A supremely body-confident tourist recently attracted the ire of Mallorcans and the attention of the international press when she wandered the streets of Palma wearing just a pair of green Speedos. The reason she was so wrong was not her choice of swimsuit, but the local etiquette.
“Do your research on what’s acceptable,” says Carlotta Constant, the creative fashion consultant who styled Nike Swimwear’s SS24 campaign. “Act the way people in town expect you to. “In some Spanish towns you can go to the store in a bikini, but in some places this is considered extremely rude.”
Green Speedo Man isn’t the first to embrace inappropriate resort attire; There’s something about flying that seems to bring out the worst things in people’s wardrobes. Crude slogan t-shirts, bikinis in fancy restaurants, and, breathlessly, terrible sock “pegs” have been known to appear. These clothes worn only on holiday are not only bad for the eyes, but also for the environment. Britain is big on fast fashion, and suitcases full of new clothes are part of the problem.
However, if you’re wearing an office outfit (or a pair of home office pajamas), leaving here means a chance to wear something more exciting and embrace who you really want to be. How do you find the perfect balance and avoid offending locals in the process? Below, experts offer advice on what to wear on holiday and what to avoid.
On the plane – how can you increase your chances of an upgrade?
If you make a mistake in this regard, your journey may end before it even begins. Airlines reserve the right to deny boarding to passengers whose attire is deemed inappropriate.
“The decision of what an airline considers revealing or offensive is often left up to airline staff, which means enforcement of dress codes can be inconsistent,” says former crew member Jay Robert, who now runs the airline’s social media community, A Fly Guy’s Cabin Crew Lounge. “Clothing that does not cover sensitive body parts and clothing containing offensive words, slurs or symbols are often the main culprits.”
Will going the other way and wearing a Panama hat and a linen suit (or designer sunglasses and high heels) give you an upgrade? In the age of sportswear, even those in First Class are more likely to wear tracksuits; But dressing well can also have some advantages.
“When I worked as a porter, I would pick older passengers first, and those who took on that role would be the next on my list to receive the First Class upgrade,” says Robert. “I remember a woman who dressed to impress; she really stood out she. “I got a call from operations to put a passenger in First Class, so I called him up to the podium, handed him his First Class boarding pass and said, ‘Sorry, your outfit is too cute for economy,'” she reveals.
Some savvy flyers are adopting more practical strategies for airline attire, including Phil Lisle, who wore his entire holiday wardrobe to avoid paying extra baggage fees on a flight from Benidorm to Bristol, according to Wales Online. Lloyd Griffiths (one half of travel blogging duo Hand Luggage Only, along with Yaya Onalaja-Aliu) also takes a no-nonsense approach. “I’m the kind of person who puts it together on every flight, so I always have to wear black on the plane,” she says.
As traveling by plane becomes less and less luxurious, comfort should be a top priority. “I would invest in really good loungewear,” says second-hand fashion stylist Jen Graham. “Try a brand called Pantee. “I’ve been using one of your tracksuits for six months and there’s not a single change on it.”
On a city break – ways to avoid looking like a tourist
Green Speedo Man may have been photographed in Mallorca, but he was wandering the streets of the city’s capital, Palma. If you do this in London you will provoke a similar reaction. “We have dress codes in the UK too. “You don’t show up to a club in shorts, a tank top and sneakers,” says Onalaja-Aliu. “Some people don’t realize they are guests when they travel. “There is an expectation that what they are comfortable with should make everyone else comfortable.”
He sees the city as a place where you have to dress to impress. “I’ll walk by and people will say, ‘Whoa, what is this person wearing?’ I like the idea of saying. Choose at least one thing (be it shoes, pants or a shirt) that looks good and attracts attention.”
The duo also recommends carrying a special scent (“not the scents you get at Duty Free”). Onalaja-Aliu’s secret weapon was Byredo’s discontinued Open Sky, a spicy blend with notes of pomelo, marijuana, and Palo Santo.
I am not kidding. When I was in New York, a few people ran up to our taxis and said, ‘What are you wearing? ‘What smell is that?’ for a day,” he adds.
Looking to up your sartorial game with extra custom tailoring? Vintage is your friend, says Graham. “I wish I could do a TV show where I showed people on the street a Windsor jacket (I think it’s from the 1970s) and then a jacket from a fast fashion brand that copied it. Quality, cut, material, coating; You feel like a million dollars in the 1970s. And in that fast fashion one would go into the washing machine, then the shoulder pads would move, there would be threads everywhere, buttons would come off.”
