I’ve written before that I envy one VB (Victoria Beckham aka Posh Spice) not only for her staggering Birkin collection but mainly because in any paparazzi photo of her circling the globe, she always, always looks like she’s just stepped out of a salon wearing an outfit worthy of the red carpet. I’m not at all celebrity-fixated but I often think about how it’s (im)possible to be more put together on the road, like her, when sometimes the road is not so glamorous. Case in point: I arrive at the Krakow airport in the early evening…
and follow the signs on the floor, as in the first pic, to find said train (by now in pitch black) that’s on a lonely, uncovered platform…
After being chided in Polish by the train conductor for not having exact change for the ticket–though I don’t take it personally because he is grumpy with all of the other tourists who also give him a big bill that we’ve just all pulled out from the ATM!–I still manage to make it to the city center, where I try to find my bearings by landmarks I’d noted on my phone but cannot really make out in the dark…
So what would VB do? Well, of course she wouldn’t be standing in the middle of some place without an entourage to whisk her to her hotel, with her hair frizzing out in all different directions from the humidity like yours truly. But right now the only thing that will whisk me anywhere might be a mugger so I stay close to the well-lit streets till I find some big hotel that’s always near the train stations. Luckily, the concierge knows where my hotel is and shows me on the map. I do have the general directions from Expedia, where I booked my hotel, but good luck looking at tiny street signs in the dark when you don’t know how to read the local language. Anyway, it’s probably a five-minutes walk from here, but in the dark, in a foreign town, time stands still until I finally reach it.
As I get out of my wrinkled clothes and wash my dirty face–well, I don’t know that I look like a sweaty chimney sweep or anything, but I’m from car-obsessed LA and any time I succumb to public transportation I feel a little dirty…but I digress. So as I wash my face and get in the shower, I think about all the times I’ve experienced the un-glamour of travel. From sitting on a truck with no shock absorbers in wet shorts to slushing around a flooded Venice without rain boots to sleeping in a fetal position on a night train with strangers who were eyeing my bag…
I’m still laughing about these memories as I get into bed (but not before checking for bed bugs) (which I think we should all do regardless of where we stay). I can’t always travel like VB, but glamorous or not, I love the unexpected from the road. And tomorrow is another day. Can’t wait to see what’s out there.
Tags: Birkin, Krakow, Victoria Beckham
A reader had recently asked if I had a certain outfit for long flights, and it’s something I’d thought about often when I first started to travel a lot–usually when I was already on the plane and regretting what I’d worn. Trust me, I’ve seen all those photos of Posh Spice (aka Victoria Beckham) leaving the airport with not a hair out of place, dressed to kill, armed with some fantastic bag, and I’m here to tell you, it’s all about having your own plane. Because whether I’m flying first, business, or coach class, it’s going to be hard to look fab after any flight lasting longer than 4 hours. I’d need to book an extra ticket for a makeup artist, hair person, and personal stylist for me to look like that upon landing. Fine, also someone to man the wind machine.
For “short” flights (3-6 hours) you will most likely find me in pants (usually khakis with stretch), sneakers, black shirt (in case of spillage by someone in the seat next to me), and a light-weight cashmere hoodie that’s not bulky in case I also have to wear a coat (layering is important when you can’t control the cabin’s temperature and cashmere can be easily rolled up to fit inside your purse or carry-on bag when you don’t need it).
My uniform is tidy and comfortable but nondescript so that I can blend in almost anywhere. The last thing I want to do when going overseas, or almost any public place involving large crowds, is to stick out like a sore thumb. But I also want to be respectful and not look too sloppy. I also find that, whether it’s fair or not, when I need to curry some favor from the airline’s ground crew, I get more help when I don’t look sloppy. That’s just how the world is. So save the cutoff shorts and muffin tops for a picnic maybe?
I don’t recommend sandals or flip flops–even though they are easier to slip on and off when you go through security–because of the public restrooms in airports and on planes. Closed-toe shoes are critical for this reason alone. Plus I remember getting stranded unexpectedly more than once in cities that had inclement weather, wearing pretty but useless sandals that did not protect my toes from rain and snow. So I repeat, closed-toe shoes are critical. It’s not a crime to kick them off once you’re in your seat.
For longer flights, especially the ones involving sleeping on the plane, I have mixed feelings. I have tried wearing dresses–anything with a stretch and that doesn’t wrinkle, and in fabrics appropriate for the weather. The only problem is that some dresses can flag you for an extra round of security check (note to self: TSA does not like maxi dresses), even though it is easy to look smart in a slim black dress even after 12 hours on the plane. So sometimes I’m in my black dress uniform and other times I’m in the look from above. But that black gauze cotton dress I picked up from Target last week…I think I might give it a go on my next flight this summer. I could wear it with the closed-toe espadrilles on the plane and then the peep-toe heels when I go out to dinner that same night:
I now dress for travel while adhering to the Boy Scout motto: be prepared. I always ask myself if, God forbid, there were some emergency, would I be able to run or jump or help someone in my outfit? Therefore, gone are the days of wearing stilettos on the plane–unless I really have no time to change out of a business suit and Louboutins before catching a plane after a meeting. I save those for when I reach the destination. Though I must say, the extra 4 inches from the heels go a long way in reaching overhead bins!
But utility is no fun, am I right? Where’s the joy in dressing like a boy scout when you can look like Victoria Beckham? Well, I’ll concede that vanity and practicality are not mutually exclusive, so I like to accessorize my flight uniform with a fantastic bag or some key personal item (like a watch or Hermes muffler) that I will need when I land anyway. The plane ride is just the means to an end, and comfort is a top priority. Perhaps I won’t look like Posh Spice when I land, but at least I won’t resemble Scary Spice either. Uh, not that there’s anything wrong with looking like that.
In the next entry we’ll look at what’s always inside my carry-on bag.
PS: this is the Chanel mule I featured yesterday. Another reader had asked for a shot of the heel and I’m always happy to comply with gratuitous eye candy!
Tags: cashmere, Chanel, Louboutins, Posh Spice, Scary Spice, Victoria Beckham
