The hours that weren't spent relaxing at the beaches were spent walking around the Old Town of Lagos. Though we spent many of our vacations exploring various European Old Towns (Prague, Nice, Budapest, etc.), the city center of Lagos definitely had its own unique charm. Since Lagos is a small town with a population of 22,000, we came to the city center about twice a day for three days for brunch and dinner, so it is safe to say that we probably explored every nook and cranny. We spent the majority of our time there looking for souvenirs to bring home to our friends, family, and ourselves and as it turned out, Portugal is known for beautiful hand painted pottery pieces, Port wine, and canned sardines.
Mel: I found that I definitely have different styles during different seasons, with a more preppy look during Fall and Winter and a more relaxed, Southern California vibe going on during the warmer months. I was always torn between being preppy or being boho-chic in high school, and now I guess I figured out a way to work both in my wardrobe! The outfit I sported while exploring Old Town is definitely one of my quintessential summer vacation looks, with the high waisted ruched skirt and casual tee. The t-shirt is one of my favorite items loaned from my sister's closet (Shh.. I actually still haven't returned it yet) with the crewneck style and the bold "Ciao" lettering stamped across the front. I usually tuck the tee in with some high-waisted denim jeans and call it a day, but after being inspired by the charm of the Old Town, I opted for a dressier look with the button down skirt.
Jess: I don't think it really comes as a surprise that I like to shop for pieces that fit into the setting a place that I'm visiting, so I really pay extra attention when it comes to colors and details! I picked up this white midi dress a few months ago for my original trip to Puerto Rico, which I unfortunately (and fortunately) decided not to go to after all the disastrous hurricanes that affected it this past September. If you've been following along our travels, you know that I did end up replacing that trip with Hawaii, which was absolutely incredible, but that left me an extra outfit to play around with. This dress fits into the wardrobe that I had envisioned for Portugal, especially with the red trim detail and ruffled layers toward the bottom. It's the perfect vacation dress for exploring an old town like the one in Lagos. I decided to wear some comfy white sneakers for our day explorations, but could easily turn this into a date night dress with some killer heels.
Lunch Time
One of the best parts of traveling is getting to try the local cuisine, and Portugal was luckily one of the more affordable destinations for foodies like us (more so Jess, but Melissa is not picky and always goes with the flow). We visited Restaurante Dos Artistas one afternoon for lunch, which is a Michelin Guide restaurant that we found the night before on Trip Advisor. Not only did we have the back patio all to ourselves before the lunch crowd, but we were stuffed with 3 courses of delicious local dishes that were all served so beautifully. Because it's so expensive to eat at fancy restaurants back home in NYC, we try to take advantage of cheaper prices of food when we travel. Our 3-course Michelin meal cost less than 35 Euros, per person, which is a fraction of what our meal would have cost in New York. We highly recommend checking it out!
Outfit Details
Mel: Top - Madewell, Skirt - Madewell (sold out), Hat - Nordstrom (similar), Shoes - Tory Burch
Jess: Dress - Lulus, Shoes - Converse
