Dress for Success
Travel Success, That Is
(ARA) - Picture for a moment the classic "tourist" clad in plaid shorts, Hawaiian shirt, straw hat, brown shoes, white socks, with camera and map in hand.
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Travel Success, That Is
(ARA) - Picture for a moment the classic "tourist" clad in plaid shorts, Hawaiian shirt, straw hat, brown shoes, white socks, with camera and map in hand.None of us aspires to look like that, yet many North Americans are still easily spotted as tourists. What gives us away?
The modern tourist uniform consists of tee-shirt, jeans or shorts, white
athletic shoes, baseball cap, nylon windbreaker jacket, fanny-pack, with
camera and map in hand. Guilty?
"We all like to dress for comfort and convenience," says 28-year flight
attendant Sharon B. Wingler, author of Travel Alone & Love It; A Flight
Attendant's Guide To Solo Travel, "yet it's not a good idea to wear either tourist uniform. Tourists stand out as targets for pickpockets, swindlers and thieves, and are regarded by locals as clueless bumpkins. We must realize that ours is one of the most casually-dressed cultures on earth. When we travel abroad, we need to dress more formally and conservatively, not only for safety, but out of respect for the culture we're visiting."Wingler suggests "business casual" attire. You will command more respect, plus you'll be able to duck into the nicest hotels for a drink or to use the restroom.
"Pack shorts and tee-shirts only for beach resorts and, even then, take
dressier clothes for jaunts into town", she says.
"People practically weep when I suggest they give up their gym shoes and
fanny packs, yet these are dead giveaways." states Wingler. "There are
plenty of comfortable walking shoes that look more dignified. Women can
carry their belongings in a shoulder strap purse - the strap should be thick, not easily cut, and short enough to keep the bag under a protective arm. A man can wear a blazer and use the inside pockets for belongings.
To foil pickpockets, wallets should be carried in a man's front pant-pocket.
"When in doubt, take a look at the locals and modify your attire to
theirs. Travel is more rewarding when we are culturally aware and
respectful."
Travel Alone & Love It: A Flight Attendant's Guide to Solo Travel (Chicago Spectrum Press, ISBN: 1-886094-35-7, paperback, 160 pages) is available in bookstores nationwide and on the Internet at http://www.amazon.com.
Courtesy of Article Resource Association, www.aracopy.com, e-mail: info@aracopy.com
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Note to Editors: Sharon Wingler is available for interview, questions, quotes and/or added information.
