My handmade Roman holiday wardrobe

Last week we travelled to Rome for a mini-break. I'd never been and was really looking forward to seeing the sights and made myself some new dresses to take away. I decided to travel in my sailboat Hepburn Shirtwaister as the cotton is a good weight for the current UK weather but not too hot for when we arrived. 

I teamed it up with my beloved Emmy Peggy Sue cardigan - here I am boarding the Leonardo Express train from Rome airport to the centre of town. After we arrived we explored the roads around our hotel in Monti and sat in a gorgeous piazza for lunch. 

A quick change was needed into something cooler and lighter so I opted for my Sew Over It Penny Dress made from Swiss Dot Cotton. Perfect for the hot afternoon sunshine. We wandered down to the Altare della Patria as we'd been recommended the views from the top. They didn't disappoint and it was the perfect way to get our bearings around the city.

Our first full day started with a tour of the Colosseum. We'd booked the underground tour which was fantastic as you can't access the lower level without a guide. The place is vast and I wasn't fully prepared for how extraordinary it is. I wore my stripy Hepburn Shirtwaister which I'd altered by adding a midi length full pleated skirt to. I found that this longer length was lovely and cool in the midday heat. 

From there we walked across to The Forum which is interesting although could do with a little more signage to help explain what you are looking at!

We did a lot of walking that day and also visited The Pantheon, The Trevi Fountain and the most amazing gelato shop called Gelateria Della Palma - definitely worth a visit if you are ever in Rome, they have 150 different gelato flavours! 

The following day we were booked to visit The Vatican and started with an audio tour of the museum. I cannot stress enough that if you are ever planning a visit to The Vatican Museum then book ahead - the queue to buy tickets was, I think, the longest I've ever seen. If you've prebooked then you can bypass the queue and walk straight through the front doors. The museum is vast you could easily spend a day here. The Sistine Chapel is as spectacular as you'd expect.
We walked around to St Peter's Basilica and the square afterwards and it's also very impressive. I wore my Tucan Hepburn Shirtwaister which I'd again attached a midi length pleated skirt too.

FYI entry to St Peter's Basilica is free. We queued for about 15 minutes at lunchtime to get it - don't be tricked into buying £15 'skip the queue' tickets - they aren't worth it! 

We then visited Castel Sant'Angelo where we'd booked the Secret Castle tour - again, worth booking as we were able to walk through the secret passageway from the castle along to the Vatican. It was part passageway and part roof-top walkway. A real treat to see Rome from the rooftops!

On our last day we managed to visit a final few churches including the Chiesa di Santa Maria della Vittoria which contains Bernini's sculpture 'The Ecstasy of St Teresa', it is beautiful, even surrounded by scaffolding... I wore my Sew Over It Penny Dress which blended in perfectly in leafy Via Margutta which is a pretty street between the Spanish Steps and the Piazza del Popolo. Movie buffs will also know that this street was the home of Joe Bradley in Roman Holiday. 

We managed to cram a lot into our few days in Rome and I absolutely loved it - it really is an open air museum. My top travel tip would definitely be book what you can ahead of time to avoid queues. 

I'll leave you with one last trip highlight... the gelato... the Italians really have nailed it... 

Message me if you'd like any restaurant / itinerary recommendations x