Dot website
Belt: Gap, $15
Shoes: White Mountain c/o Ross, $25
Trench coat: New York & Company, $50
Purse: c/o It's in the Bag, $79


The outfit I wore


In front of Duomo




































































On the roof of Duomo





































Inside Duomo

24 comments:

  1. I absolutely LOVE the blue shirt and orange skirt combo above.  I'm a total misfit at J Crew but I love the combo.  -Leah

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  2. Fab outfits--even thought you almost got kicked out of churches! LOL. What types of lodging did you stay in throughout your trip??

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  3. Love this outfit! We were in Rome visiting the Vatican in the middle of JULY and the dress code just about killed me. I was sweating to death; thankfully our hotel was close by so we could change after our tour!

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  4. I've been eying those gold Top Siders! I adore them with that dress.

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  5. Gee, If you felt short, pale and fat, then the women there must be supermodels! Thanks for sharing...your trip looks amazing!!

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  6. Cinnamon, that is actually my theory! Women in other cities in Italy weren't nearly as tall and thin as they were in Milan, so I'm guessing they were supermodels? It is where all the runway shows take place, so that just might by why! :-)

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  7. Katie, we also went to the Vatican (pics coming soon!) and it was about 95 degrees that day. SO hot, it was pretty miserable. :-( 

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  8. They check everyone's dress code as you enter the church, so not kicked out - just almost not let in. :-) We stayed in Marriotts for free the whole time thanks to rewards points. I'm planning to write a "how to save money on travel" post soon and will provide more details then! :-)

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  9. Wow, what a fun trip!!!  You look great in all your looks but I especially love how you wore the J Crew polka dot blouse in the first picture...totally cute!

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  10. Ohh I've never been to Milan but it's def on my list of places to visit! I love that navy/camel pairing in your first outfit and the pink dress and boat shoes is so cute! I too have a pair of gold boat shoes, but I've only worn them once because I can never figure out what to pair them with! 

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  11. I love these boat shoes...ive already begun looking for the same ones online BUT my only worry is are they appropriate for fall? and will i still love them by next spring! soo many questions! what do u plan on wearing them with for fall?

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  12. LOVE both outfits. Poka dots and pink. Perfect!

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  13. i am totally loving these posts! i especially love how you describe the trends and fashions in each city! :)  i've been planning a trip to europe and i love all this information! btw, i've been reading a lot about pick pocketing....did you think that was a big thing there? i'm so paranoid about what bag to bring and securing my things...

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  14. I was also in Milan this summer (second time hehe)... I love that city. It was also extremely hot and I felt like I was dying in my sundress! I didn't have any luck shopping because I was there during vacation time...over half the shops were closed!!! :'( However I love the Duomo, and Da Vinci's The Last Supper, and the people watching there and sipping a cappuccino and eating gelato. The trend I noticed was cowboy boots. I saw *tons* of girls wearing cowboy boots.

    Your outfits are so cute and I'm sure you fit right in!! 

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  15. your blue blouse is SO cute. i love how feminine it is! also the dress is amazing. i love it with the tan belt. those two colors are so perfect together!

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  16. Milan looks so beautiful, and your dress is adorable, even without the trench.

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  17. Erica, so glad you are enjoying the posts! In most of the cities there were signs warning you of pick pockets, but we never actually saw or experienced anything. I was worried about carrying around such a big handbag. i would get tired and not hold onto it very tightly when I walked, which is not the best idea. Cross-body bags are great, and for guys wearing their wallets in front pockets is key. I would also leave your passport and most of your money in your hotel safe whenever you can!

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  18. Sara, great questions! These were so inexpensive and I needed them for my trip so I really didn't plan that far ahead. I have two more outfits from my trip with them coming up, but I definitely plan to use them again at some point. Pretty easy for me since I live in Florida and it's warm year-round, but I'm thinking they will still be in style next spring too!

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  19. Love both of your looks so much! Light brown and camel looks amazing with navy and with pink too) Great outfits for sightseeing))

    http://tri-skelos.blogspot.com/

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  20. I love your sheer polka dot top and that dress! Ugh. Can I have your closet?

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  21. The inside part of Duomo is great and fantastic. thanks for sharing these awesome outfits with great scenes of Duomo.

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  22. Love the navy dinner in milan look. So polished and pretty

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  23. I just found the same ones in TJMaxx for $20. They are cute!

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