Safari Chic

I don't know if it is the cold rainy weather that has me pining for some sun or if it was getting the new Eddie Bauer catalogue in the mail, but I've been a bit obsessed with safari clothing recently.  The Eddie Bauer catalogue has gorgeous beige, stone, and khaki-coloured safari jackets, dresses, pants, and shorts all paired with bolder orange, brick-red or navy shirts.   Often the look is accented with chunky ethnic-inspired patterned scarves or necklaces.  I love the whole collection and really could have gone wild when I was at the store on the weekend ... but I restrained myself and only bought a couple of summer shirts and sweaters.

When I think of safaris I think of moody lighting, dusty, dry landscapes, and wild animals. 

Hills of Africa Travel

I think of bush tents and portable wood furniture.

Bushtracks Expeditions

I think of rumpled cotton earth-toned clothing with many pockets and brown leather belts and boots. 

Burberry Safari dress (source)

I think of adventure and excitement and ... well a whole lot of fun.  Going on an African safari is definitely on my wish list.   Even though I've not been on a safari and am not going on one any time soon, I can still dress the part.


I've always loved safari-style clothing.  I think watching the phenomenally successful and influential 1985 movie Out of Africa started my affection for this style.   I remember seeing the movie when it first came out and wanting to move to Africa and dress like Meryl Streep does in the movie.  The costumes were created by the talented Milena Canonero (who also did the costumes for Marie Antoinette).  She worked closely with the production designer of the movie who provided her with paintings of the sets so she could harmonize the costumes with the mood and tone of each of the scenes in the movie.  The costumes are a wonderful mix of soft natural colours taken from the landscape contrasted with navy and white.  I love how the clothes are the perfect blending of flowing feminine styles and tailored masculine elements.   After the release of this film, the safari-look dominated the fashion industry.  You can read more about the Out of Africa costumes and see more photos here and here.

Dressed Cinema

Dressed Cinema

Dressed Cinema

Habitually Chic

Film-Talk

Although the safari look is one that many designers turn to when the weather gets warmer, some are closely associated with the look. Ralph Lauren is a name that springs to mind when you think of designer safari wear - the master of the clean-cut tailored safari look.

Ralph Lauren (What2WearWhere)

The Louis Vuitton ads from last summer featured the model Dree Hemingway (great-granddaughter of Ernest Hemingway) in a dreamy African safari setting surrounded by tres chic and tres expensive luggage.  Once again you can see the soft earth-toned colours in a feminine flowered dress; in straight legged pants paired with a flowing white blouse; and in a muted khaki dress.

Style Mood Board

Of course, when you go on safari it would be great to take along the handsome specimen in the photo below  - the gorgeous folding table and chairs that is.

Trends Magazine

Even if you are just tackling the urban jungle this summer the safari style is a great look, don't you think? 

Linked to Inspiration Journey Linky Party at Modern Country Style

My Travelling Skirt

I bought this skirt about 10 years ago, back when there were still Laura Ashley stores in Canada.  It was on the sale racks for a fabulous price and I liked the colours.  I mean, what's not to like - it matches white, black, green, blue, yellow.

Nice, eh?  Let's take a closer look.

See what I mean.  I love it!!!  It sort of fit with the French provincial thing that was happening in design and fashion at the time.

I had good intentions of shortening it, I really did.  But ... I never got around to it.  Sooo, I never wore this skirt as it is ankle-length and looks sort of, well, dowdy on me.

Now you might think this skirt has had a sad, sheltered life in the back of my closet, but you would be wrong.  In the last decade, this skirt has been to Hawaii, South Africa, Southeast Asia, Australia, and Russia.  I on the other hand, have not!!!

You see my parents travel a lot and my Mom borrows this skirt to take with her for when she needs to dress-up - it packs well, is light, doesn't wrinkle, and matches everything.  Just this past fall I was mentioning to my mother the possibility of her shortening it for me, after she wore it in South East Asia and Australia, that is.

Now it looks like my turn to wear this skirt has finally arrived.  My friend and I are making plans - still little baby plans - to go to Bangladesh in the summer of 2011 and work in a Rehab Centre just outside of Dhaka.  We are both Speech-Language Pathologists and they are looking for people to come over and teach courses to Bangladeshi students who are training to be Speech-Language Pathologists.  We would also be supervising their clinical practicuums.  Our planning is still very preliminary, I hasten to add.

Anyway, back to the skirt.  I was reading the Rehab Centre website and they recommend that woman wear modest ankle-length skirts, or pants with long tops.  We would be going in the rainy monsoon season, so I was thinking a skirt would be cooler than pants.  But an ankle-length skirt - I really don't wear them that long.  Then I remembered the skirt-that-has-seen-the-world-while-I-stayed-home and was happy that I'm such a procrastinator and it is still ankle-length.  Of all the details to think about, my clothes are probably the least important, but that's just how my mind works.  Now to get back to some of the more important details, like filling out the application form.

My Favourite Shoes

I have to start of by saying that I love the blog You Look Fab.  Angie often talks about her difficulty finding shoes that are comfortable 8-hour shoes and that look good as well.  I can really sympathize - having wide feet, with high insteps that cause me no end of problems.  Well, I recently bought these Clark shoes and I love them.  They have a 2 inch heel, which for me is high, but they are so comfortable I can wear them all day and even wear them on purpose if my feet are sore as they seem to align them properly and my feet feel better wearing them.  Wierd, huh?  Especially, given that I usually wear flats or very low heels.