 | Savi and Vid live in London and are avid travelers. They have traveled to 38 countries and blog about their travel and fashion adventures at Bruised Passports. Their blog is full of outfit posts, travel stories, street food adventures, and photo essays. |
–Hey Savi & Vid, thank you for joining me today for your “20 Weeks of Travel: Interview series” session! You are two very interesting people, loving life, travel and fashion. Could you start by talking about how you began your travels? What sparked for you (to where you know this was the life for you)?
We think it was the first time the two of us took a trip together – Thailand, circa 2007. Discovering new cultures is always exciting, but travelling together made it irresistible. Ever since we’ve covered 38 countries and over 200 cities, and we fall a little more in love with travelling every day.
Moments of epiphany cannot be planned but leave an indelible impression keep us motivated. The feeling of witnessing a fabulous sunset, reaching the top of a mountain after a long hike, chancing on spectacular ruins, discovering amazing street food in a sleepy village is second to none.
–Savi, as far as fashion goes, you both seem to have some unique and interesting style choices, would you talk a little about what you would define your fashion styles and preferences as? Please put together a couple of outfits that you would normally wear – let’s say, in the sun on a beach in Morocco, and then in the cold weather chill Iceland?
I'm a bit of a defiant wild child. I love bohemian clothes, statement jewellery, and ethnic prints. I don't follow seasonal trends and put eclectic outfits together based on what feels right to me on that day.
I would happily wear shorts with a flowy kimono at a beach in Morocco. I would complete the outfit with miscellaneous jewels from Moroccan souks.
I pack a lot of oversized knits, snuggly fur hats, and warm coats in bright colours while travelling to chilly countries.
–Savi, for individuals interested in packing light, yet remaining adventurously styled, what tips can you offer up? For male and female:
I always advise travellers to carry items that can be styled in a number of ways. For instance I wore the same pair of trousers in Dubai and in Sicily, but styled them very differently. What’s more, read labels while shopping. Look out for non-iron or easy-iron options – it makes the process of getting ready so much easier.
–Savi, have there been any places that you chose to be a little more relaxed and more common with your fashion styles – due to the culture or type of people there? If so, why? If not, what sort of garb tends to work in most places, with no worry of extra unwanted attention?
I try to stick to trousers and covered tops while travelling to conservative countries.
I’m a big fan of maxi dresses and I always carry a basic maxi dress with me while travelling. They’re perfect for conservative countries (allowing one to look stylish without flashing too much skin), and can easily be accessorized for the evening.
–Vid, you’ve traveled to 38 countries now, and I’m curious, what are your favorites and least favorites – and why?
Croatia is one of our favourite countries in the world. The Lakes at Plitvice National Park in the North left us spellbound. The highlight of our trip was the unspoilt Croatian countryside. We drove through the length of the country and our road trip took us through stretches of agricultural land and small villages, which would not be out of place in a fairy tale. Driving from the North to the South of Croatia makes one appreciate the diversity in landscapes and culture that this beautiful country has to offer.
As for the least favourite, well, it's very difficult to say that since every place has its charm. But if we had to pick one, it would be Luxembourg. It just didn't do it for us. It could have also been because we spent 4 days there, when 2 would have been more than sufficient.
–Which destination would you consider to be the most stylish? Also, what’s on your upcoming list? And dream list?
London - it's definitely the most stylish city in the world. It's a mixing pot of cultures, and that reflects in the variety of fashion on offer,
We’ve just ticked one item off our Bucket List. We went to Spain to attend the world’s largest food fight, La Tomatina, and have blogged about it in the form of a Spain Tomatina comprehensive guide.
We’re looking forward to exploring South East Asia next year.
–What are each of your travel essentials? What about guilty pleasure items? And not so common necessities?
Savi: A maxi dress, a scarf, and an ipod. Books have to be my guilty pleasure.
I always carry a couple of silver rings, accumulated from local bazaars all over the world. Bohemian jewellery might not be a necessity perse, but it comes with me wherever I go.
Vid: A list of the best coffee-shops in the cities we will be visiting, a well-fitting blazer, my camera, and a lot of music. I'm a coffee geek, known to splurge on the perfect cuppa.
–Thank you again, it’s been quite a pleasure! Last, but not least... What are some basic tips and tricks to refreshing one’s tired and worn out look, without having to spend a ton of money, or overstuffing their luggage?
