PACKING FOR PORTUGAL: DRAMATIC DRESSES AND PALATIAL PANTS

Many of you have asked for tips on how to pack for trips like Portugal, where you’re just as likely to chill at a sidewalk cafe or coastal beach as you are to wander around a centuries’ old palace amidst narrow, winding cobblestone lanes… Sharing some tips on where to shop all the outfit styles I wore on this trip (lots of flowy dresses + wide leg pants!), along with links to some of my current favorite finds to inspire your next vacation wardrobe refresh below!

Strawberry Lemonade in Lisbon [Ulla Johnson: dress comes in multiple color options; shop below]

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My husband has been going on and on about how amazing Portugal is since we got married, and kept telling me we had to go! I’ve been wanting to travel to Portugal and Morocco for years, but I have one tiny problem… Have you heard of Stockholm Syndrome? Well, I have Paris Syndrome! While I love traveling to new places and experiencing new cultures, I have a really bad little habit of retreating to Paris EVERY. SINGLE. CHANCE. I. GET. 😀 The moment we plan any trip to Europe, I’m immediately looking for options to connect through Paris or do a side trip (if not change all our plans and make the entire trip revolve around the magical city of lights hehe)! Can you relate??

Well, we finally booked a last-minute trip to Portugal a couple of weeks ago and I could not believe how incredible this country was! From the moment we arrived and left the airport, driving past all the beautiful tiled buildings on our way to our AirBnB in Alfama (the historic city center) to the day we left, eating our last Pastel de Nata on the way back home, I could not get over the beauty, magic and charm of Portugal! For anyone thinking of going there – don’t hesitate. We were there for just under 2 weeks and I wish we had stayed a month!

Now I’ve gotten a lot of questions on what to pack for these types of trips and where to buy my dresses and wide-leg pants! Portugal feels like something in-between a cool cobblestoned European city and Morocco or South America… The sidewalks and streets are VERY narrow and hilly in the cities, so you’ll need to start by packing flats (or really comfortable low heel wedges)… the flowy, floor-length maxis and caftans may not work so well in Lisbon or Porto, but you should be able to wear those on the coast or when visiting a pretty palace 🙂 It’s also SUPER hot in summer, and only a handful of places have A/C – so pack breathable, airy fabrics! I wanted to live in my silky wide-leg pants and sheer, flowy dresses with slits while we were there 🙂 When it comes to pants, I say the wider the better! Don’t be afraid of palazzo pants – the extra volume adds so much drama to your outfit (great for photos :)) and will keep you cool as a cucumber in the heat!

I’ve carefully curated a selection of my favorite dresses and wide-leg pants that are picture-perfect for Portugal and similar destinations, inspired by the outfits I wore on my trip – browse my outfits below and shopping selections that follow!

Palazzo Pants for Palatial Places [6 Shore Road]

Regal Red at the Palácio da Pena in Sintra, Portugal [Eywasouls Malibu]

Ruffled Earth toned silk maxi for the Moorish castle in Lisbon [Zimmermann]

Coastal Caftans at Palacio de Estoi in Algarve, Portugal [Rodebjer]

Tile-toned trousers in the historic city center, Alfama, Lisboa, Portugal [Cynthia Rowley + Helmut Lang]

Lined linen embroidered midi for sunset city strolls, Alfama, Lisboa, Portugal [H&M]

Patterned prints on prints: silk maxi vs. tile [DVF]

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SIMILAR STYLE SELECTIONS TO SHOP

MAXI/MIDI DRESSES

Some of my consistently favorite brands are Figue, Tularosa, DVF, Zimmermann, Asos, Ulla Johnson and Saloni… For fail-proof places to find pretty flowy dresses perfect for prancing around a palace or sipping coffee at a cool sidewalk cafe, check out my go-to sites for online shopping below!

• REVOLVE: I usually find a lot of my favorite casual/contemporary dresses here, perfect for vacations (you’ll find a range of inexpensive to moderately expensive options)!

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• ASOS is a great source for really pretty but inexpensive versions of insta-worthy dresses (for the price point, the quality is usually pretty decent and the details on their dresses are gorgeous, like flutter sleeves, embroidery and embellishment)!

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• Net-a-Porter, FWRD and Matches Fashion are my favorite go-to sites if I want to splurge (you’re pretty much guaranteed to find countless pages of gorgeous gowns and maxis in unique prints and designs)!

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WIDE-LEG PANTS

I get these from so many different places, it’s hard to recommend one site or brand (although Mara Hoffman never ceases to amaze me!)… Although I do love DVF, Mara Hoffman and Alexis pants and I typically have a lot of success finding cool pairs online at Revolve, Nordstrom and Shopbop! I even find some in the “beach cover-up” section of shopping sites, so don’t forget to look there! The key to finding the perfect pair for warm-weather wear is looking for linens and chiffons – these are the most flowy and breezy fabrics! Also, it helps if they’re long enough to hit the ground when wear them with flats or low heels 🙂

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For more outfits and tips on where to go, check out my Instagram or ask me a question in the comments section below!

xoxo –pari–