Warning: The following post is loaded with vacation pics! We’re fresh off our spring break trip to Italy and I’m finally catching my breath enough to write a post about it.
I promised to give you a few style (and footwear) pointers from our experience, which I’ll get to later, but first up some pics from our time there!
Two years ago, we explored Rome and the Amalfi Coast so this time we headed north to Florence and Tuscany. It was an eight day whirlwind but we saw and did A LOT. We explored as many of the Tuscan hill towns as we could fit into our schedule – including Siena, Pienza, Montepulciano, Pisa, Lucca and San Gimignano plus a few others that I’m probably forgetting. We stayed in the Chianti region so did tons of exploring around there too.
First stop Florence!
Moving on to Siena where we caught the last day of a chocolate market with artisans from all over Italy. Serendipitous indeed!
We ate gelato everywhere, lots and lots of gelato!
Decisions, decisions…
A sunny day in picture perfect San Gimignano.
Silly girls at the train station.
The highlight of our trip – a perfect day in Cinque Terre. The sunset at Riomaggiore was magical!
Our last night we had a wine tasting and pasta making class in a castle built in the year 1084. The family who built the castle had their coat of arms above the door created by Donatello. I’m a total art history nerd so this was the highlight of my night.
A beautiful day for dining al fresco in Lucca.
Stopped by Pisa, got the pic!
Now onto the style!
I’ve been asked for my packing list quite a few times which to be totally honest consisted of five pairs of jeans, tops for layering, three jackets and two scarves. Not all that interesting but totally functional! It didn’t really matter because my jacket kept my outfits covered most days.
The most asked question I got was,
What shoes did you wear in Italy?
I honestly wasn’t quite sure what I was going to wear beforehand. I took a pair of ankle boots, three pairs of sneakers and a pair of riding boots. The ankle boots never came out of the suitcase but I did wear the heck out of the sneakers and riding boots.
Best Shoes for Italy Trip
My New Balance sneakers were my go-to on days with lots of walking. I wore them with no-show socks.
My Dr. Scholl’s slip on sneakers aren’t quite as comfy so they weren’t my first choice for lots of walking. But they did work well with a pair of sock liners.
My riding boots were my first choice when we weren’t doing a lot of walking and I wanted to dress a little nicer. My exact boots are a few years old and sold out but these are similar pairs.
In case you’re wondering if I was the only American tourist running around Italy in sneakers, the answer is a resounding NO. ALL of the locals wore sneakers so I felt right at home. I took these snaps of some of the shops in Lucca to show you just how prolific sneakers are in Italian fashion for both men and women this spring.
Are you on the sneaker bandwagon yet? If so and you want to pair your sneakers up with cute spring outfits, then join me for the Style Challenges Spring 2018 Capsule Wardrobe! You’ll get your shopping list of spring basics and trends plus 31 days of mix and match outfit ideas – including a few cute sneaker looks. Learn more and sign up HERE.
I FEEL PRETTY
It’s the day of the week at GYPO where we celebrate what makes us feel pretty. Whether it’s a new outfit, hairstyle, or makeup, the I Feel Pretty link up is about anything and everything that makes your life prettier. Even if you’re not a blogger, you can still play along. Just tell me what made you feel pretty this week in the comments.
