What I Should Have Packed

In these 3 weeks I've

begun to feel a sense of

dysphoria in the way I dress.

My desire to blend in and

belong in Vietnam is hampered

by my American shoes and

tie-dye shirts. But, really,

What would clothes do for

me when I'm betrayed

the moment I open my mouth?

Prior to arriving, I did try

to research Vietnamese style.

I asked around, screenshotted

Vietnamese influencers, and

took the climate into consideration. On this information 

and the constraints of my

"Capsule" wardrobe, I have

stuffed this: 

 into my bike panniers.

Out of these select items,
I should have foregone;
atleast one of the tie-dye tops
(immediate Westerner signal),
my favorite ribbed crop
(quickly becomes laden with
sweat), and 

the black underamour

(have worn once).

Instead, in order to be harmonious with the Hanoian locals, here's what I should have packed:

I have since purchased this shirt, and do feel an increased sense of relief.

Yet, to achieve the
social capital of Vietnamese
clothing culture is more than
donning these items. It is
to be physically comfortable
in the long layers. In
America, as the temperature
riser, our clothes spring off.
Like many Western youth, I find
comfort in small, skin-bearing
pieces. I don't know when I'll get over my fascination with the practice of wearing more
to stay cool. My
association of bared skin
with physiological
comfort is seemingly uncorruptable.

The clothes I packed, should have packed, and the unmutable sticky-sweaty discomfort all reflect my desire to belong to my surroundings.