d) Dressed traditionally
Why do we wear what we do?
In choosing clothes for this trip, we looked for clothing that was practical, fast-drying (except for our beloved jeans!), mostly natural, pre-loved when possible, stain-hiding, adaptable, modest, comfortable.
Someone commented that it was strange we were buying over a year ahead – what we chose might not be in fashion by the time we left, you know. That was not a factor for us.
And on the road we will be looking at people’s clothes, asking ourselves why they wear what they do – and if the occasion presents itself, we will ask them too!
Observed: Laos was the only country we were in where ALL the local women wore a long skirt (and they all wear the same style of skirt too – a semi-wrap-around tube). It was also the only country where ALL the local women had long hair.
Observed: After five months in Asia, Europe came as a bit of a shock. The skirts were so short, the tops so tight, the advertising so s*xy (“e” removed so as to protect the blog from undesirable advertising!) And that was springtime….we still had not quite adjusted when summer arrived.
Malaysia: we saw a school group swimming in a river. Although they were all wearing jeans and tshirts, the boys and girls bathed separately.
France and Italy: one-piece bathing costumes seem to be outlawed, unless you can count a teeny tiny bikini bottom as a one piece (but most – although by no means *all* – people did wear the top too). These scraps of material were not designed to cover anything.
Such contrast.
rayres
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