Silly Little Outfits To Boost Serotonin For Sad Days Vol.14

I come to you run-down and flu-y, writing from the couch with a heat pack. I’m fashionably swaddled in the Aldi fawn-print blanket that the cat has adopted as its new mother and won’t stop licking. However, a week ago, I was sitting poolside in Sanur, a sleepy pocket of Bali, soaking up the sun and cajoling my partner into letting me buy a pack of cigs because (whiny voice) they’re only about $3.

I tried to unplug for as much of the holiday as possible, though our hotel room included a full-length wood-carved mirror perfect for whipping out my ridiculously cased phone and snapping a lewk or two. Everyone, get warm. Let’s talk outfits and look at vacation pics while I try not to dribble snot onto the keyboard. Ahh, the irony of catching a cold while you’re still tanned.

I’ve tried to be good at outfit planning for summer vacations, but I have to face that I’m a pretty careless packer, and that will probably never change. I just throw an assortment of stuff in so I’ve got options, and I can decide what to wear once I’ve arrived and sussed the weather and the activities (or lack thereof) for the day. Not to toot my own horn or quote my own writing, but I find some enjoyment in the limitation of choice - this is what I brought; this is what I’ll have to wear.

At least I was sorted for accessories - our hotel was overflowing with my favorite flowers, anthuriums, marigolds and hibiscuses. Each day I stepped out of my room, I’d be welcomed by fresh frangipanis blown from trees to be plucked up and tucked behind my ear. And sometimes, slipped into my tabis.

Last year, I bought the fittingly named Bali bikini set from Inablis. Though I’m not super psyched about how the top flattens my boobs into nothingness, the contrast bottoms and blown-up polka dots make for super cute layering. Inspired by Allegra Samsen ‘s learnings from her mother that a bikini is an accessory, I got to accessorizing. Exhibit A: a skirt from Zara (purchased 2024, as I was given a gift voucher), a very crinkly linen shirt from Italy (2022), and black Havaianas due for a replacement (I suffered many a blowout on this trip).

Exhibit B: Embracing visible g-banger for a day of cycling. Worn with white shorts, which were a sample from a past job, and Nike Air Rift tabis. The tee was a gift from Joel, merch from the wine bar/restaurant/independent radio station Hope Street Radio, which you may have recently seen Dua Lipa call out as a favorite Australian venue.

As if I have any influence over where the people’s bride drinks in Melbourne, my delulu self still wants the record to show that I’ve had the t-shirt and hung out there long before (though not so much these days because they took the yellow tomato pasta off the menu. Thankfully, the chef released a cookbook which you can find here.)

On our cycling trip we met Angelique, the most beautiful cow I’ve ever seen.

Hotel robe and slippers. Self-explanatory.

I’m still tucking slip dresses into underwear, and apparently, all of you will be too! 70% of Hautties were inspired to do so from the last edition of Silly Little Outfits. On this night, I made the mistake of wearing a dip-front thong, so the dress kept sliding out, but with a sturdier waistband, hacking the Marc Jacobs slip is foolproof.

Worn with a bouclé vest from Dissh bought secondhand on Depop in 2024. The pink-tinted sunglasses were a $5 op-shop emergency purchase on a surprisingly sunny day when I left my pair at home and was actually due to meet a friend at Hope Street Radio (no, it wasn’t Dua Lipa).

Just add beachside cocktails.

The With Jéan slate skirt was the trip’s MVP. Now that I’ve closed the side slit a smidge, it’s a much better fit and feels so slinky and breezy to wear in the heat. The halter is from Cotton On to inject some color into the palette. Plus, I never wear blue so this feels like a little treat for myself.

Apart from the flowers, my other favorite summer accessory was visible nips, which go perfectly with tank tops. This Marine Serre is a fave and has served me faithfully since 2022, no matter the season.

The grey tank is from the Portuguese skateboarding brand EMENTA that I picked up last year in Lisbon. The sandals are Saint Laurent, bought second-hand in 2024, and I would like to commend myself for wearing ALL FOUR pairs of shoes I packed for the trip (plane Salomons not pictured). I mean, pardon the pun, but what a feat!

Now, I don’t like spending my holidays trying to get the perfect bikini pic, but I did ask Joel for a “hot snorkeling photo” when we went to the Blue Lagoon. Unfortunately, I am neither super photogenic nor in possession of an Instagram boyfriend, and this was the result.

Body is tea, face absolutely kills me. I mean…

Comment if you think I should make this my LinkedIn profile pic.

Much happier at the Tegenungan Waterfall, though the water was freezing.

Thanks for tuning in! I’m now back home, where it’s freezing, suffering from post-holiday blues and climatic whiplash. At least I’ve got good company in my chessmate.

Looking forward to clogging up your feeds again soon with more ramblings and Silly Little Outfits.