April 14, 2011

glamorous

Piazza del Popolo, Rome
looped
Piazza del Popolo, Rome
striped
Piazza del Popolo, Rome
striped & dotted
Piazza del Popolo, Rome
earrings - Topshop / jersey blazer - Anthropologie / black scoopneck tee - UO / belt - vintage, thrifted / wood & brass bangle - vintage, thrifted / striped maxi skirt - H&M / sheer polka-dotted tights - Target / brogues - Primark

I've been dying to debut this awesome skirt on the blog! This is what I wore out last weekend for an unexpected and utterly delightful dinner out with some friends from college (and my first experience with the real-world utility of Twitter). Sartorially, I haven't found much common ground with the Italians during our stay - I love the Roman look, but super-long hair, black-on-black, and sky-high heels aren't generally big players in my personal style these days. However, for a night out in Pigneto ('the Williamsburg of Rome'), I decided to keep my colors in check and let some patterns do the work. I loved the low-key elegance of long earrings and a long skirt, and was mistaken for an actual Italian more times in a few hours than I have the entire trip.

We're on the move once again tomorrow - to an apartment with no internet, quelle horreure! I've got plenty of posts lined up for the next few days, both some outfit posts from our current home (for those who don't follow me on Twitter, we've been in Florence!) and a little photo-tutorial on my Heidi braid cheater method. I'll be back to answering emails and comments at my usual pace (i.e. glacial) on Tuesday, and will posting photos from our next two (faaaabulous) destinations all next week!
//

15 comments:

Chaucee said...

love this look! the skirt is awesome.

Jill said...

That's a fun pattern on the skirt.

Curious about how you've gone about arranging your apartments while traveling. Was the work done for you or did you book them all ahead? My boyfriend and I will be traveling central Europe this summer and I want to try to mix in some apartments to our accommodations. I've looked into Airbnb.com but wondering if you have any other suggestions?

Thanks!

emily said...

Thanks! It was definitely a perfect going-out piece - it made me feel so much cooler than I actually am. :)

emily said...

Thanks Jill!

We have done all the apartment booking ourselves, and actually all through Airbnb! At this point we've stayed in twelve apartments that we've booked through them and have not had a bad experience yet.

We have generally followed a few common sense rules when picking out our places: we only book places that have both photos and reviews from previous visitors, and if anything is unclear in descriptions or photos, we ask questions before booking. A lot of people list lower rates if you book for longer stays, but if they don't mention it, always ask if you can get a discount for a weekly or monthly rate - most people will say yes. The big things we keep an eye out for when scanning listings are price, location (close to public transportation is a must, being central is not always as important), and amenities, which for us mostly means internet and a decent kitchen. A washing machine is a nice plus if you're traveling for longer, but double check with the host that it works before you book.

So far we've had good luck getting the places we wanted, but places are definitely booking up a lot faster now that it's getting closer to summer, so try to make your plans as early as possible. We wrote up a little intro paragraph about ourselves to send to potential hosts, which I think is a nice gesture and helps personalize your interaction up front. This is probably most important when you're first starting out, less so once you've gotten a few reviews.

There's another similar site called IStopOver.com, which we looked into a little before the trip but never ended up using. I definitely recommend the apartment-stay method of travel though - it's almost always cheaper than hotels or private rooms in hostels, you'll save a lot of money by preparing your own food, and your hosts can offer you tons of help with maps, restaurant/sightseeing recommendations, public transport, you name it - we've even been taken out to dinner a few times.

Good luck planning your trip! Whereabouts are you guys going to be traveling?

Emily said...

I'm not normally a fan of maxi skirts but this look is so great. The pattern is amazing!

Kara @ Unusual Form said...

Oooh! I love this skirt. The whole look is very sophisticated.

prettylittlemountains said...

Love the skirt! This is a great outfit. The earrings are gorgeous, too. I am beyond jealous of you right now, I would die to be in Florence. So lucky. I am very excited to see your braid tutorial.

Pretty Little Mountains

dotty said...

the stripes of your skirt are so good! and with oxfords? extra goodness!

Amelia said...

oh those earrings are beautiful! glamorous for sure ;)

dixie said...

i can't decide what is more badass, that skirt or those earrings?

Jessica Bruner said...

I really like the mix of the veritcal and diagonal stripes on the skirt.

Jill said...

Thanks for the info, Emily. We'll be starting out in Vienna, visiting Slovenia, and I think flying out from Budapest. For some of the cities we'll be staying in the apartment options do not have reviews. I don't know what to think about that... but I'm really excited to have a kitchen to bring fresh produce home to, and not have to use the nasty kitchenettes in hostels!

Archives said...

yeah i dont really peg you for the black on black and high heels type, but i love your glamed out version! espesh those earrings - love the shape!

amanda said...

would you be offended if i hopped a plane, flew halfway around the world, merely to steal that skirt from you??? no? awesome.
i love it! and i love the brown and gold with it. my favorite color combo of all time!
and the heidi braid cheater method is brilliant. :)

emily said...

Thanks! I am definitely a sucker for a dizzying print. :)

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