Outfit Details:

Red Valentino Coat (similar here, less expensive here), Gal Meets Glam Collection Celeste Dress, Tory Burch Belt, Chanel Pumps (similar, less expensive here), Mark Cross Bag

We’ve made many trips to London over the last few years and it has become one of our favorite cities in the world. Aside from the fact that some of our dearest friends live there and London trips mean seeing them in person, we’ve fallen head over heels for the elegant architecture, breathtaking gardens (remember the July Gal Meets Glam Collection photos?), the abundance of charming spots we could spend hours exploring, and, of course, the tradition of afternoon tea. Our London visits are often short, and this one was no exception, but they are always sweet and memorable.

Taking the tube makes getting around London a breeze. On our trip last month, we stayed at The Rosewood, but its location, in the center of the city, means getting stuck in traffic for hours when trying to take a cab. So when we are there, we do our best to stick to using the London Underground to get where we are going. On this day, we picked a location we could get to via the Tube and settled on Paddington, an area we’ve cruised through dozens of times in a taxi but never set foot in. After a stroll through the neighborhood, we set our sights on lunch, which we strategically selected so that we could enjoy a walk through Hyde Park. It’s truly lovely in every season!

Our walk led us to Maggie Jones, a cozy restaurant our friend Rose brought us to on a previous trip. There are so many amazing restaurants in London, so we try to visit new places as often as we can, but some old favorites are too special to resist returning to, especially when we are nearby and too hungry to search for something new. It made for the perfect low-key afternoon in the midst of an otherwise full itinerary. The spot itself is cozy and full of character, plus the food is wonderfully delicious. I was craving a hot lunch on this chilly afternoon and their lentil soup hit the spot.

Since our trip fell just a few days before the September Gal Meets Glam Collection launch, I packed a few of my favorite new dresses. It already felt like fall in London, so I was thrilled to finally put these dresses on in the season I designed them for! One of the most popular dresses amongst customers so far has been the Celeste dress in Cream, which does not surprise me–it is one of my favorites too. On this day, I paired it with the same Chanel pumps I wore in the Collection shoot (find a very similar, less expensive version here), a leather belt, and a Mark Cross bag (sadly sold out, but here is a similar one). Since there was a chill in the air, I grabbed a new plaid coat before walking out the door (similar, less expensive here), and ended up being glad I did. Plaid and London go together as perfectly as scones and tea, don’t you think?

You can see a few more ways I’ve styled the Celeste dress so far here and here.

Sticking with our exploration via the London Underground, we set off for the nearest station at Notting Hill Gate. Conveniently located along our path was our favorite pub to snag a picture of, The Churchill Arms. I love how they decorate pubs with hanging baskets of flowers outside, two ideas that appear to be contradictory but the English do so well. A few blocks later, our Oyster cards were scanned and we were back to our hotel in no time.