Online fashion store Very says it surveyed 3,000 people to find the worst male summer fashion sins and Speedos and other men’s bikini bathing suits topped the list.
So, Very is urging the so-called “vacuum-packers” who wear the tight suits to leave them at home, and buy a new swimsuit from them, of course.
“As many as one in 10 men say they only go shopping once a year – which may explain why so many men continue to embarrass us with their holiday fashion choices,” according to a Very press release.
The campaign to leave the Speedos at home follows the banning of Speedos at British theme park Alton Towers last year, and I, for one, must say I’m pleased to see the campaign against Speedos expanded to apply outside of the country, as well.
Other men’s summer fashion crimes on Very’s list include the “vacation uniform” of a football (soccer) shirt and shorts, socks with sandals and clashing Hawaiian shirts and shorts.
Most American travelers will never set foot in Iran, but at least now if they make it to Pittsburgh, they can enjoy some of the country’s delicious cuisine. It’s the idea behind a new take-out restaurant called Conflict Kitchen, a new eatery that’s attempting to feature cuisine from countries the United States is in conflict with.
Conflict Kitchen might serve food, but it’s hardly your normal carry-out joint. The project, which was started by artist Jon Rubin, will regularly shift themes to feature a different “conflict country” and promote cross-cultural understanding. The first four months are devoted to a collaboration with Pittsburgh’s Iranian community. In addition to delicious food like the Kubideh Sandwich, Conflict Kitchen also plans to host events, performances and discussion surrounding this much discussed Middle Eastern country. Though there’s been no announcement on the project’s website, chances are good that other “rogue states” like North Korea, Venezuela and Afghanistan will get similar treatment.
The Conflict Kitchen project raises an interesting question. Who are we demonizing when we disagree with a country’s politics? Is it the government of that country? Or is it also the people who live there, many of whom have nothing to do with the policies we dislike? Perhaps by traveling and through projects like Conflict Kitchen we can learn to better differentiate between the two.
Want to try something different this vacation? How about staying in one of the weird hotels in the world? Whether you want to unleash your inner mermaid or spend time repenting your sins in prison, these hotels offer everything for the truly strange-at-heart. On the flip side, at least you don’t have to worry about showing your friends boring old vacation pictures…
Do you ever wonder how Tarzan and Jane felt swing though the trees? Well wonder no longer! At the Ariau Amazon Towers Hotel in Brazil you live in the tree tops. This hotel is actually built in the tree tops of the Amazon Rainforest.
Ever wonder how it would feel to live like a caveman? Well now you can! The Madonna Inn Hotel in San Luis Obispo, Calif., features a caveman room equipped with it’s own waterfall and caveman mallet.
If being a caveman or cave-women is not your style, how about an igloo? At the Icehotel in Sweden, everything is made of ice, well, ice. As you can see in the video, even the furniture is made out of ice. Make sure to pack your wool socks!
Want all the amenities without breaking the bank? Are you okay with small spaces? Then this hotel is for you! It is a Japanese capsule hotel and it has everything you need: TV, alarm clock, and radio.
If the capsule hotel is not for you, how about a concrete tee-pee? The Wigwam hotel in Arizona features tee-pees instead of rooms. This hotel definitely gives you the feel of being in another place and time.
Ever wonder how the little mermaid felt living under the sea? Well now you can at the Jules’ Undersea Lodge in Florida. You are promised a great view!
Guilty conscious? No fear! Alleviate your suffering by spending time in the Alcatraz hotel located in Kaiserslautern, Germany. You even get your own prison-striped pajamas!
Think you might have been a rock star in another life? The Hard Days Night hotel in Liverpool, England is the world’s only hotel devoted to the Beatles. You can play the piano in the John Lennon Suite. Sorry, screaming fans not included.
In a landmark move of fair-mindedness, the folks at the U.S. State Department have announced a new passport policy that will make life easier for many transgender travelers.
Starting June 17th, applicants are no longer required to have sexual reassignment surgery in order to receive a gender change on their passport.
According to CNN, an attending physician’s certification will be required to confirm “passport applicants have undergone treatment for gender transition. Limited-validity passports for applicants who are in the process of gender transition will also be available.”
The State Department also noted that the policy change was made to coincide with Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Pride Month. Now if only the federal government would resolve that marriage issue…
A 20-year-old Romanian man is lucky to be alive after he was discovered hidden inside the rear wheel compartment of a jet arriving this week in London. The stowaway, who was apparently looking for work, braved low oxygen and outside air temperatures during the flight as low as 40 below zero. Upon his discovery at London’s Heathrow Airport, he was covered in bruises and showing signs of hypothermia, but thankfully still alive.
How exactly did a man manage to sneak inside a plane? And how did he make it through the experience? It turns out through a remarkable mix of luck, daring and stupidity. The man apparently climbed under a fence at Vienna’s Schwechat airport, hiding himself beneath a private jet that had been parked there since last week. He also lucked out with the flight plan – the plane had to fly at a lower-than-normal altitude to avoid bad weather, allowing the man to survive what would normally be a fatal combination of cold and lack of air.
UK authorities were surprised by the man’s unexpected arrival, though they declined to press charges. As Romania is part of the European Union, the “passenger” was technically allowed to visit on holiday. He was cautioned and freed with no further action. Frankly, this traveler is lucky to have survived the ordeal, let alone gotten off without legal action.
Next time you’re ready to complain about that horrible experience on your last flight, you might want to think again. Somebody out there has definitely had it much worse.