Dressed for a Day in Siena

After three days in Venice (and an afternoon/evening in Padua), M. and I took a train - well, 3 actually - to Siena.  I desperately wanted to make it to Siena on this trip, so I twisted M's arm until he agreed to add two extra days and this city to our planned honeymoon itinerary.  We only had 24 hours in Siena, and that was enough to hit the major sights of the city without being rushed or stressed.  If we'd had a second day, I would have enjoyed going to Catherine of Siena's house and to a monastery a few kilometers away from the city.  I dressed to stay cool and comfy.  I also knew I'd need to wear comfy shoes to climb the 400+ steps to the top of the Torre del Mangia.¹

1. Dress - Signature by Robbie Bee (remixed), Sandals - Steve Madden (remixed), Scarf as Belt - from a discarded top (H&M), Purse - Nine West (remixed), Sunglasses - Oscar de la Renta (remixed), Earrings - Target (remixed)

After I climbed this bad boy, I also had a lovely sheen to add to my list of accessories.

We didn't get many photos of the two of us together on this trip, but we did get a couple of self-portraits with my older point and shoot camera.  This one from the top of the tower was one of my favorites.

One thing that I noticed on this trip was that most (female) tourists of all ages and nationalities were not wearing sneakers.  Most were wearing strappy sandals, often of the gladiator variety.  I was wondering if we are in a post-stereotypical-tourist-attire world until I glanced at the men - my husband included.  Of course, I generalize a bit, but Germans, Italians, Kiwis, and Americans were all wearing rompers, harem pants, jersey dresses, and gladiator sandals.  I'm wondering if the arrival of stores, such as H&M and Zara in the US, over the past few years, as well as the kind of trends that are currently in fashion, have blurred the boundaries between so-called national styles.  

For those of you international readers, do you notice a strong stylistic divide between Americans and Europeans or Australians?  For those of you who've traveled abroad recently, do you agree with my impressionistic assessment?  Why or why not?

Oh, and I did also see some stylish ladies rocking the summer boot look in spite of temps in the 90s.  Have you rocked the summer boot lately?  Don't forget about our CFP!