A Musing
Why you should live, eat and shop like a local—but look like a tourist urist
There was a time when the ultimate faux pas was to dress like a tourist, even if you were actually a tourist. Hawaiian shirts, chunky sneakers and bum bags represented a particular type of holiday-goer. You know, the kind who stands at a corner of the street holding a physical map, buys magnets as souvenirs, and would rather eat McDonald’s than try the native cuisine.
But, as it has with so many other types of sartorial faux pas, the rise of ugly fashion has made the tourist look desirable. Post-normcore, post-Birkenstocks, from souvenir t-shirts to cargo shorts and socks-and-sandals, nothing has been spared the luxury treatment. Thanks to designers like Miuccia Prada,
Virgil Abloh and Demna Gvasalia, looking like a tourist has become a look to don not just while on holiday, but all year round.
The cruise collections were originally conceived so customers could have pieces to take with them on their year-end travels to warmer climes. So it’s fitting that one of the first times a touristy look came down the runway was at Chanel’s cruise 2017 show in Cuba. T-shirts emblazoned with the words “Viva Coco Cuba Libre” across the chest were paired with classic tourist accessories including a hat, crossbody bag and pool slides. Gvasalia, one of the main perpetrators of the look, has showcased clothes and accessories at Balenciaga that look like kitschy souvenirs one can purchase from Chinatown. Even Taylor Swift was recently spotted wearing a Balenciaga sweater with New York City (the words and the skyline) on it. Another Balenciaga creation that has made converts out of fashion folk is, of course, the Triple S trainer inspired by chunky Dad sneakers.Who knew sensible shoes that were made for walking around for hours in would actually become a look that has lasted a few seasons? And it’s not just sneakers. Brands like Gucci and Louis Vuitton have been presenting hiking boots that would not look out of place on the Appalachian Trail, dressed up in monogram prints, platform soles and embellishments.
A few years ago, the words “fanny pack” would have struck fear in most of our hearts, no matter how fuss-free they were. Now, everyone, from hypebeasts to devoted minimalists, has a bum bag to choose from. They’re often paired with more tourist-friendly clothing: Track suits, puffer jackets, windbreakers (the more garish the colours, the better). Recently, tie-dye—once strictly reserved for hippies and eat, pray, love-types—has been creeping onto the backs of hipsters (typically early adopters of anti-fashion fashion, see: Hawaiian shirts). Think of it as fashion’s way of letting you be on perma-vacation. Your body might physically be in the office, but while you’re dressed in these items, you can almost believe you’re traipsing around the streets with no cares in the world, other than what’s going to be your next meal (hopefully, not at the Golden Arches). ■ Send me your comments on Instagram: @neonwatermelon