Traveling Cute, Compact & Sustainable
One week in Asia, with only a carry-on suitcase and nothing but sustainable wears…
From sustainably-made clothing, to second hand clothes (some of them up-cycled), here is how I kept my trip to Bali and Chiang Mai, cute and Earth friendly!
DAY 1: OFF TO BALI
Outfit details: Wolven Threads Noor Leggings + Noor Reversible 4-way Top (way 1), Levi’s (thrifted) denim coat, Flannel from Luxury Jones that was made by cutting two older flannels in half and sewing them together (upcycled), the Bigger Carry-On and The Backpack by Away, hiking boots and socks.
The perfect balance between comfortable and mobile, the Noor Set was the perfect choice for a twenty-two hour travel day from Los Angeles to Denpasar, via Taipei. I paired the set with a denim jacket and a flannel for extra coziness on the flight overseas. I was also able to carry all of my clothes for the trip in my Away suitcase and backpack. It’s all about traveling compact and thanks to Wolven Threads and my love for thrifting, I was able to pack sustainably by only bringing either thrifted/second hand clothing and Wolven Threads garments – that’s it! This allowed me to keep it compact and to create several outfits using only a few items because the “wear it once” trend is O-V-E-R.
When I landed in Bali it was mid-afternoon and in an effort to immediately conquer the impending jetlag, I went to get food straight away and all I had to change were my shoes! I simply took off my jacket and hiking boots and replaced them with my Birkenstock sandals, threw on some gold hoops, a yellow ring (to accent the golds of the Noor print) and voila! Off to happy hour!
DAY 2: BETWEEN LAND AND SEA
Outfit details: Wolven Threads Noor Reversible 4-Way Top (way 2), Urban Outfitters shorts (thifted), upcycled purse by Brazilian company, Rede Asta, Birkenstocks, gold accessories
On my first full day in Bali, I had no set plans so I wanted to wear an outfit that was cute and comfortable and would work in heat, water or any other circumstance. For this look I wore the same 4-way Top I had worn the day before but I just flipped it inside out for a whole new look! I paired it with some soft and airy Urban Outfitters shorts I got from a thrift store in Maryland many years ago, as well as a purse I got in Brazil in 2015 that was made by indigenous women from upcycled fabrics (@rede_asta - the motto on their website reads, “We transform artisans into entrepreneurs and waste into new products”). I also wore a pair of forest green bathing suit bottoms under my shorts in case I ended up in any kind of water. To top it off I wore gold accessories to compliment the gold of the top! I ended up walking down the road to eat some breakfast (best avo toast I’ve ever had OMG) and then scootering to Ubud for the afternoon to explore. When I got back it was so hot that I immediately got in the pool and all I had to do was take my shorts off :)
DAY 3: FIELD OF DREAMS
Outfit details: Wolven Threads Wolf Grey Pyramid Top, second-hand Free People skirt from Poshmark, Birkenstocks, silver accessories
On day three of my journey I woke up just before sunrise to get on the road early and head to the famous Tegalalang Rice Terraces in Ubud. For this day trip I wore my Grey Pyramid Top from Wolven Threads and paired it with a second-hand Free People high-waisted midi skirt that I found on Poshmark. The skirts greys matched perfectly with the top and it had some cute navy blue details that were the perfect touch. As far as accessories went, I chose to keep it cute and simple with some medium sized silver hoop earrings that were my grandmothers.
DAY 4: ISLAND ROMANCE
Outfit details: thrifted slip dress that I hemmed, Birkenstocks + black fringe purse (for the daytime look), second-hand beige Free People purse and shoes from Poshmark.
On my last day in Bali I decided to spice it up a bit in a beautiful vintage slip dress that I thrifted and hemmed last year. The lovely thing about this dress (besides the silky leopard print and roses, obviously) is that it is super easy to dress down or dress up which is exactly what I did! During the day I wore it with my Birkenstocks and my black purse while having my hair up in a loose bun and then adding some simple gold hoop earrings to fill the gap between my head and shoulders. Plus the gold glammed the look up perfectly while still keeping it casual and easy. Later that night I went to a romantic dinner with my partner and to dress the slip up, I let my curls down and I changed my purse to a nude Free People crossbody purse and my sandals to a sleek nude pair from Free People, both of which were Poshmark finds (seriously…Poshmark changed my life). I also kept the same earrings on because they were so perfect with the slip.
DAY 5: ADIEU BALI, HELLO CHIANG MAI
Outfit details: Wolven Threads Noor Reversible 4-Way Top (way 3), thrifted pants (that I hemmed), hiking boots + socks, gold accessories
Another travel day means another travel look! This travel day was only five hours so I didn’t have to bundle up as much as before, plus I wanted to look cute enough that I could do in Chiang Mai what I did in Bali, to take advantage of the half day I got, and that is, change from the hiking boots I was traveling in, to my Birkenstocks! For this criteria, I chose my 4-way top by Wolven Threads (again! Seriously, best top ever) and a simple and very thin set of thrifted pants that I cropped! The crop of the pants allowed me to wear my hiking socks which are a bit taller than the shoes but they have a gold band at the top which was a nice touch given that the rest of the outfit was hues of gold and tan. I also added my gold hoops as a perfect accent to my high ponytail.
