Today being the race that stops a nation, with fashion and fascinators aplenty, it seems only fitting that the focus of this blog is on the outfits that set tongues wagging across the campground. From leisurely loafers to funky fedora’s what are the bounds of what constitutes acceptable campwear couture? (To be clear, we’re yet to see anyone wearing a fedora at a campground.)
The difficulty of campfire spaces, and applying any sense of fashion, is that the spaces are an extension of people’s homes. For people camping, defining the home as only applying to the space in which you’ve set up the tent, caravan, or motorhome is incredibly restrictive. So instead, home constitutes the space where you are sleeping, where you will be cooking in the camp kitchen, and where you will be relieving yourself. And of course, the acceptable attire for each of these surely must evolve just as it would in your own home. Certainly in the 50s family wearing the outfit you would to the toilet to the dinner table would seem preposterous.
And of course, take the fashion as an allegory for whatever socioeconomic interpretation you see fit.
First, it seems that there are three distinct tiers that define acceptable campwear. The first tier is the free camp grounds, or as I like to think of them, anything goes. In the absence of clear leaders responsible for enforcing communal law, everyone is left to their own interpretation of what may constitute acceptable couture. Think less socially acceptable, less functional, just something that covers the privates and hopefully, for those in close proximity at least, prevents a nut popping out when you’re enunciating the fourth swear word of your sentence.
The second tier is that of the national park campground. In these places you’ll find those where functionality is key. Large, heavy protective boots, with khaki tops and bottoms to better blend in when observing the native species are the order of the day. This fashion is not for the bare minimum social necessities, but chosen for its wicking qualities, wool blend, absorbency and protection.
Extending the functional philosophy is the idea that the communal bathrooms serve a function, and that the body is something that enables physical recreation and environmental causes, rather than serving as an end in itself. Nudie runs to and from the toilet become less of a run and more of a purposeful stride, and the ruggedness of clothing to protect from snake bites is only tempered by the manner in which they enable daily ablutions. And so for this second tier, there is a range of naked, khaki, and green, practical bodies presented for review.
And so the third tier. Those that stay in caravan parks. What’s to be said? While not the outfits that you would expect in a fine hotel, this is where travellers use their everyday appearance to define and differentiate themselves from other travellers. Stylish but free flowing shirts are favoured among both the sexes, although the polo shirt also makes a frequent appearance. But it is through rubber foot ware that the true freedom of expression exerts itself. Who knew that so many variations on the traditional thong had emerged in recent times. When space is tight and versatility is a must, it seems that the need for your footwear to carry you through from the shower to the winery restaurant has opened up new opportunities for designers. If budget is not an obstacle, then there are endless opportunities to distinguish yourself, and outside of a dog, in a caravan park where the key social objective is surly to meet and compete with other adventurers, can there be a better ice breaker? What can I say. Time to go shopping….
