Travelling abroad is all about experiencing a new culture and engaging in a new style of living. Here are six items you shouldn’t wear if you’re trying to fit in with the locals and integrate in local life.
1. A camera around your neck
Nothing screams tourist more than a camera hanging around your neck. Unless you’re a professional photographer capturing a scene of natural beauty, leave the camera. If you want to take a few shots, do so on a camera. Having a camera around your neck also puts you at risk of pick-pockets and thieves, particularly when you’re walking through crowded market places and towns.
2. Expensive jewellery
Taking expensive jewellery away with you is not a good idea. If you lose an item of value in a foreign country and return home without it, chances are you’re never going to see it again. Not only that, wearing flashy, expensive jewellery while you’re out and about makes you an instant target for pick-pockets; that Rolex watch on your wrist might as well be a bull’s-eye target on your forehead. Keep yourself and your possessions safe by leaving them at home. If you really want to wear a watch or jewellery, buy something cheap that you’re not too bothered if you lose.
3. Jeans
Jeans are massively impractical holiday clothes. Top tip: leave your jeans at home and invest in a pair of joggers or comfy pants, especially if you’re planning on travelling to somewhere warm or wet. Denim is a dense and heavy material and, as such, jeans make it difficult for skin to breathe. Not only that, denim’s also incredibly slow to dry, so if you get splashed during a walk on the beach, you’ll be spending a long time in wet clothes. If part of your itinerary revolves around walking, you’ll want to opt for comfort over tight, fashionable skinny jeans. One item of clothing that goes unmentioned quite often but is vital, a good pair of mens underwear from Jacamo or somewhere similar.
5. Inappropriate clothing
It’s important that you research your destination carefully before you depart and pay careful attention to the country’s rules regarding clothing and attire. In overtly religious countries, tourists should endeavour to follow a conservative dress code when venturing through towns and cities. In predominantly Muslim countries, for example, there are strict rules regarding appropriate and inappropriate dress-codes; both men and women should take care to keep their skin covered and women may be expected to wear head-scarfs in some parts of the world. Regardless of where you’re venturing to, if you’re planning on visiting holy buildings such as churches or mosques, or holy sites, you should adhere to a respectful dress code; leave the shorts at the hotel and cover your knees and shoulders. In India, visitors to holy temples are not permitted to enter wearing shoes, so ask about local traditions before you plan a trip to a religious site.
6. Shorts
Shorts are great when you’re lying by the pool or walking along the beach, but they’re not the best choice when it comes to walking through towns and cities. In some countries, wearing shorts when walking around is frowned upon, and might earn you some unpleasant stares. In Vietnam, for example, men never wear shorts during every day walking activities, regardless of how hot it is.