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Photo by The Philosophy Of Travel
Feature photo by Stinkie Pinkie
Would you walk down the street topless in Brisbane or Stockholm or Boston?
Sorry, don’t mean to offend you. It’s just that the way you’re dressed is totally inappropriate for this place. Look around at the local women – do you see any bare shoulders?
No, don’t point to the bar down the street. Those women are prostitutes.
The fact is, wearing skimpy clothes in Southeast Asia makes YOU look like a prostitute. Sure, the locals are used to backpacker fashion by now, and if you stick to the banana pancake trail, you won’t get more than a few uncomfortably long looks.
Not impressed by backpacker fashion.
Photo by Akuppa
But if you venture outside the tourist zones and – gasp – actually attempt to interact with local people on more than the most superficial level, your bare skin will be totally offensive. You can get around the language barrier to make genuine connections, but flouting cultural norms separates you from the locals as effectively as razor wire.
Show A Little Respect
OK, OK. You’re on holiday. You’re here to have fun, try some new food and maybe hook up with that dreamy English guy who you met tubing in Vang Vieng. You’re not in Laos to be some sort of freelance ambassador.
But, just for a moment, imagine what your grandparents would say if rich, rowdy, foreigners – perhaps Russians, or Africans, or Eskimos – started pouring into your hometown wearing nothing but body paint, leather boots and thongs. Poor Grandma would wonder what the world was coming to, wouldn’t she.
So show a little respect. Buy a sarong in the local market, put away your tube-tops and for Buddha’s sake, please cover up if you visit a temple.
Hippie Bombs
Photo by JonRawlinson
Backpacker guys, you’re not off the hook. When was the last time you showered? Did you use soap?
Dreads and stubble might show off how far-out you’ve gone on your travels, but in Southeast Asia personal hygiene is of utmost importance. Be neat. Be clean. Wash your hair.
America might not be dropping cluster bombs on Southeast Asia anymore, but hippie-bombs are also disruptive to local culture. Take care of your appearance, and you’ll get a lot more out of your travels.
What say you, readers? Am I too harsh on tube-tops? Please leave a comment below.
Other Matador articles to check out include Has Travel Chanel Sunk To A New Low With Bridget’s Sexiest Beaches? and the classic Budget Travelers Are Hippie Scum.
Tim Patterson
Tim Patterson is a long-time contributor and former contributing editor at Matador Network.
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What think I? Methinks you’ve hit the nail on the head, Mr. Timothy.
Now… is anyone that’s guilty of this actually going to *listen* ?
I grew up in South East Asia (specifically, the Philippines) and traveled a lot in the region. I agree to an extent. Though the Philippines is a more Westernized than some Asian countries (due to colonization by Spain and US..and Japan, but since we’re talking about westernization…), I think the aspect that I would like to criticize is that its almost as though the article paints Asia in a one-dimensional manner…that people are all adorned head-to-toe in traditional garb and are completely shocked when they see anyone in a shorts or a halter top. I know that’s not what you meant, but in your efforts to shed light on a cultural insensitivity…sounds insensitive and somewhat condescending. Sorry, I mean no offense but that’s how it comes off…Asians wear shorts, tank tops and flip flops too btw…and no, not ALL of those that do wear “modern” clothes are prostitutes… ; P
And yes, you’re right. People lumbering down the street with their butt cheeks hanging out or smelling like last month’s dried fish would be deemed disrespectful…in any culture and society. I agree that people should show more awareness to their immediate surroundings, such as “dont wear a tube top in a church, mosque or temple.” Or if you venture to a region where it is explicitly understood to be conservative, then yes…dont frolic in your underwear (not that you should anyway).
And when it comes to backpacker guys? I think that an aspect that should be noted are how some guys treat the local women…or even fellow backpacker women. And to link it up..yes, the smelliest are sometimes the most offensive. haha …Away from home many act as though they can do or treat anyone the way the want because no one they know is going to punish them for it.
BUT the angle I do agree with is the call for respect. I think that the most offensive things that travelers can do is to act with a sense of entitlement. Of course this can go both ways…though sadly, in my experience, many Western travelers come to Asian (or poorer) countries and walk the streets as though they are Kings (and Queens). Many people come to a certain country and expect things to run the exact same way as their home state but at the same time revel in all the perks such as cheap services (such as massages) or that they become like “local celebrities”…And when things arent running the way they are used to treat locals with such disrespect it makes me cringe…(yelling, raising their voice, bullying, being general assholes..) when the way things work are completely different.
