- Aleksandr Slyadnev / Foter.com / CC BY-NC-SA
Traveling is therapeutic. It’s an endeavor that lets people discover places, culture, food, people, and much more. Traveling also opens the doors for self-discovery. However, for women travelers who plan to travel solo, traveling isn’t without its problems. Since the world is such a large place and as each country has its own culture or tradition, what a woman wears while traveling through many countries is always under the radar. What’s cool in midtown New York or in the heart of Paris might not be a clever choice of wardrobe in the UAE, Laos, or Mozambique.
Fashion, however, is nothing without women. Every woman wants to look good. She spends over half the time in her life just trying to do that. That defines us women, doesn’t it? So, when we travel, how do we stay fashionable? How do we manage to wear what we like?
The solution is simple: We are fashionable where we can be. We travel to places that are safe enough for us to experiment with haute couture. Here are at least five such places in the world where we women can travel solo and still flaunt the fashion junkie in us:
Paris, France
Talk fashion and Paris just pops into your head. Paris takes the crown for some of the best fashion brands in the world such as Chanel, Dior, Louis Vuitton, and Yves Saint Lauren. That’s not everything there is about Paris. Whether you are heading to the Champs Elysees, the Eiffel Tower, or the Arc De triumph you are welcome to wear your own definition of fashion. Now, showing off in Paris can be challenging, as the French are particularly hard to please. At least, no one gawks at you. It’s one of those places in the world where a woman can feel safe, wear attitude on self, and probably even pick up a lesson or two on fashion.
Tokyo, Japan
It may not seem like it should even make it to this list, but it does. Tokyo is the unlikely entrant because it does have an unlikely sense of fashion. For women travelers exploring on their own, Tokyo is safe and secure indeed. Additionally, not many people realize but Tokyo is all about fashion.
It may not be in your face as it is in Paris or London but it’s evident, and it’s hard to get away from the grip of popular brands in this bustling metropolis. The Tokyoite taste for clothing is slightly eccentric and borderline crazy, so you’d at least be able to pass off as “normal” with your own fashion sense. In terms of safety, you are in a big protective balloon of building, people, a weird sense of rush. You’ll experience a completely strange culture of fashion featuring punk, anime, goth, and even cyberpunk.
New Zealand
The land of the Kiwis boasts of pristine beauty, thrilling adventures, some of the best spots on earth, and a breathtaking vista. New Zealand also allows us women plenty of liberty to dress up the way we like, get as fashionable as we can, and explore the country without worrying about what others think.
For one, there are plenty of inbound tourists to keep the locals busy. Second, Nez Zealanders are fashionable already. New Zealand is already making news as a new destination for fashion by housing designers of international acclaim, award winning labels, and suave boutiques. So, when you arrive here in New Zealand, make sure your suitcase is half-empty so that you can pick from your choices: Andrewa Moore, Kate Sylvester, World, Zambesi, Trelise Cooper, or you can go hit the Stolen Girlfriends Club.
New York, USA
The statue of liberty beckons you with her triumphant smile and you’ll saunter into the one of the price jewels of America, stepping into the New York minute.
New York is the land that’s inspires the likes of Sex and the City and Carrie Bradshaw’s ever-expanding collection of high-heels. That probably reflects what the Big Apple has to offer. It’s safe for women travelers to saunter (stick to the good neighborhoods) and stroll across the famous shopping streets and public sights in their flat sandals. Pamper yourself with the international brands or indulge in quirky street style.
It’s a city with attitude. It’s a city that has pride flowing along the river Hudson. New York is center of American fashion and encapsulates a sense of urgency. As for the solo woman traveler, you just have to find your own bearings and work hard not to get lost in the crowd. Count on your own fashion sense to stand out.
Madrid, Spain
Madrid is all of history, exotic feel, and culture. It feels lazy, and no one seems to be in a hurry. Yet, it’s another city with life bursting at seams. In the midst of all this, a woman can still feel and cherish the spirit of freedom.
Madrid is another capital for trends and fashion while it isn’t exactly like it’s French or English counterparts. Today, it’s cool to be in Madrid. If you were traveling there, you’d feel welcome and reassured. It was once a city with a mix of tradition and modern haute couture and fashion sense. The mix is slowing fading into a completely open and modern fashion fest with some of the most popular brands available. Madrid is full of young and trendy people living it up by showing their “posh” factor. It’s a safe place for women travelers. Oh, we forget to mention: it’s also fun.
While most of the world is pretty safe for everyone to travel, these places listed above are not just destinations. They are fashion lessons in the form of cities, culture, and people. Fashion is a way of life here and it’d do us ladies only good to visit these destinations not just for the sake of visiting but also to absorb the nuances of fashion that usually go missing from our usual diet of fashion magazines and television watching.
It’s time to go where fashion lives. Where and when are you off?
Author: Millie Rainer has worked as a content strategist in industries as diverse as hospitality, fashion, and tech. These days she’s managing the community at Sandalup.com, which makes beautiful high heeled sandals.