everything i wore in tucson
bad tattoos on leather tanned skin
On our second to last night in Tuscon, K and I blasted Charli XCX on the drive home from a bar that used to be a mortuary. The whole experience was so desert gothic, and really set the tone for the night.
“You know…I wouldn’t mind if we turned the volume up even higher…like really high,” I said, rolling down the window and sticking a hand out into the warm bake of the desert air.
K laughed. “Ok I like it loud when I’m driving by myself too,” she replied, cranking up everything is romantic until the rental Nissan Rogue was vibrating.
We flew through the road names I’d gotten familiar with the past few days—Broadway, Alvernon, Fort Lowell. I squinted at the passing landscape with dry eyes, while the music boomed and we bounced in our seats at the red lights. Strip malls with all the chain stores we have everywhere in America, but “Arizona-fied” with saguaros. Neon signs advertising taquerias and accountants. Bus stops with cactus-shaped columns. Empty parking lots and infinite dark sky. A single snagged bead fell off my mesh dress and onto the floor of the car. I didn’t bother to find it. Let it be lost forever.
bad tattoos on leather tanned skin/jesus christ on a plastic sign
I know the lyrics are about Italy, but Miss XCX could very well have been singing about Tucson. I guess the point is that it doesn’t really matter where. That sweeping feeling of “my life is a movie” can be accessed anywhere.
I’m home now.
Since I’m unpacking and doing laundry, I thought I would rank the contents of my suitcase from most worn (like, every day of the trip) to least worn (why the fuck did I even bring it??). The middle of the spectrum includes things that were worn sparingly but with a clear purpose—like my green silk slip or a pair of old Uniqlo track pants that were absolutely necessary for exploring Saguaro National Park.
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What I Wore Every Day
I picked out this skirt from the brand’s summer lookbook as a PR gift (the only thing that caught my fancy tbh), and it was the MVP of my travel wardrobe. It arrived the day before my flight, and when I unpacked the skirt and felt how light and breathable it was, I was like ok, let’s replace the Deiji Studios cotton dress with this because it’s a skirt and I’ll get more outfits out of it.
FYI it looks more lavender-beige in real life than on the website. What I like about the cut of the skirt is that it falls straight down, it doesn’t have a slit up the thigh or the back. NOT ALL SKIRTS NEED A SLIT!!!!!! So yeah, I liked that it wasn’t blowing around too much and felt polished and column-like.
How I wore it:
As my pool cover up/walking around the hotel with a swimsuit. It dries really fast when it gets damp with water.
With lightweight tops for daytime activities.
With a open-weave knit for dinner.
This swimwear brand has been getting a lot of buzz lately and consider me impressed. I’m a lifelong recreational lap swimmer, so I’ve tried a LOT of swimsuits, ranging from sporty/modest/compressive for the local community pool to bikinis for a hotel poolside lounge + cocktail moment.
This one piece falls somewhere in the sporty-meets-stylish zone, with its low back and wide V neckline. It has a medium amount of compression and looks like a bodysuit. I’ve also worn this suit to swim laps and it’s comfortable.
The chili red color is so refreshing. I like how it complements my skin tone and the southwestern landscape. If you’re looking for a summer swimsuit, give this one a try.
Loeffler Randall Jelly Sandals
These were suitable for leisurely walking, nothing too intense. You need a car to get around in Tucson so I was not taking more than 6K steps a day in these. I wore them to the pool (waterproof) and to dinner (sparkly). I wore them with different colored socks, which gave the clear jelly color a slightly different tint each time. These have no arch support so be aware of that. I wouldn’t wear them hiking or for cobblestone, obviously.
One for each wrist. I got these from cathedralrock on ebay for under $30 each. Not fussy, easy to take on and off, I won’t be too devastated if they got lost.
Oddobody Organic Cotton Underwear—I wear these year round but they are especially practical in hot weather. Very light and breathable! Simple designs.
Old Lauren Manoogian tote bag—got this on Vestiaire for $90 years ago and it remains a staple bag every summer. It might be a woven bag but it’s very strong and sturdy (not floppy).
What I Wore Sparingly, But With Intention
These were my airport travel day shoes. I also have these in the russet brown and was waiting for the green to come back in stock this summer. They’re not as supportive as my Keens, but they read less gorpy and that was just the look I was going for. I also liked how the green matched the saguaros.
Also for the airport: I felt like a cool Entireworld girl (RIP) in these forest green cotton sweatpants.
I am short, with a 25”-26” inseam and these graze my heel but don’t drag. Because they have a wide leg, rather than the typical scrunchie sweatpant leg,