While we do enjoy waking up at 7am and getting the most of our daylight hours on vacations to see the sights, we usually keep 1-2 days relatively relaxed to have a nice long breakfast at a local cafe and do a little bit of shopping. After a tiring day trip to Sintra, we spent our 3rd day in LIsbon having a full-out girls' day, starting off with a yummy brunch at Confeitaria Nacional, and strolling down Av. da Liberdade to browse a couple of designer stores. We ended our day stuffing our faces with the most delicious nata pastries at Pasteis de Belém after visiting Belem Tower.
Without a doubt, the most exciting part of the day was buying our designer bags together, since we held off on any big purchases during our Euro trip last year and while we were in Japan this past May. When it comes to investing in luxury items, handbags are both of our weaknesses, and in the past several years we stopped buying mid-end purses altogether in order to save up for a designer piece we love. We probably spent 4+ hours shuffling between Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Prada and Celine, examining our options (and there were many!) before ultimately choosing two crossbodys from Prada (for Jess) and Celine (for Mel). Not only were we excited to add the bags to our existing collection, but this was also our first time buying a luxury item with each other and being together definitely added to the exhilaration.
Mel: Gingham was definitely one of the "it" patterns this summer from being printed on 70s style flared pants, mini skirts, or dresses - it was popping up in nearly every store and rocked by bloggers all around the world. Though I boycotted this checkered print for the majority of the summer, I eventually gave in when I snagged this dress and got a sweet deal during Bloomingdale's Friends & Family sale. (Yes, the majority of our outfits during this trip was purchased from Bloomies - we can never seem to pass up a good sale!). Since Autumn was already underway by the time I had the opportunity to wear the dress, I draped a denim jacket and threw on the oh so very trendy fisherman hat and some black booties to make this dress more Fall appropriate. Since the dress was a bit loose and bag around the stomach area, I added my trusty old cognac belt from Banana Republic to give the ensemble a little more shape. Turned out not only was this outfit very comfortable to walk around in, but it also played a good neutral base when it came to shopping around for the handbags.
Jess: When I shop, I like to buy a variety of statement items and practical, versatile pieces. These corduroy overalls caught my attention pretty quickly when I did a quick filter of overalls on Lulus.com. I love how many different ways I can style it, like layer a lighter lace blouse underneath just like I did for this look. For cooler Fall weather, I would layer a thin, long-sleeve sweater underneath, or throw on a long duster on top for some extra warmth. I have worn these overalls with many different pairs of shoes, and found it pretty easy to style with heels, flats and sneakers. Rest assured, I'll be putting it to good use in the coming months.
Outfit Details Jess: Blouse - Zara, Overalls - Lulu's (sold out-similar), Shoes - TopShop
Mel: Denim Jacket - LOFT, Dress - Bloomingdale's (similar), Hat - Nordstrom Rack
