Part two of my Packing for Vegas post: what I actually wore. Because sometimes, a packing guide is not enough. And sometimes, an outfit guide + a fun account of what we did (and a few tips along the way) is exactly what you’re going to get. Enjoy!
Sunday Night: Happy Hour at Bardot Brasserie
Faithfull skirt (ethical) // Alienina bag (ethical) // Artizia top // Naturalizer Sandals // Soko Necklace (c/o — ethical) // Coastal Sunglasses (c/o — ethical) // ByTerry Lipstick in 402 ‘Red Ceremony’
You will notice a theme about this post, and indeed, our entire trip to Las Vegas: happy hour. It’s Vegas’s best-kept secret, the way to enjoy the most amazing food while managing to not blow your entire life’s savings. Bardot Brasserie was one of our favourite finds of the trip. A beautiful setting snatched straight out of a by-gone Paris, the vibe at the bar is a local feel, with exquisite food to match.
Las Vegas Tip: many happy hours run until 7 pm, meaning you can eat at a reasonable hour and still manage to paint the town red. And in my case — a red outfit to match.
My love of Faithfull the Brand is no secret. I’ve included them in no fewer than 5,000 round-up posts and shopping edits. I struggled to get one of their dresses to fit — but this skirt? Heaven, in a skirt. In fact, it’s quite literally the only skirt I now own, a testament to its magical Goddess Fitting powers. The outfit was topped off with my last-second purchase of these black mules, which may be the comfiest ‘dressy’ shoes I own
Monday Daytime: Spa Day + Explore the Strip
Sea NY Tee // MiH Denim Shorts (ethical) // Urban Outfitters Bag (alternative) // Everlane Slides (ethical) // Urban Outfitters scrunchie (alternative) // Neubau Sunglasses (c/o)
After some crazy weeks in June, Stag and I fell immediately into “treat ourselves” mode upon landing at Las Vegas airport. And let me tell you: the only thing to get us up at the crack-of-nine on Vacay Morning 1 is the promise of pure relaxation. That’s exactly what we got with a spa morning at the Excalibur, complete with massage treatments (some of the best we’ve had). Bliss. Even if, much to our chagrin, we weren’t together for our spa morning.
Las Vegas Tip: Almost all of the spas are separated by gender. If you plan on going with your SO and you are not the same conceived gender, be prepared to have a solo spa day.
While some people may scoff at the extreme cheesiness of some of Vegas’s more ‘themed’ hotels, I, in fact, love them. The more ‘themed’ the hotel is, the better. (Harkens back to memories of staying at The Little Mermaid hotel at Disney, but that’s another story…).
After the Excalibur, we decided to explore some of these more kitschy hotels, braving the Vegas heat to enjoy the dragons of Excalibur, the tombs of the Luxor and the cobbled streets of the New York New York. If you’re new to Vegas, I can’t recommend taking the time to explore the strip highly enough.
But, as referenced above, the heat of the day was noooo joke. Shorts, a cute tee and my hair yanked back were necessities of the day. Did I mention I’m in love with this Sea NY tee? Because I may leave Stag for it.
One note about my outfit above: while I love the look of the Urban Outfitters tote I’m sporting above — well, it broke during our vacation. Handles ripped at the seams, from minimal use. Therefore, I’ve provided you guys alternatives to some of the Urban Outfitters products I mention, because I no longer trust their craftsmanship.
Monday Night: Happy Hour at Sushi Roku, A Show, Late-Night Happy Hour at Sushi Samba
Coastal glasses (c/o — ethical) // Tarte lippie in ‘Undressed’ // Madewell jumpsuit // Alienina bag (ethical) // Madewell earrings // Matt Bernson espadrilles (ethical)
After that blazing heat, we were excited for a cool evening indoors. As I mentioned above, happy hours are my jam in Vegas, allowing us to try high-end restaurants without breaking our (tiny) banks.
Stag and I also found that we enjoy having a couple of lighter meals (i.e. happy hours) in lieu of stuffing our faces with one big meal. On our main night-out in Vegas, we opted to have Happy Hour Dinner #1 at Sushi Roku in Caesar’s Palace. Tucked away in the expansive grounds, this chilled spot was perfect to chow down on glazed shishito peppers (TO. DIE. FOR) and sushi, washed down with a lychee mojito.
Happy hour led seamlessly to our evening show: we chose Cirque du Soleil’s Mystere, because what’s better in Vegas than amazing acrobatics? (Thunder Down Under?). It’s the original CDC show, which means not only is it incredible, but you can nab pretty great deals on tickets.
