viv's island outfit diary 🍧🏄🏻‍♀️

i wish i could dress like a surfer girl and eat shaved ice every day.

September has felt like a fever dream.

I had a planned vacation with my partner earlier this month—an intentional unplug from the hustle and noise of fashion week. Then, just days before I left, there was a loss in our family. The following days in Hawaii were an emotional yo-yo between grief and tranquility. Sunsets filled me with awe and existential ruminations.

Reminders of mortality awaited back home.

The day we returned, the Bay Area was rocked by an earthquake. It wasn’t even a 5 on the Richter scale, but I swear it felt worse! I’ve been through numerous quakes as a Californian, but this was the only time I’ve ever woken up screaming thinking it was the Big One. Call me dramatic, but for 2 seconds, my animal brain truly thought we might die. (I’m trying to channel the anxiety into emergency prep instead of reading Wiki pages about the Loma Prieta freeway collapses).

So, I guess September has been about the full range of human experience…the romance of sharing chilled white wine and french fries on the beach at night, the dread of waiting for that phone call with bad news, the bliss of cracking open a ripe mangosteen, the heartache of losing your last grandparent.

That’s all I have to say about grief for now.

I suppose it feels strange for the topic of this newsletter to morph into thoughts on some fucking flip flops, but as in life, the significant and the trivial coexist. Things that are a matter of life and death, and things that don’t really matter at all. I find comfort in that.

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In Hawaii, I loved the feeling of wearing less—the naked freedom of flip flops and tube tops. I basically wore the same shorts the whole time, rinsing them in the shower occasionally and letting them air dry overnight.

These were my island outfit staples.

Tower28 “Happy Hour” Blush

Ugh, this climate was so good to my skin…I miss it.

I’ve had this palette of Tower28 blush forever, it’s my default everyday color. Lasts a long time, looks good with or without a tan. This photo is from our first evening, and because I’m always excited about doing a full face for the ~*first night out*~ this is the most glammed up I looked all trip.

By Day 3 I stopped using my contour/eye pencil stuff, paring it down to just this blush and some lip gloss in “sesame.” My looks just didn’t feel complete without rosy cheeks :)

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Made Some Surf Shorts

I wrote about these in August, when I was on the hunt for a stylish pair of sporty short shorts. They were my favorite of the bunch (and unfortunately the most expensive), but I knew after trying them on that I would love them.

For this trip, I packed two pairs—the bright yellow/green trim and red/white trim. I wore them every day, concocting in punchy colorful outfits that transitioned easily from ocean swims to malasada runs.

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Medium Baggu Crescent Bag

This is my go-to travel day bag, when you’re doing 10K+ steps and need to carry a water bottle, sunglasses, snacks, and random souvenirs. It got dirty on the beach and I didn’t mind. I don’t have to be too precious about it.

Everyone knows this bag or has some version of it…Baggu is everywhere. This was from their Sandy Liang collaboration, but if I were to get one now I’d go for the green one over a print tbh.

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Keen Kona Flip Flop (on sale)

Speaking of 10K+ step days, I wore these Keen flip flops every single day and LOVED THEM. They are unbelievably comfortable. Good grip, arch support, wide straps that don’t dig into the skin, sturdy sole, waterproof, give me this over a flimsy designer flip flop any day.

But then again, I’m a Bay Area girl to my core so obviously I have a thing for dorky crunchy footwear.

pov you have socks on but just wanna pop out real quick to refill your water bottle in the lobby

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Prada Swing Cat Eye Sunglasses

striped bikini top is Goldie!

If you couldn’t already tell, these were glued to my face most of the time. I find big white frame sunglasses to be very glamorous. These are a style from AW2010, and you can only find them secondhand.

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A Sensible Sun Hat

I prefer the look of a tawny woven straw sun hat, but for ocean activities and mountain day trips, a packable water-resistant hat with a chin cord is just necessary. I went to REI before my trip and picked this one out. It was very comfortable on my larger-than-average head, and the light gray color is cute in a gorp-y way. It’s something my mom would borrow for sure.

If you have to get a sensible sun hat, get this one.

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ROXY Rashguard (on sale)

The other thing I bought before the trip was a long-sleeve rash guard for surfing and kayaking. I wasn’t as sensible about sun/skin protection my in my 20s, but now, I’m really not trying to risk skin cancer. Also, I love how sporty and bright it looks. The first suit I ever wore for a swim meet as a kid was a blue ROXY one-piece, so has a nostalgic factor too.

Reviews said it runs small, and I agree. I am wearing an M here over a one-piece from Nu Swim, and it feels comfy.

I had my doubts as to whether a rash guard would really keep me warm. But when it suddenly started raining during a surf lesson, the cold damp wind gave me chills as I grimaced liked a drowned rat on my board, and I was grateful for the protective layer.

the peril! how do surfers do it???

I’m going to wear this throughout the winter for lap swim at the community pool. The older I get, the more I despise feeling cold.

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Gray Comfort Hoodie

The only warm layer I brought. Worn twice (for the plane ride and the bone-chilling air up at Haleakalā, 10K feet above sea level!). This is my beater hoodie, my comfort hoodie, my car hoodie, my “I want to be anonymous” hoodie. When the airport noises get overstimulating I put the hood up and zone out. I like it because it’s thick but slightly cropped, made of fleece-y cotton, and has a faded vintage wash.

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Miscellaneous Recs!

• Chief of War (on Apple TV)—my partner and I started watching it before our trip and it made the visits to the Bishop Museum and Iolani Palace more enriching. The show is visually stunning (love the costume and prop design) and chronicles the unification of the Hawaiian Islands from an indigenous perspective. Has an intense Game of Thrones-esque political drama vibe.

• Laura Lombardi chain necklace—the brand kindly gifted this to me, and I’ve ended up wearing a lot. Note that it is 14K gold plated, not solid gold. You can see how I’ve been styling it lately in my chatty TikToks lol.

• Gombei Tofu from Tokyo Fish Market—this is a small business making fresh tofu out of Santa Clara, and you can find their products at TFM on San Pablo. I’ve developed a hankering for really great tofu this summer (Joodooboo lunch sets have spoiled me) and I wanted a soft version to make daofu fa with ginger syrup at home. Tastes super fresh and high quality.

• Merrell Jungle Moc—another PR package that I will give a glowing review. I wear these with loose cotton trousers or anytime I want something between a clog and a hiking shoe. It’s very accommodating for wide feet, and was such a hit with my family that I got my sibling a pair, and then my Dad wanted a pair for his birthday. Soon, the whole Chen family will be outfitted in these spud-like steppers.

• Lore Sublimity Perfume—there’s a buzzy new fragrance brand on the block, and I sampled all four of their perfumes. Sublimity was my favorite by a long stretch. It’s an salty ocean coconut concept that lingers subtly. I don’t get sick or nauseous of it after a full day. I was pleasantly surprised by Disfruta, which gives bright passionfruit. But the cedarwood and rose milk concepts were an immediate no for me. I’ve said this before, but I think fragrance taste is extremely personal so you should always smell in person if you can!

Finally, October is my favorite month and I’ve been cooking up some special spooky newsletter topics I cannot wait to share :) It’s a great time to upgrade so you don’t miss anything.

xo viv

the coolest fish i snorkeled with

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Thanks for being here. You can find me on IG and TT. My wardrobe pieces and recs are saved here—unless it’s vintage, of course ;) I may earn a small commission from purchases made through affiliate links.