I’m the kind of girl who when I wake up in the morning tries
to determine the balance between what would classify as a decent appearance, (the kind you could answer an unexpected knock at the door without apologies
and embarrassment, even if it is only a mail courier) and, what would require “too
much effort”, effort being, do I really need to wash my hair? Nope, a pony-tail
will solve that problem, or, should I wear those pants that I love but require
heels because the hems are too long? Nope, fold them up at the cuff and wear
flats, it’s just the supermarket.
For me, make-up doesn’t even make the consideration list
most days.
I know Grandmas around the world are chiding “You should
always wear clean underwear, lest you get hit by a bus.” Unlikely. But better
to be safe than sorry. Sigh, thanks Grandma.
There's also the consideration of the risk that you'll meet someone that you know…
The guy you used to date, or the girl he’s currently dating
(who never seems to have such dressing battles. The “effort” option is standard).
Yup, at these times you want to look
awesome, but…sigh, I will usually take the risk on this one too.
That’s where accessories are interesting. Accessories to me
mean effort.
Shoes, handbags, hats, watches, scarves and jewellery
including Ding! Ding! Ding!...Earrings!
 |
| 4 continents worth of earrings |
Despite the effort category I put most accessories in, (shoes
are a bit hard to overlook), I often leave the house only to discover I forgot
earrings, belt, watch etc. However, when you are travelling, accessories become
IMPORTANT.
Any repeat traveller will know that accessories are the
subtle way you can change your outfit without having to pack numerous pairs of bulky
jeans, sweaters, shoes etc.
Same shirt from yesterday but today it’s buttoned up and you’re
wearing a scarf. Whaaat? Completely different outfit!
Okay, so it’s a lot easier to err on the side of decent vs.
effort when you’re travelling. Blame it on the disorganization of your backpack
(I swear I had another pair of shorts in there), the filthiness of hostel showers,
(I can hold out one more day)…or just the pure excitement that you’d rather be “out
there” than “in here” primping and preening as you would if you actually knew you were going to an event where
you’d see your old flame.
To sum up, pack your basics and minimize on most of the
aforementioned accessories e.g. shoes are pretty hard to overlook, but you can
still choose versatile sneakers and/or flip-flops. One neutral handbag that fits
your daily necessities is all you’ll need. Get your (trusted) photo-taker to
hold your bag so it’s not in all your pics if you want to shake up your look
further.
BUT and I say this in all seriousness, the single most
important item I have ever found for travel wardrobe diversity are…earrings.
I’ll explain. Earrings are compact and light-weight (2
golden words of packing). You could take enough earrings to wear 2 pairs a day
and still take up less room than one shoe.
Most photos (especially selfies, an art solo travellers must
master) are head shots, or body up shots. They will show case in your photos
and brighten your look immeasurably.
The other important travel item for me (since I’m fairly
make-up less most of the time) is mascara.
With these two items - a noticeable pair of earrings and
some black on my lashes, my photos look a million times better. Undoubtedly you
will have days where you are tired, hungry and travel-weary but if that’s on
the day you climb the Eiffel tower or reach Machu Picchu, you don’t want your
photos to reflect that.
Before you call me superficial and vain, don’t tell me you
haven’t gone through some travel pics and thought oh, those dark, baggy eyes
completely ruin my photo. I wish I was wearing earrings to brighten/soften my
face and mascara to highlight my eyelashes vs. tired, ashy skin).
Have you ever dreaded returning from a trip? Everyone is so
jealous, “Show us your photos!” but you know they all look like you’re wearing
dirty underwear with frizzy hair AND a massive pimple AND the same blue/white
stripe top in all your photos. Might as well have seen your ex-lover that day
too.
Just in case you’re not sold yet. We travel to make memories
right? (hence the wanting of photos to show good-looking memories!) Well, the
other great thing about earrings is that they make awesome souvenirs because they are
light and compact.
Different cultures create different styles, use different
colours, certain gems might be cheaper where they are abundant, soon you’ll have
no end of unique designs from all over the planet.
It even helps cure my “how-much-can-I-get-away-with-and-still-appear-decent”
grooming habits when my accessories remind me of their location of purchase.
“These earrings are from Prague…”
“Oh, you don’t say”
 |
| The Astronomical clock in Prague, Czech Rep. |
No comments:
Post a Comment