We capped off our evening with our all-time favourite Vegas tradition: late-night happy hour at Sushi Samba. I say ‘tradition’ in the loosest sense, because we have only done it once before. But, it’s now firmly a staple in our Vegas routine. From 11 pm until close, you can sample famed Sushi Samba delights such as the Ezo roll (my personal fave), wagyu gyoza and pork belly sliders. Don’t forget your caipirinha (only $6, glory).
Tuesday Day/Night: Exploring Old Vegas / Dinner at Lotus of Siam
Nails Inc Nailpolish in ‘Portland Square’ // UO Linen Dress (Alternative: Faithfull linen dress) //Everlane slides (ethical) // Gap hat // Urban Outfitters bag (alternative)
I should actually caveat this and say: technically we watched the England game in the morning, because how often are we free at 11 am to watch the footie on a Tuesday? Never, that’s when.
Old Vegas is a part of town I really wanted to explore the last time we vacationed here, but sadly, we just didn’t have time. I knew that I would happily forgo some much-needed pool time for a saunter into a new part of town. And boy, did it not disappoint.
Our first stop was at the Neon Museum, an Elephant Graveyard of a bygone era, chock-filled with kitschy signs, plaques and everything that reminds you of an Elvis Las Vegas. We arrived at 4:30 pm only to discover the museum shuts at 5 pm — leaving us rather distraught.
Las Vegas Tip: Google will tell you that the Neon Museum is open until 11 pm. It is, but only for up to 5 pm and then tours from 6-10pm. i.e. don’t go at 5 pm.
Luckily for us, though, under the desert sun, we could only last ambling among the signs for about 25 minutes before we succumbed to shade. I kid you not, I ended up kissing my light, white linen dress by the end of the day, thanking it for being the coolest option I could have worn in the 43-degree heat.
Next was a wander down Fremont Street, which is essentially what I had always imagined the Las Vegas strip would be like: outrageous, over-the-top, a bit gritty and FUN. We meandered our way down Fremont Street and to the Downtown Container Park, like the Boxpark of Vegas. Sipping blood orange margaritas, we climbed our way to the rooftop and whiled away the early evening, just the two of us.
Our final excursion of the day was my first trip to Lotus of Siam, considered one of the best Thai restaurants in America and another just-missed activity from our last Vegas trip. This, also, did not disappoint. I will leave you with one phrase: crispy duck khao soi. You’re welcome.
Wednesday Daytime: Relax at the Pool / Lunch at Milos
Pooltime Look: Coastal Sunglasses (c/0) // Gap Fedora // Everlane slides (ethical) // Marysia bikini // MiH Shorts (ethical)
Lunch Look: Madewell Silk Scarf // Matt Bernson espadrilles (ethical) // Cecilie Copenhagen shorts // Aritzia top
Our final day saw us, oddly, desperate for some pool time. We began the trip planning on doing nothing but lay by the pool. Time had other plans, it seemed. And so we forced ourselves awake at the crack-of-dawn (8 am) to make our way to the pool, enjoying some morning rays before check-out time. This was followed by — you guessed it — more time at the pool (sorry, this is boring), always in the shade. While I purposefully bought this Marysia bandeau bikini to avoid bad tan lines, it turns out I much prefer shade-reading than basting myself in a literal oven.
Honestly, not even the promise of a fancy unicorn was going to get us to leave our favourite shady pool spot. The one thing that would get us to abandon our pool dreams?
Food.
Not just any food, but an amazing lunch spread at one of our top Vegas finds. (This, of course, required a quick outfit change, as to not be half-naked in a restaurant — thus the two outfits above).
The 3-course lunch menu at Estiatorio Milos at the Cosmopolitan is only $29. I repeat: $29. Dishes included mouth-watering Salmon tartare, tasting fresh off the boat, and shrimp saganaki, a gorgeous tomato-based shrimp dish that had us craving a second plate. The white-washed, upscale setting makes you feel like you’re diving into a meal much more expensive.
Our bellies pleased, we returned to the Aria for one last quick dip in the pool before it was time to wave goodbye.
Las Vegas Tip: If there’s a restaurant that’s just out of your price range, check out its lunch menu to see if there are any deals. It’s a great way to do Las Vegas without spending a fortune.
Other Posts You May Like
Travel Style: My Packing List for Three Nights in Las Vegas
Wolf & Stag Adventures: Vegas & The Grand Canyon
All Aboard the Napa Valley Wine Train
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