what to wear in vietnam?

ok, so i've been in a pretty bad mood this week. credit card debt, shrinking checking account, other financial mishaps, haggling with various companies over the phone, all sorts of unpleasant things. i miss posting my outfits, though. i feel i have been on very good behavior the past few days, haven't bought any new clothing. plus, i'm returning things left and right that i really really want to keep but don't really need. sigh.

so, here's a top that i bought that i should have returned with the other shirt but already removed the tags and wore immediately. at least it was cheap. the rain jacket is supposedly water resistant and wind proof (to some extent, i hope). it'll probably come with me to Vietnam. my new rain jacket from Dace might be a little too heavy and warm.





jcrew cotton/cashmere blend boatneck sweater, on sale for $29 from $68.
patagonia breezeaway hoodie, on sale for $55, from $110.

the excessive heat of southern coastal Vietnam is worrying me. what on earth will i wear? rain is bad, so a light shell is necessary. and vietnamese modesty means i need to be more covered than not. so, long pants and shirts. i need kurtas and caftans and long flowy loose pants. but i'm not buying any more clothing for this trip, so i'll have to make do with my cropped slim-fit navy chinos (the new a.p.c.'s cropped Mao trousers are $197. yikes!) and my grey Habituals. i might pack my Nieves Lavi lobster print wrap skirt, but only if i can find some safety pins to keep to secure. i remember it working pretty well last summer.

what i really wish i could buy is this:


jcrew blouse, $39 with 20% discount, originally $80. a friend just bought it in white. it has pockets and is such a cunning shade of saffron yellow. as you can tell, my favorite colors are yellow, navy, grey, and white. how very preppy of me, you say. well, i spent 8 years in a catholic school uniform, and our school colors were blue, gold, and white. go figure.