Tropical temperatures are here, holidays are fast approaching and the season for travelling is here, so I thought I might put together some tips that worked for me when travelling in Lolita as a person with frequent health issues. This list is by no means complete, so if you can think up a suggestion of your own, please go ahead and write it in the comments:-) Happy summer everybody!
(Ok, ok. I know it's not summer yet according to the calendar. But the nature seems to think otherwise.)
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| Image courtesy of JessicaDennisDesigns on Etsy |
- First of all, put on a dress or a skirt that is not constraining in any way. A-line dresses and simple skirts that aren't decorated with any heavy frills are a good idea.
- Don't bother yourself with a wig; the cuteness is not worth the headache and the overheating.
- Keep your medication close at hand, especially if you've got some that's used for emergencies. It tends to hit when you need it least, so it's best to be prepared. This might be superfluous to mention, but better safe than sorry - if you are travelling with someone (a friend, a boyfriend/girlfriend, relatives...), make sure they know what to do if you get sick and won't panic in the crucial moment.
- Water. Keep yourself hydrated, especially in these hot days, and have the bottle always close by.
- Make sure any of the layers can be taken off; might be actually better to travel with cute shorts underneath instead of bloomers, so that, if you get too hot, you can just strip down to a T-shirt and shorts and still be decent for public transport like trains or buses.
- Your parasol is your good friend, if you can put up with this extra thing to carry and it doesn't tire you out too much. In extra hot regions like the Southern Europe it's often a lifesaver.
- Skirts and dresses that have pockets often tend to be easier on an organism that tends to get exhausted easily than a purse, plus you can't forget them anywhere if brain fog hits you. Alternatively, for me at least, a cute backpack generally works better for the weight is distributed evenly on both shoulders and is easier to carry.
- Going heavy on the accessories might prove exhausting after some time spent on the road; casual and simple does it.
- Keep a snack close by, especially if you are prone to hypoglycemia. Fresh fruit for example is good as a quick thing to nibble on periodically through the journey. Cools down, brings in sugar and refreshes.
- Smaller, less poofy petticoat (or even none at all) might be a better idea than a huge one, depending on what travelling space you shall have available for yourself; in any case, at least in my experience, it tends to be a little less hot. Petticoats tend to be from synthetic materials, so in summer they can turn into a burning hothouse. Overheating can be dangerous for anyone, but for people with chronic issues it especially isn't a good idea.
- Keep your phone charged and keep it with you at all times. Sometimes people will be nice and will help you out if they see you are sick, but sometimes they won't care or might think you are high on drugs and just step over you when you are in fact struggling to stay alive.
- Medical bracelets can be made very cute and might be a good way to give yourself a slightly better chance this won't happen. Lolify it to Heaven and back; go crazy with it. Just make sure the important part with the info about your specific condition will be clearly visible.
- Keep the fabrics light, if you can. Minimise the weight you carry in any way possible to prevent exhaustion.
- Cute, sparkly sneakers or ballet flats with sweet bows tend to work better for longer journeys than normal Lolita shoes that can be challenging to take on and off. They also tend to be easier to walk in in the long run.
- If you don't usually use crutches, but you know there are moments when having some support as you walk might be handy, consider trekking poles - they can be folded away and they can be gotten in pink. I've seen girls with chronic spinal or leg joints problems being saved by them a couple of times on longer trips when they thought they just can't walk any longer.
- Ellie had some brilliant suggestions! So here they come:
Minimal make-up.
Suncream with a high SPF.
Supply of handkerchiefs for nasty summer colds and use on public transport. They could be used to cover mouths or hands, when holding railings.
Having hair away from the face, in an up-do can be very useful for keeping cool.
Thanks so much, Ellie!
