Relay Column: Travel & Fashion – Between the Ordinary & the Extraordinary (Saki Nabekura)

What to Wear on a Trip

When people leave home for a trip for a certain period, what do they wear?

What will you wear and what will you pack as you head to your destination? When considering the contents of your luggage, functionality and practicality are likely to be the primary considerations. Clothing and personal items are selected based on the purpose of the trip, such as business or tourism, the itinerary, and the climate of the destination. On the other hand, in tourism settings, not only practicality but also a performative aspect can become prominent. Examples of fashionable choices that enhance the trip, chosen according to different criteria than practicality, include resort fashion, the increasingly popular rental kimono or hanbok for walking around towns, and wearing "uniforms" or coordinating outfits at Disneyland.

The relationship between travel and fashion is profound and diverse. However, discussions on this theme have not been well-established so far. In this column, I would like to explore, from the perspective of a researcher of tourism and mobility, particularly focusing on tourists' fashion, emphasizing its elements of the extraordinary and the everyday.