Top 5 WORST Fashion Mistakes Travelers Make

Style mistakes are dangerous. Literally. Although it depends on what part of the world you’re traveling around, you generally don’t want to be easily labeled a tourist. Blending in can save you from pickpockets or being the target of a scam. If you’re in a big city, chances are, you don’t need to bring everything with you.  We’ve compiled to top 5 worst style mistakes that travelers make in the hope that you or someone you love will steer clear of these fashion faux pas.

5. Not Shaving

source: hothardware.com

Some guys who travel want to go for the tough, scruffy, and unshaven look. There’s nothing wrong with that. Some guys take it too far and end up looking like a homeless person (or a hipster). Although, in some cases, I guess this may actually be correct, the point is that you don’t want to look that way. There’s nothing wrong with the unshaven, wilderness style, but make sure to keep your beard in check.

4. Wearing hiking boots everywhere

source: imgur.com
source: imgur.com

There are tons of places in the world where hiking boots are a real godsend. Trekking through the dense jungle of the Amazon, hiking up Machu Picchu, or maybe making your way across the Australian wilderness are all fantastic places to wear hiking boots. Wearing them to a bar in Rome is not. Leave your hiking boots for hiking and wear whatever you’d wear in normal society.

3. Not using a small daypack

source: evaser.com
source: evaser.com

Bringing your large backpack everywhere with your dirty, rolled-up sleeping bag attached to it everywhere you go isn’t really necessary. You become a target for thieves since they know you’re probably carrying multiple valuable items with you. The folding, compact daypack was invented to give you some freedom here. Leave the backpack in your room (unless it’s not safe to do so, obviously). If you’re uncomfortable with that, get a backpack with a locking zipper and secure it via cable to a bed frame. Backpacks like those from PacSafe, Tortuga, REI, and many others have this feature. I personally use the PacSafe VentureSafe 45L.

2. Wearing a t-shirt that says the name of the city you’re in

source: saucytshirts.com
source: saucytshirts.com

Nothing screams “tacky tourist” than wearing a “I <3 NY” shirt in New York. Buy your souvenirs, tuck them away nicely and neatly, then use them when you’re out of the country.

1. Convertible Pants/Shorts

source: anglerscenter.com
source: anglerscenter.com

If there was a way to instantly identify the one person in the whole city with the worst fashion sense… oh wait, there is. No matter how “good” of an idea they may seem at the time, convertible shorts/pants (whether they are of the jean or cargo variety) are always, ALWAYS a terrible idea. They look bad when they’re pants, and they look bad when they’re shorts.  Steer clear.

These are the five worst style mistakes we’ve seen travelers make.  What are some of the worst things you’ve seen? Sound off in the comments!

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Yu Jiang decided to put his career at Apple as a robotics designer and programmer on hold in order to follow his dream of traveling the world. He loves exploring, meeting new people, and learning new things.

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