One last piece of advice: Tone it down if you don’t want to look like a tourist, says author Marissa Cox. Applying Parisienne. In Paris, this means avoiding “an overly extravagant outfit with lots of accessories.” All the stereotypical parts of Paris are together; berets, striped tops, trench coats and ballerinas. Also too much make-up and excessive haircuts. “High-heeled shoes during the day or high-heeled shoes that make you have difficulty walking (if you want to wear high-heeled shoes, choose block-heeled shoes).”
Is there anything Parisians would never wear? “Flip-flops (especially plastic ones) and crocs are generally a no-go, as are tights and jogging pants,” Cox adds.
At the beach – how to avoid getting fined
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office offers official travel advice for tourists to Spain who choose to wear next to nothing: “In some parts of Spain, it is illegal to walk around the street wearing only a bikini or swimming shorts. It is also illegal to be bare-breasted in some parts of Spain. “If you are caught wearing a swimsuit on the beach promenade or adjacent streets, you may be fined.”
There are also bikini bans in other parts of Europe. In 2022, the mayor of Sorrento banned swimsuits and topless wearing on the streets, and the same rules apply in Venice.
Embrace linen for the most stylish way to cover up. And don’t worry it will get crumpled in your bag. “I always tell people not to be afraid of wrinkles caused by laundry,” says Constant. “One of the things no one really knows is that the more wrinkles in linen, the more expensive it is.”
Local customs may attract visitors, but so do cheap, see-through swimsuits. Graham’s advice is to buy quality, sustainable pieces. “I buy swimsuits from Vinted because you can buy them ‘new with tags’. Sustainable swimwear brands tend to be more expensive, but you don’t need a bikini for every day. “Buy a few and mix and match different tops and bottoms on different days,” she says.
Is it possible to wear a swimsuit on the beach? Constant thinks so. “It can be versatile, and that’s what you want in your holiday wardrobe,” she says. “You want to pack light and have a capsule wardrobe for work. Choose the same color group to combine your swimsuits from day to night. Gather accessories, then at a beach club you can pair your swimsuit with a skirt, sheer top and big chunky jewelry.
Meanwhile, according to both Constant and Griffith, the biggest fashion mistake on the sand is forgetting SPF. “I burn in about 10 seconds. So I’m always covered, under an umbrella, wearing Factor 50 and a blanket around my feet,” says Griffiths.
Watch out for the fashion police these holidays
luxury hotels
Check before traveling to a five-star hotel. The weather may be warm in the Caribbean, but men may be in trouble if they only have shorts with them: many hotel restaurants require trousers in the evening. Meanwhile, sneakers, T-shirts and shorts are banned at the American Bar in Gleneagles. You’ll need a jacket and tie for afternoon tea in the Palm Court at The Ritz.
cruise ships
Trousers are extremely strict at some cruise ship restaurants (although you can get away with ‘cleverly tailored shorts’ at some venues on P&O ships, while Disney’s most casual restaurants accept everything but swimsuits and tank tops). You will also need a dress, jacket and tie for ‘Black Tie’ evenings; Unless you’re on a Virgin Voyage, where you can wear whatever you want and even have a ‘pajama party’ in your nightgown.
theme parks
Do you have the desire to return to your childhood by dressing up as your favorite Disney character? Forget it: Disneyland bans anyone over the age of 14 from wearing costumes. Suggestive slogans and visibly inappropriate tattoos are common, as are clothing that shows “excessive portions of skin.”
active wear
Can you embrace exercise? And Fashion on holiday?
It’s finally time to look back with nostalgia on C&A school ski wear: Color is back in a big way. Onalaja-Aliu opts for a highlighter-toned one-piece for the snow, while Constant recommends Perfect Moment, a brand known for its 1970s-inspired, form-fitting red, white and blue clothing.
Constant recommends Burton for those who want to fit in. “It’s a slightly more fun snowwear brand. It is comfortable and extremely large. “It looks great on everyone.”
By the way, the key to looking good while hiking is always to be comfortable. In some cases, wearing the wrong clothes can be downright dangerous; This may explain the ban on flip-flops and open-toed shoes on Italy’s Cinque Terre hiking trails.
The coolest brands in the activewear game right now? Pas Normal Studios for cycling, Patagonia and Arc’teryx for getting outdoors.