Unfortunately, once I arrived at the Airbnb, I absolutely had to take a nap because the jetlag had finally caught up to me and I was delirious. Anyway, I ended up sleeping through the night (15hrs), so that outfit never got to see my sandals…oops!
DAY 5: A STROLL THROUGH OLD TOWN
Outfit details: Wolven Threads Noor Reversible 4-Way Top (way 4), flannel from day 1’s outfit because repetition is GOOD, thrifted and hemmed Zara pants, Birkenstocks, black fringe purse, gold accessories
After some much needed rest, I was finally ready to go explore the city. I wanted to walk around the first day, to really catch a vibe and let the city wash over me, slowly. For a day full of walking I wanted a comfortable and easy look so I opted for my 4-way top from Wolven Threads (successfully wore this top each of its 4 ways! Yes!) and a pair of Zara pants I thrifted that were too long for me so I cropped them (yay for repurposing!), my Birkenstocks (which are great for walking), as well as my flannel shirt from my initial travel day tied around my waist since the greens match the greens of the top, but also in case I needed to cover my shoulders to enter a temple. And again, gold hoops with the high ponytail :)
DAY 6: THE WHITE TEMPLE
Outfit details: Wolven Threads Turmeric Pyramid Top, second-hand Free People skirt from Poshmark, gold shawl I bought at the night market (specifically for temple experiences), Birkenstocks, gold accessories
Wat Rong Khun, the famed White Temple was on our itinerary this day and I was deeply looking forward to the experience and wanted to dress the part! For this epic experience I chose my Turmeric Pyramid Top from Wolven Threads, a beautiful white and gold Free people maxi skirt that I acquired on Poshmark that matched the gold of the top perfectly, as well as a shawl of the same tone of gold to cover my shoulders at the temple. And of course, my comfy and sturdy Birkenstocks and my favorite gold hoops.
DAY 7: GILDED TEMPLES
Outfit details: Wolven Threads Wolf Grey Pyramid Top (2nd time), reversible skirt bought locally, Birkenstocks, black fringe purse
Originally this outfit was going to be the black thrifted Zara pants (from Day 5) and my Wolf Grey Pyramid Top from Wolven Threads (both previously worn with different outfits) but on our scoot to find the best Khao Soi in the city, I stumbled upon a shop called See You Soon (@seeyousooncnx) with stunning wares in their outdoor display and just had to take a look! I was lucky to find a gorgeous midi length skirt that was reversible! I absolutely love clothing that is super functional and can be worn multiple ways (duh, hence my obsession with Wolven’s 4-way top!) because functionality like that decreases our need for more clothing and in the case of travel, makes packing a lot less stressful. Anyway, I bought this skirt that matched so many items in my suitcase and wardrobe at home and even matched the Pyramid Top I was already wearing so I just switched out of my pants to this stunning skirt (also- because I was wearing grey, I decided against my gold hoop earrings as they complement warmer tones). We visited six temples that day so I still covered my shoulders and top with the shawl most of the time but we did come across a location that was more casual where we were able to snap some photos :)
DAY 8: THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE
Outfit details: Wolven Threads Turmeric Pyramid Top (2nd time), reversible skirt from Day 7 (2nd side), Birkenstocks, black fringe purse, gold accessories
The final full day of this trip brought us to the Golden Triangle, an area in northern Thailand where the Mekong River divides Thailand, Myanmar and Laos. At this point in the river all three countries are visible and accessible by boat – we even ended up in Laos for an hour! For this adventure I decided to wear the second side of the skirt I had bought at See You Soon the day before since it was comfortable and long enough to be acceptable in temples. I paired the skirt with my Turmeric Pyramid Top from Wolven Threads (both items previously worn with other looks) because the gold of the top matched the floral patterns of the skirt and because that pairing had looked so good with the other colors the day before, hehe. I also wore Birkenstocks, pink sunglasses, gold hoop earrings, gold cuff and other gold jewelry I picked up along the trip (upper arm cuff & necklace). I also wore my hair up in a loose bun to show off the back of the top which is so striking.
DAY 9: THE JOURNEY HOME
Outfit details: Wolven Thread Wolf Grey Leggings, thrifted and cropped mens silk-blend button down shirt, hiking boots + socks, gold hoop earrings
Alas, the journey came to an end after a week of exploration, adventure, mindfulness and peace of mind. For the long journey home I wanted to keep it easy and comfortable so I opted for my Wolf Grey leggings from Wolven Threads, paired with a thrifted men’s silk-blend, short-sleeved button down shirt that I cropped, my hiking socks (layered on top of a smaller pair of socks for maximum comfort/compression), hiking boots (which I did not use once except to travel in lol), pink sunglasses, tight top bun (that I let down later) and gold hoop earrings. Plus, of course, my Away backpack with my Cabeau neck pillow attached to it.
PS. These leggings are my new favorite travel wear because they’re super flattering, comfortable AND the pockets also fit your passport in it PERFECTLY! Seriously such a game changer!
This combination of clothing and travel gear were flawless in keeping my trip cute, light, practical, comfortable, and of course, ethically responsible. It definitely takes more planning and consciousness but it allows for a guilt-free state of mind for a true vacation AND I never once compromised cuteness ;) <3