It might be a cliche but the easiest way to refresh one's look is to tszuj it up with a smile and an eclectic accessory or two. That way, you'll never go wrong.
We think it was the first time the two of us took a trip together – Thailand, circa 2007. Discovering new cultures is always exciting, but travelling together made it irresistible. Ever since we’ve covered 38 countries and over 200 cities, and we fall a little more in love with travelling every day.
Moments of epiphany cannot be planned but leave an indelible impression keep us motivated. The feeling of witnessing a fabulous sunset, reaching the top of a mountain after a long hike, chancing on spectacular ruins, discovering amazing street food in a sleepy village is second to none.
–Savi, as far as fashion goes, you both seem to have some unique and interesting style choices, would you talk a little about what you would define your fashion styles and preferences as? Please put together a couple of outfits that you would normally wear – let’s say, in the sun on a beach in Morocco, and then in the cold weather chill Iceland?
I'm a bit of a defiant wild child. I love bohemian clothes, statement jewellery, and ethnic prints. I don't follow seasonal trends and put eclectic outfits together based on what feels right to me on that day.
I would happily wear shorts with a flowy kimono at a beach in Morocco. I would complete the outfit with miscellaneous jewels from Moroccan souks.
I pack a lot of oversized knits, snuggly fur hats, and warm coats in bright colours while travelling to chilly countries.
–Savi, for individuals interested in packing light, yet remaining adventurously styled, what tips can you offer up? For male and female:
I always advise travellers to carry items that can be styled in a number of ways. For instance I wore the same pair of trousers in Dubai and in Sicily, but styled them very differently. What’s more, read labels while shopping. Look out for non-iron or easy-iron options – it makes the process of getting ready so much easier.
–Savi, have there been any places that you chose to be a little more relaxed and more common with your fashion styles – due to the culture or type of people there? If so, why? If not, what sort of garb tends to work in most places, with no worry of extra unwanted attention?
I try to stick to trousers and covered tops while travelling to conservative countries.
I’m a big fan of maxi dresses and I always carry a basic maxi dress with me while travelling. They’re perfect for conservative countries (allowing one to look stylish without flashing too much skin), and can easily be accessorized for the evening.
–Vid, you’ve traveled to 38 countries now, and I’m curious, what are your favorites and least favorites – and why?
Croatia is one of our favourite countries in the world. The Lakes at Plitvice National Park in the North left us spellbound. The highlight of our trip was the unspoilt Croatian countryside. We drove through the length of the country and our road trip took us through stretches of agricultural land and small villages, which would not be out of place in a fairy tale. Driving from the North to the South of Croatia makes one appreciate the diversity in landscapes and culture that this beautiful country has to offer.
As for the least favourite, well, it's very difficult to say that since every place has its charm. But if we had to pick one, it would be Luxembourg. It just didn't do it for us. It could have also been because we spent 4 days there, when 2 would have been more than sufficient.
–Which destination would you consider to be the most stylish? Also, what’s on your upcoming list? And dream list?
London - it's definitely the most stylish city in the world. It's a mixing pot of cultures, and that reflects in the variety of fashion on offer,
We’ve just ticked one item off our Bucket List. We went to Spain to attend the world’s largest food fight, La Tomatina, and have blogged about it in the form of a Spain Tomatina comprehensive guide.
We’re looking forward to exploring South East Asia next year.
–What are each of your travel essentials? What about guilty pleasure items? And not so common necessities?
Savi: A maxi dress, a scarf, and an ipod. Books have to be my guilty pleasure.
I always carry a couple of silver rings, accumulated from local bazaars all over the world. Bohemian jewellery might not be a necessity perse, but it comes with me wherever I go.
Vid: A list of the best coffee-shops in the cities we will be visiting, a well-fitting blazer, my camera, and a lot of music. I'm a coffee geek, known to splurge on the perfect cuppa.
–Thank you again, it’s been quite a pleasure! Last, but not least... What are some basic tips and tricks to refreshing one’s tired and worn out look, without having to spend a ton of money, or overstuffing their luggage?
It might be a cliche but the easiest way to refresh one's look is to tszuj it up with a smile and an eclectic accessory or two. That way, you'll never go wrong.
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