Giardino Giusti - Verona, Italy (or Layering for transitional weather)

Dressing for an autumnal Italy is a challenge. When you leave the house in the morning, it's about 13 degrees. During the day, the temperature climbs to about 22 before plunging back down again to 5 degrees at night.

The only way to get around it is to layer, layer, layer and always resign yourself to be slightly too cold or slightly too hot at a certain point during the day. As it gets warmer or colder you can add and remove layers. A classmate of mine once described it as the world's most frustrating public striptease.


Of course getting all these layers to match so you ALWAYS look put together no matter what combination of layers you have on is an intellectual challenge. Not having endless funds and/or space I stick to having a lot of basic knitwear in the same shades of brown, black and grey. Then you can layer a cotton or summer item in a pop of colour, or a great scarf or hat to perk the outfit up.

Here (when it was still about 12 degrees)  my layers are warm tights, a light cotton dress layered over a light wool sweater in the same shade of brown. Then a (brown) cropped warmer sweater over and finally the jacket. Scarf and hat are two of my favourite warm-up tricks as they're both small, light and you'll be surprised how much warmth they add. The brimmed hat is also great on drizzly days as it keeps the rain off your face.

Now about Giardino Giusti. It's a lush jewel of a 16th century garden that will bring back the gardens that flitted through your imagination when you first read The Secret Garden and Alice in Wonderland. Even more than Casa Giulietta (which is a lie and filled with annoying graffiti-making tourists), this garden is a must-see in Verona.

This outfit made up of so many bits I've had forever in my wardrobe, a lot of it acquired on sale, so I can't quite remember how much everything is!

Hat, tights, sweater (layered) - H&M
Bag: Gift from mom
Dress: Sungai Wang Plaza (RM30~)
Scarf: Gift
The Little Prince Earrings: Vincci