Just booked your summer vacay and can’t stop buying holiday outfits? We feel you. For an extra hit of #OOTD inspo, we asked award-winning blogger Jess Gibson from The Travelista to show us how she styled out her most recent sun-kissed break to Puglia in Italy. Warning: may contain serious levels of wanderlust.
Tahiti Triangle Bikini Top, £17 | Ciara Embroidered Shorts, £32 | Verona Plaited Sandals, £25
My latest adventure took me to a lesser-known corner of Italy called Puglia. Located on the south coast of the country, this region is known for its incredible food, rustic farmhouses, olive trees and beautiful beaches. As with the rest of Italy, Puglia oozes timeless style so with the help of Accessorize, I managed to curate the perfect Italian wardrobe for my trip.
Joined by my friend Katie, the plan was to combine days of relaxation by the pool with sightseeing in the local towns. With endless kilometres of pristine beaches and picturesque towns, Puglia is the perfect destination for this type of holiday. We hired a car and were excited about the prospect of our mini road trips. Here’s what I got up to on my stylish Italian adventure.
Day 1 – Poolside at Canne Bianche
Mia Catmaster Sunglasses, £15 | High Neck Plunge Swimsuit, £32
After arriving to glorious blue skies and sunshine, day one was all about relaxing by the pool and making the most of our hotel. Canne Bianche Lifestyle Hotel was located right on the beach with an incredibly chic pool that you could spend all day relaxing by. It felt so good to stretch out and feel the sun on my skin. I wore my high-neck plunge swimsuit in white as I thought it was perfectly in keeping with the stylish surroundings. The cut of this swimsuit reminded me of Marylin Monroe’s iconic dress and I felt really confident in it around the pool. I paired the white swimsuit with my this cute pom-pom kaftan which was incredibly flattering and comfortable to wear.
Panama Woven Hat, £15 | Mina Pom Pom Kaftan, £32 | Beach Please Crochet Tote, £35
Day 2 – Exploring Ostuni
Day two was all about exploring! We hopped in our hire in search of Ostuni, the iconic whitewashed town of Puglia. It was the perfect town for strolling around in the sunshine with a gelato in hand. We got lost amongst the pretty backstreets and made the climb up to the cathedral. The view from the top was spectacular, with panoramic views of the ocean and an expanse of olive trees. There were beautiful boutique shops selling everything from fresh pasta and olive oil to sandals. It’s a great place to pick up some souvenirs.
Panama Woven Hat, £15 | Verona Plaited Sandals, £25 | Nora Backpack, £25
I wanted to be comfortable on our day of exploring and not get caught out by too much sun, so I paired a long black wrap dress with this cool Panama hat. I knew I’d need my hands free to take lots of photos, so I finished the look with my trusty black backpack.
Day 3 – Combining Monopoli and Alberobello
Panama Woven Hat, £15 | Mia Catmaster Sunglasses, £15
Discovering Ostuni gave us the hunger to find more pretty Puglian towns, so we set off to Monopoli on day three. Monopoli is one of the largest towns in Puglia and is home to an old town, a castle and a cathedral. The old town, otherwise known as the historical centre, is full of history and timeless charm.
After a few hours exploring Monopoli, we drove for a further 40 minutes to reach the small town of Alberobello which is famous for it’s pretty Truli Houses. The circular houses with slated cone roofs look like something out of a fairy-tale and it’s amazing to think these Truli Houses were once individual homes. We stopped for a delicious toasted panini and (another!) gelato.
Day 4 – An Italian cooking class and relaxation
Mia Catmaster Sunglasses, £15 | Ikat Print Swimsuit, £32 | Mer-Mazing Bikini Bag, £10
After some fun-filled days of exploring, we we’re ready for some R&R again at our new hotel, Masseria Monteapoleone. This incredible boutique hotel is a restored 17th century farmhouse with just 21 rooms. There’s also a beautiful pool area, which we just had to spend some time in. In the morning, I slipped into this ikat-print swimsuit and couldn’t wait to find the perfect poolside sunbed.
Before we left, we also had time to take part in Masseria Montenapoleone’s Italian cooking class, where we learnt to make focaccia bread and fresh pasta without eggs. It was fascinating to watch the demonstrations and great fun getting to try our hand at the pasta curling technique. The best bit was getting to try our creations at the end washed down with a cool glass of white wine. It’s an experience I will remember for a long time.
Italy continues to have a special place in my heart and visiting Puglia added another piece to the puzzle of this beautiful, passionate and captivating country.
Written by Jess Gibson, founder and editor of award-winning UK travel blog, The Travelista. Follow Jess on Instagram @thetravelista to see more of her stylish travels
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