Preparing for a Home Tour

Spring is home tour season and I recently went on a fantastic home tour in London sponsored by my favorite interior design magazine Living Etc. As I was getting dressed for the day, I struggled with several things including appropriate shoes and handbag.
Here is a guide for what to wear for comfort and style to a home tour and a few etiquette tips as well...

SHOES:
The best case scenario for a home tour is gorgeous 72 and sunny weather. If this is the case on the day of your tour than a pair of Tom's are your best friend. They are comfy, stylish and very easy to slip on and off. (They are also inexpensive enough that if there are any Sex in the City/Tatum ONeal stolen shoe incidents you'll have no need to worry). However, if the home tour is a bit more hoity toity, you may want to go with your best pair of Tory Burch flats instead. The number one rule for home tours is don't wear heels! There is no use as the height will disappear as soon as you take off the shoes and you very well may be traipsing around a soggy garden that is not heel friendly. Check out some tour friendly flats below...

1. The Carita Ballet flat from Tory Burch is a spring must have.
2. Loving the Lula Bow Flats from JCrew.
3. Tod's Gommino Driving Shoes are oh so comfy.
4. Tom's in Burlap
5. Tom's new ballet flat design.

HANDBAGS:
I am a slave to the oversized tote bag filled with everything but the kitchen sink as much as the next girl, but I am also a bull in a china shop with a super size bag hanging over my shoulder. For home tours, I go for the slim profile cross body satchel that keeps your hands free and doesn't take up too much space. These bags should be large enough to carry all of your essentials for the day...

1. A fun orange leather cross body bag from Kate Spade
2. A very retro satchel that will hold everything from Orla Kiely
3. A British travel classic the Antony Messenger bag from Mulberry
4. The Louis Vuitton Odeon bag for showing your flashier side.

ETIQUETTE
A few basic rules that often get forgotten once surrounded by the gorgeousness of a home on a home tour!
*Be polite and don't take photos unless given permission, nothing is tackier than every person snapping a shot with their iphone.
*Don't use the bathroom in the house, usually the docents won't let you and there is always a Starbucks in every neighborhood.
*Don't pick up candles and turn them over to find out what the scent is, I have actually seen this happen and wax dripping onto the furniture, politely ask the docent for the information
*Don't pick up vases filled with flowers and water to find out who makes the vase, I have heard of water being dumped into a grand piano on a tour before.
*It is really best to not pick anything up from any surface.

Also, check out my list of home tours around the U.S. on Apartment Therapy