All right travelers around the world, the New Year is here and we are all making plans to go on vacations, but wait, don’t forget about travel fashion! The question of whether it’s possible to look good while traveling is one aspect that’s on a fashion inclined traveler. If you travel much, you know that wearing your favorite pair of Levi’s jeans and heels in Cuba is not going to get you far. When the sweat starts to kick in and you are stumbling with your heels on, you wish you had your flip flops, shorts and a tank top. In my humble opinion, traveling demands a practical approach to dressing, but I have always seen travelers who dress and they don’t tend to win much of travel fashion kudos! So take a look at these seven sins of travel fashion and make sure you’re not wearing one of these travel fashion sins on your next trip!
Travel Fashion Sins
Travel Fashion | (c) Photo By The Style Inquisitor
Fanny Packs
What It Is?
For a while, travelers were doing just fine without fanny packs but somehow from somewhere it comes back. These fanny packs or in other words ‘strap on receptacle’ for loose change and bus tickets are convinced by travelers that is a must have. It seems these fanny packs have become quite a thing for certain breed of travelers from the late 1980’s onwards. I should also remind, the travelers who have one of these fanny packs are susceptible to any competent thief with a knife or pair of scissors.
Who Wears Them?
The name sounds like a colostomy bag :) And the scared and elderly favor this item. Also occasionally sported by exchange students badgered into compliance by their worried mothers.
Crocs
What It Is?
OK I must admit, at one time I owned a pair of crocs and it was one of my travel fashion accessories. However, as time passed my travel fashion became more updated. The material of Crocs are similar to Thai fisherman pants. Crocs are not pretty either. I think it is a well established fact that it is impossible for anyone to look good in a pair of crocs. Let’s be honest, do you feel the need to parade around in them while you are in sunny Hawaii in your bikini?
Who Wears Them?
Crocs, thankfully, have been shunned by most of the world leaving it up to mostly middle-aged North American men to spread the fashionably crocs. Also, let’s not forget that there is a huge amount of Eastern European and Russian men who pair them with socks. A travel fashion disaster I must say.
Slogan T-Shirts
What It Is?
Alright, I should be fair and say that some of the classic travel t-shirts are actually pretty neat. Beer Lao is a label that looks pretty cool emblazoned on a cotton t-shirt. I must admit, slogan t-shirts are mostly prevalent on the southeast Asian circuit. If you think your t-shirt slogan ‘I travel’ is cool, I think it’s time to take a step towards updating your travel fashion wardrobe.
Who Wears Them?
This is any young person’s game, which is understandable given that a) the items are cheap and durable and b) young backpackers tend to hunt slogan t-shirts when traveling. So when it comes to travel fashion and t-shirts with logos, there is no taking it away from the young crowd.
Cheap Tattoos
What It Is?
OK I think it is self explanatory what a tattoo is, and surprisingly it does fall under ‘travel fashion’. When it comes to tattoos, you either love them or hate them because it’s hard to deny the quality of a really good tattoo. Travel tattoos are painstakingly planned and executed by expert artist. So if your tattoo was done in a hut by the beach by a fisherman, guaranteed it won’t be so pretty.
Who Gets It?
Travelers who do this are mostly inebriated :) So that would be the Australians, Irish, Brits and Americans. Travelers who get such tattoos seen to be susceptible to vandalizing their bodies and later regret it when they wake up the next morning.
Socks And Sandals
What It Is?
The title says it all. If you even have the slightest thoughts about sandals and socks, get it out of your head! The whole pairing of socks (usually white but often brown, black or even beige) with a chunky pair of sandals and ample strapping is a travel fashion disaster.
Who Wears Them?
This is preferred footwear of elderly, not a fashionable traveler. There are others who just have the habit of putting socks and sandals together and this is the ‘no no’ travel fashion. If you ask anyone, this pairing usually leads to having a laugh when we see it while traveling.
Fisherman’s Pants
What It Is?
These are lightweight cotton unisex pants made wide in the waist so it can be worn by anyone. They come in different colors and patterns ranging from black to luminous orange and tie dye. No, these pants are not worn by fisherman :)
Who Wears Them?
These sinful travel fashion pants are mainly worn by the reserved and young British backpackers. If you have doubts about who wear these, I suggest heading to a beach bar after nightfall. You are guaranteed to find young girls and lads dancing to techno music in these pants.
Dreadlocks
What It Is?
Dreadlocks is a travel fashion that seem to fade away but still, there are few travel junkies who think it’s a travel fashion. There is no doubt however, that dreadlocks is a travel fashion statement when we see them out on the streets.
Who Wears Them?
This travel fashion statement with dreadlocks are worn by a wide cross section of nationalities. Everyone from beach girls to beach bums. Oh the best part, often found in conjunction with fisherman pants :)
Well these are a collection of some of the travel fashion sins I have come across and that stuck with me through the years. What travel fashion sins have you seen?
My name is Salika Jay, and I'd like to welcome you to my travel blog! Ever since I was a kid, I loved traveling the world. I started this blog to share my journeys around the world and everything travel.
First thing that I think of when it comes to travel fashion sins are those really loud, flowery polo shirts. These make you stick out of the crowd and screams “tourist” wherever you go. Not only do these make it a lot harder to haggle in flea markets, but also makes you a walking target for shady people that tend to prey on tourists like pickpocketing and stuff like that.
Adeline recently posted..Side Trip to Barasoain Church in Malolos, Bulacan
Oh yes, those flowery shirts that we see traveler in, they sure scream out “I’m a tourist.” Must admit…I almost bought one years ago :)
Ha ha. Great post. I see people make these fashion sins all the time when travelling. We should always make an effort to look good because, after all, we’re going to take photos to share with our friends!
Thank You! I must admit, I have also seen travelers making these travel sins even today. You wish you could go up to them and tell them, but rather, you smile and walk away :)