A fashion segue
A random thought that hit me as I was in the amsterdam airport with the bazillions of other people traveling to Mt. Kilimanjaro (the flight was as large if not larger than the LAX to Amsterdam flight).
You can tell safari travelers by the way they dress, but it’s pretty funny to see the variation. Khaki is definitely the color of choice (with reason, bright colors either scare animals or attract tse tse flys, so I’m told), and there were lots of people in their safari vests. But the true fashion item of choice were the convertible pants (pants that zip off segments into either shorts, or capris, sometimes both on the same pants).
Now, reading the travel boards you quickly learn that convertible pants are basically the trailer-park-trash-wear of the travel set. The “if they only knew better how to be cool” group. The Daisy Dukes or the velour sweat suit of the road (except, I suppose, there are SOME people who do look good in DDs, me not being one of them.).
Despite my unwillingness to wear socks with birkenstocks, the convertible pants thing doesn’t bother me. I’m proud to be trailer trash in this case, even though it lumps me in with some “yes, I know they’re american but we’re not all like that ok” fellow travelers, because damn if they aren’t the most comfortable thing on the planet. Though I should point out that trailer park real estate in LA is just barely affordable enough that i’ve actually considered it!
As far as non ‘safari-gear’, I must say the two most stand-out things I’ve seen is the entire family in matching violently bright “Cherry Garcia” type tye-die shirts, and the guy in military camoflauge. Seriously — not the part of the world I’d be wearing camaflauge to.
OK, off to bed.
PS: Cher hair also travels fabulously!
Tags: Africa, convertible pants, fashion, Random Thoughts
snarkyinla
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