the suitcase challenge - day 2

Sportsgirl tank, Zara harem pants and bag

Harem pants - love it or hate it?

Personally, I love it. I love the draping, ease and absolute comfort of wearing it, not to mention versatility. Depending on the colour, print and cut, of course. It keeps you decently covered yet at the same time remains cool and breathable - a handy alternative to jeans in hot and humid weather. So here I've paired it with the simplest of tanks and a punchy red bag for the day. 

Brunch was at a lovely restaurant (took a break from the street food) where we had a little hands-on session, making our own rice paper rolls with an assortment of fillings, followed by a tasting dish of Vietnamese desserts. 

Fingers and toes crossed for decent weather in Hoi An tomorrow! x

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the suitcase challenge - day 1

Nasty Gal lace top, Zara shorts, Tony Bianco sunnies

A quick hello from the crazy land of Nam! Being in Ho Chi Minh City has truly been an eye-opener so far - pretty much everyone whizzes around on a bike or scooter here and the lack of traffic lights and/or laws means you have to quickly pick up the skill of weaving in between traffic to get to the other side of the street (or try your best to tag along with a calmer and much more experienced person).

Here's a light and breezy outfit number one of my suitcase challenge, keeping things simple with a black bag so as to lower my risks of getting robbed and super cool round Tony Bianco sunnies that I won from one of their giveaways. Probably my FAVOURITE thing to do while travelling is to try out as much local fare as I possibly can so comfort and a healthy appetite is key. Also chased after those Despicable Me minions to have our photo taken in the middle of a busy street (traffic naturally goes around you in this case) - definitely not something you'd do everyday!

Till tomorrow! Or get instagrammin' for more x

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the suitcase challenge

I admit, I used to start packing only hours before having to hop on the flight, meaning (almost recklessly) stuffing just about everything and anything into the poor little suitcase, realising afterwards that I had only really needed about half of what I had lugged around. (Efficient) packing really is a skill in itself and while I'm nowhere close to attaining master status I am proud to say that the whole process is now definitely a whole lot calmer and even makes some sort of sense! So here's what's tagging along with me around Vietnam and Hong Kong, colour-coded..

Blues

Something so natural about blue and white that puts you at ease for a casual get-up.

Reds

According to a friend I am a 'red person', shades of which are always good with blacks for a standout look, easily dressed up or down. 

Whites 

Couldn't go without crochet and lace for the beach. Fingers and toes crossed for decent weather.

Prints

For added visual interest - geometric shapes, whimsical ducks, leopard print.. you name it! Though, in this case it appears to be a complementary assortment of florals. 

Then rationalise footwear and arm candy, finalise your culling process for the 27th time, and ta-daa! Hopefully this seemingly sensible selection of 15 pieces (I might be wrong, give or take) from beach to knitwear will see me comfortably through three different weather types over the next couple of weeks. 

I'll go one better - how about a different outfit every day that I'm away? 

Challenge accepted.

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olive&finn x blankbird: fluid blues

Carly Hunter wide leg jumpsuit and Sollis necklace via Olive & Finn; Zara heels

I highly suggest, at least once in your life, that you give the jumpsuit a go. You don't have to do it right now, no, but the next time you see a onesie and toy with the idea of donning it even for a split second, do it. The 'perfect' one (if there is such a thing) will prove to be the most comfortable thing you have ever slipped into, and yes, they will look better than your favourite PJs.

To be honest I wasn't immediately drawn to this teal number - it was sitting quietly in a corner and almost seemed a little boring (!) - but each time I had a glimpse of it I wondered how it'd look on. So eventually I tried it. And loved it. As with the whites and yellows, it just felt so good on. The open slit back, pockets conveniently positioned for a relaxed slouch, and such amazing fluidity of the whole piece right down to the wide-legged swish - luxurious yet simple; so ridiculously understated. I could have worn it for a whole week straight.

Moral of the story: you'll never know till you try! And if you're still wondering who or what on earth Olive & Finn is, it's probably time you played catch up with our interview here x

Photos by Thomas Lo

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