And in a way, this ties up to your article…A lot of people end up not caring about society they are visiting…only in search of “crazy” stories they can take home, adding another notch to their belt of people they’ve slept with, and…dressing (or “not” dressing) the way they want. I think its the behaviour and attitude that comes with the clothing (or lack thereof) that is so offensive…
Tim ~
I agree completely. While I think it is important to maintain a sense of individuality and independence while traveling, the only way to truly respect a culture is to follow – to a certain extent – its cultural rules. Some things are just not acceptable. If travelers can’t respect local cultural rules, they shouldn’t to be treated with respect by the local population in return. Thanks for the great post (and the ridiculous pictures).
Hmm. This is a tricky one — there’s a great discussion going on at the Notebook right now about the potential limits of “When in Rome…” for travelers:
http://thetravelersnotebook.com/how-to/how-to-avoid-being-an-ugly-american-tourist/
Ordinarily I’m big on cultural respect, but unfortunately, Tim, you’ve picked up on a sore spot for me (and, I suspect, a lot of women). And, even when you’re a visitor, I think you and your culture deserve respect, too. It’s a two-way street.
My culture says that women should be allowed to dress as they choose, and forcing them to cover up is a form of oppression. (The historical context being decades, centuries even, of progress towards women’s rights in which women literally fought and died.) Even today, we deal with judges suggesting that rape victims were “asking for it” if they were wearing, say, a halter top and jean shorts. So it’s not just a fashion preference — in a very real way, wearing what we want, when we want, is about politics, and culture.
Looked at that way, the flip side of the tube-top-on-the-Mekong scenario isn’t really “Eskimos” (huh?) in body paint, it would be, say, forcing traditionally-dressed visitors to strip down. Many women in North America (rightly or wrongly) view the hijab or the abaya as a grotesque symbol of oppression — but we don’t force Saudi visitors to strip off into bikinis — because we respect their right to cultural difference.
Now, there are limits, obviously. Religious buildings are an important exception, and more generally, I’m not going to walk around Laos flaunting the “two-belt look” — skinny tube top and ultra mini skirt. But I think there is more to respecting the culture I’m visiting than what I’m wearing — Michaela made a good point about this. Learning, asking questions respectfully, treating people politely — all of this should matter more than how long my sleeves are. And, I think/hope, most people in foreign countries understand that foreigners are different, and adjust their expectations accordingly.
I dressed as I normally would for hot weather in Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam, and never had a problem. (I dressed more conservatively for religious events.) In India, though, I covered up — not out of respect but out of fear, because I knew the sexual harassment I endured would be that much worse if I didn’t. I’m sorry, but sexual bullying isn’t a cultural tradition that deserves my respect.
You are talking about respecting local people, but when reading your article I feel like you don’t respect me – the reader. You are being too harsh and it makes you come across as a real dick. You are the person I would not want to meet on my travels. It sounds like you think you are better than everyone else… and I think that’s more offensive than even the worst fashion/cultural/travel mistakes. Please don’t write any more articles like this. Real crap.
‘But, just for a moment, imagine what your grandparents would say if rich, rowdy, foreigners – perhaps Russians, or Africans, or Eskimos – started pouring into your hometown wearing nothing but body paint, leather boots and thongs. Poor Grandma would wonder what the world was coming to, wouldn’t she.”
At which point you would promplty lecture her on being more accepting of other cultures….
I agree with showing common courtesy, hygiene and not acting like a spoiled rich arse, but I thought you’d be the last person to ask someone to conform to another persons culture and beliefs.
AMEN! Thank you for this article. I was just in Luang Prabang, Laos and this was epidemic! The guest house I stayed actually placed a very nice laminated card on the bed at check-in asking their guests to please show respect to the locals by dressing appropriately and even went so far as to show what was appropriate and what was not. This gracious plea by the local management was largely ignored. The biggest offenders were a crowd of European and American Buddhists on a yoga retreat. They proffered a spiritual arrogance even unmatched to what I see living in Santa Fe and declared that clothes do not make the man. Their total lack of respect and grace was really offensive and even made me think about turning in my Buddha card.
Good article. I gotta ask though, where did you get that picture of the Luang Prabang waterfall from? I know this sounds naive because it’s such a common picture but I have the exact same photo on my flickr account.
Pack light!
Matt
Having been born and raised in very hot and humid Southeast Asia, i have to say that unless you’re in a rural or semi-urban area, it might be alright to wear that tank top. Major cities usually pay scant attention to tourists, but anything beyond the inner urban border anywhere in the world, it’s best to tone down the dressing.
Admittedly, tank tops, tubes, halters etc sometimes draw untoward attention from local men, so dressing down will be a safer option, not only for propriety’s sake.
But you have made a strong case against a certain type of backpacker who waltzs in backpack tow, skanky dress and way too much beer money. Travellers like that usually go abroad to find the best parties, get smashed and (unwittingly) pick up strange diseases. They’re also usually very young and fresh out of high school. Thankfully a large number of travellers are beginning to become culturally aware
*backpack in tow