Ciao Ciao- a phrase I picked up meaning “bye bye” that the locals were throwing around. Obviously, ciao ciao is now my preferred way to say goodbye. After ten very inspiring days in Italy, I am back stateside, presenting you with my Italian closet (suitcase) diary!
I am breaking this up into a 3 part series. Kicking off with ~
MilanO:
Fresh off the long ass flight! I am someone who *needs* to dress up a little on flights. It’s nice to land and feel somewhat presentable. A travel hack I always use is slathering the Summer Fridays jet lag mask on the plane, so I will credit my non dehydrated skin to that! + Eye drops. I may be addicted to them.
A very femme trash can at the airport. Aesthetics off to a great start.
Our first day there was a “scratch day”. We like to pencil in a dead day for us to adjust to the time change. Life is hard in your thirties! We picked up some groceries from a supermarket and a bottle of wine and enjoyed our space. A very chill night in. This green lettuce is my favorite- most European cities have it, it’s smooth and buttery with a little kick.
Day 1:
A little background on this top before you judge me for wearing a Hawaiian shirt around Milan…LOL. (also, side note- I grew up on AOL and “lol” is a staple in my vocabulary and prominent in my writing style. Just picture me laughing out loud and it won’t read so…you know.) Okay, back to the shirt in question. I will keep it short for now, but Miu Miu SS2003 has become a part of my personality. I even have the plastic necklace that resembles a leis. More on this in another post, perhaps?
^ I mean…
Some city snaps ✨
A very clean, quiet (super quiet) city with such a sweet color palette.
Our first *full* day I was on a hell bent mission to get over to Shop The Story before the store closed for the rest of the summer. A true playground for a gal like I. As luck would have it, I was there the last day of the store being open. And it did. not. disappoint! I tried on a good selection of vintage Prada and Miu Miu while there, touched everything, saw things I had never seen before and items I have been eyeing on second hand online spots. To say I was a kid in a candy store is an understatement. The store owner, Alessia, was so kind and even let me play in the back where she keeps her extra stock.
I had my eye on this Miu Miu top, but in the end I did not end up buying anything. If you visit Milan please go see Alessia and visit her super chic store!
After a manic high of trying on the dreamiest pieces- we had aperitivo at Bar Basso! Our first of many… I had a fresh strawberry juice + champagne and Eric had their signature cocktail. Did I mention aperitivo comes with *free* snacks!?
& it wouldn’t be a documented trip to Italy if I didn’t share some food pics! I had marinara pizza & ! pasta. For dessert, raspberry gelato. (I am vegan!)
Day 2:
Fondazione Prada!! Eric made sure we hit the two Prada things early on, it was causing him stress thinking about the store or museum being closed for the summer. I did spend months showing him photos and talking about them both so the stress may have been induced by my stress lol…
Where the magic happens…(The Prada runway shows)
Some LB and a room that looked very Loewe-esque!
I could die in this place- honestly. Once I find a European city to settle down in, here is some insight on how our humble abode will look…
We stayed in Navigli, along the canals. For dinner we had ramen at Tenoha Ramen Club, vibes were great. My vegan dish looks really gross, I know, but it was super delicious, scouts honor! For our night cap we landed at a local bar next to our air bnb, Iter - easily one of my favorite spots! Super sexy indeed.
Day 3:
To my delight, Navigli has a flea market along their canals every last Sunday of the month that we just so happened to be there for. It was really busy and crowded, but manageable. I am someone who avoids highly populated areas, it’s usually too stressful for me. But I will say, Italians have more awareness of their space than Americans and it was not so bad. I picked up two night gowns & a vintage coin purse! More on that later…
Okay- I lied. There was one more Prada spot on my list. The OG Prada store in the city center.
^ FW2025 shoes I have my heart set on. Me on the Prada couch…Just makes sense, doesn’t it? And! A very inspiring combo of sequins and a (faux?) fur stole.
Virgin Suicides script and drawings at Milan Osservatorio. It’s free admission if you have your Fondazione Prada ticket & next door to the iconic Marchesi 1824 cafe!
A quick walk by of the duomo (We did this every day- it’s quite breathtaking IRL.) Some street art, and an apartment building dripping in greenery. One thing about Milan that is prevalent is how much graffiti is all over the city. It’s strange, it somehow doesn’t take away from the cleanliness and charm of the city (IMO.) Maybe because there is a juxtaposition of so many trees, parks, and greenery. The city feels very fresh.
A very American sized aperitivo along side a hugo spritz. Ending our night with pasta and risotto at our neighborhood restaurant. It might be more interesting to showcase Eric’s meals, as I am realizing all I ate was red sauce pasta and marinara pizza lol…
That’s it for Milano!
Curated Shopping links here
CIAO CIAO!
xJ
the shoes in the first pic!! everything
Omg every bit of this…Shop the Story! Those flea market hair clips! The stole and sequins!!!! Take me next time