042/ What I'm Wearing: 2023 Weeks 27-29
Dispatched from South Korea. Forecast: hot, humid and wet.
What I’m Wearing is a series where I share all of the outfits I’ve worn over a given week (or two), along with links, styling notes and related thoughts. If you see an outfit you like on my Instagram, you’ll find it here.
Hello dear readers, it feels like a lifetime has passed since my last WIW (hyperbole check: it’s been three weeks). Since then, I’ve moved 10,000 km and 13 time zones east, from Toronto to South Korea, with my two boys in tow.
If you’ve been following my stories on Instagram, you’ll know I’ve had a challenging time here. With my depression and solo parenting as a baseline, compounded with my sons being very uncomfortable (and unhappy) in a totally different culture and missing their father, along with the lack of outdoor time because of the monsoon rains, it’s been hard to get motivated to leave the house, let alone get dressed.
Early last week, after a few straight days of all of us crying and at the end of my rope, I decided to skip the kids’ Korean and taekwondo classes for the rest of the week, cancel our weekend road trip with my dad to Jeonju and immediately leave for Busan, on the southeastern most point of the Korean peninsula.
With a population of 3.5 million people, Busan is actually South Korea’s second largest city. But, with a population and density still far lower than Seoul proper, my hope was that a few days by the sea — away from the big, big city — would be good for the three of us.
And it was! The boys seem to have benefited from the outdoor time, and are in a much better mood (mind you, they’re six and eight, so of course there’s still a baseline level of complaining!). I’ve also returned more refreshed and better prepared to manage expectations. I have renewed hope that the rest of our time here will be easier.
Meanwhile, here are a few pictures from our time in Busan!
Days 1 & 2
I thought of packing the grey cotton dress on the left for Korea, but figured it would be too hot — and I was right! Had I worn this here, I’d be sporting large, wet patches of sweat in my armpits, bustline and throughout. On the right was my travel outfit. For long haul flights, it’s sweatpants, always sweatpants.
On our way to the airport, I picked up my new Isabel Marant glasses with prism lenses for my strasbismus, ready just in the nick of time (my optometrist was cutting the lenses when I arrived)! I love the shape of my go-to Isabel Marant sunglasses, so I figured, why not get them for everyday? I found them on smartbuyglasses.com for 70% off, a website I was initially skeptical of, but I received my glasses with no issues and other readers have told me they’ve also purchased successfully from them. I assumed (you know what they say about assuming) that they were the same size as the sunglasses, but they’re actually slightly narrower.
Days 3 & 4
As for what I’m wearing on the trip itself, I came up with most of my outfits in two of my earlier newsletters on minimal effort summer outfits, here and here. And since I haven’t had one second to go shopping, all the pieces I’m wearing are in my packing primer.
Except, what’s this? Imagine my surprise when I arrived at my dad’s and found this gorgeous, textural bag that my sister made! I’ve been using it regularly and will be taking this baby back to Toronto with me. *yoink!*
Also, in a last minute purchase, these white Doen Paige shorts arrived the day before I left and I absolutely love them. They’re high-waisted, heavily pleated with tons of room in the legs, and they almost have the look of bloomers?
If it wasn’t raining so much I’d be wearing these satin Rag & Bone Elly flats (the link is to Saks Off Fifth, but it’s redirecting to the Korean homepage, so you’ll have to search them) a lot more. As a similar option, I recently came across these Hereu Puntera ballerinas which I love the shape of. I ordered them in red, and they also come in many colours like lavender (gorgeous!), white (an alternative to the above R&B; the previous three are on sale), and the more classic black, chocolate brown, burgundy and nude. There’s also this Cecilie Bahnsen x Hereu white organza flat of a similar shape.
The humidity! I can’t figure out how the Korean women are walking about with perfect hair and make-up and not a drop of sweat on them. Are they just used to this weather? Is it their slow, graceful walking and use of umbrellas to shield the sun? Or maybe they’re just moving from one air-conditioned space to another?…
Day 5
(…this vest is wool and, my goodness, the sweat…)
Days 6 & 7
….Because on most days, if I’m not dripping in sweat, I have a thick sticky layer all over my body. And on most days (not just on “Days 6 & 7”), I’ve thrown on this Zara dress or these Donni shorts, both of which are nylon.
My dad hang dries clothes and doesn’t use a dryer, so it just seems easier and faster to wash and dry nylon over cotton. After a hot and sweaty day, if there isn’t enough laundry to fill a load, I throw them in the sink, add some hand soap, give them a good scrub and hang them to dry. Unlike cotton, it’ll be dry and ready to wear by morning. I mean, try air drying cotton in 100% humidity lol.
None of this is sexy and inspired styling advice, it’s just practical!
A quick note here about swimwear. Over the last few years, I’ve invested in some great-looking swimsuits that I love and feel great in. But as someone who likes to swim laps in the pool and sea, I’ve realized that great-looking swimwear doesn’t necessarily mean they’re suitable for, you know, swimming.
I have no regrets about purchasing my Magda Butrym bustier one-piece (the red version is an extra 30% off), but the molded, plastic cups (which give the suit its distinctive sweetheart neckline) collect water like two buckets! Trying to swim in it is actually hilarious.
This St. Agni x Ziah swimsuit is better for swimming, but it’s cut a bit low, so any somewhat active swimming results in my breasts popping out. After every lap, I’m having to readjust and scoop them back in.
I’m not saying these suits aren’t worth buying. Some suits are more style over substance, more sunning on chaise longue over swimming laps, and that’s a-okay. This is just a PSA!
Day 8
My sole note here is that I put myself together! A win!
See you next time, probably from Japan.
Love and gratitude,
Irene
I’m in SW Fla which is currently 65% humidity and hotter than hell. Messages from home have all been terrible and I have given up trying to make my hair behave itself - my daughter just laughs at the state of it now. But to cap it all, the air conditioning in my parents’ house has just said ‘nope’ and it’s now 94 degrees *indoors*. I think sometimes we imagine that everyone else’s holidays are perfect and that can compound our misery when we’re struggling already. Hang on in there - your kids will remember this fondly and forget the less-than-perfect. As we say in our family when it all turns to shit (frequently); “it’s all part of the adventure”. Big love ♥️
I've loved following along on your travels! Would also love if you could highlight any Asian designers that you like that can be found in Canada. I recently bought some things from le17septembre and love the structural details.