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It is better to look like a well-dressed traveller than a tourist, says
Babita Mehta ANY seasoned traveller would know that it is much warmer in Australia in October than it is in Austria. Also, what works in New York could raise a lot of eyebrows on the streets of New Delhi. And yet, it is remarkably easy to get it all wrong.
Fashion experts suggest that some styles, adapted to reflect the sensibilities of the wearer, can cross borders with aplomb. As Lavina Kurian, the merchandising head of a reputed multinational, puts it: "You can travel light and still manage to look right." Having to divide time between Mumbai, Hong Kong and London, she has become conscious of cultural differences in dressing and the importance of "looking appropriately attired" at different places, in keeping with her professional position. "In Asia, what works best is a well-cut dress, heels, a string of pearls, and when the air-conditioning is too high, a pashmina shawl thrown around," she remarks. "The same outfit in Europe, where the style is dressy, could look funky." Ramnik Goel, an IT professional, who wings around the globe on work, admits to maintaining "two depressingly expensive" wardrobes for travel. And yet, he still has a hard time gauging weather conditions in advance and invariably gets mixed up with his clothes. "Dressing for travel is a tricky business," he says. "A late September meeting with Bermuda Stock Exchange in the Caribbean islands with officials was preceded by a whirlwind tour in suffocating heat of the island’s clothing boutiques. In the end, I settled for cool khakis and carried the blue jacket I left Mumbai with. The golf clothes on offer in most of the shops would have been more out of place." "Dressing appropriately can protect travellers from embarrassment and discomfort," adds Shyamala Dutt, a designer. "To be in Rome and dressing like the Romans is easier said than done. You need to balance your personal style with the demands of a situation." The best option, according to most experts, is to keep the cuts, fabrics and colour palette simple. "Even if you are wearing a salwar-kameez or sari, do not get into heavy ornamentation, frills and accessories, which might draw unnecessary attention in a strange land," advises Kurian. Dutt offers another piece of advice. "Don’t shed your inhibitions. If you are uncomfortable in revealing clothes, you don’t have to wear them just because others around you do so. Similarly, certain colours may not suit you. British women wear a lot of black. But when they go abroad, they add a dash of white." Furthermore, a trouser suit is always more acceptable for women than any other dress in most parts of the world. "Outside the Middle East and certain Muslim countries, where a long skirt would be better, I cannot think of any place where it wouldn’t work," says Kurian. "It is comfortable, convenient and chic." The trouser-suit can be combined with matching shoes, a belted coat and a scarf, if necessary. "Also, pack a little black dress in your suitcase," she adds. "You can never say when you would need it. This may sound a clich`E9, but it works from day to evening and can be dressed up with jewellery." Clearly, the rule of the
thumb is to look like a well-dressed traveller, rather than a tourist.
Even on a holiday, it does not help to appear a dead-beat backpacker.
Worse, if you are uncomfortable or embarrassed with what you wear,
that’s the end of your holiday. — MF
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The
problem of what clothes to pack and what to leave behind has dogged
most of us, especially when we want to travel light. Apart from
considerations of climate, factors like the culture of a new place,
duration of a visit and the purpose (whether on work or leisure) would
determine what should go in the suitcase.