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Buyers Guide 2004

 Outside Buyers Guide 2005

2004 Buyer's Guide: Travel Style
Photograph by Chris Shipman


Bound for an exotic adventure? These concourse-ready clothes offer round-the-world comfort in non-turista style.
By Janine Sieja

ON HIM » (1) WHITE SIERRA's polyester SAMOA shirt ($35) brings quick-drying washability and easy style to your vacation destination, be it Chamonix or Joshua Tree. Zip-off pants? Bah. The sleuth-tech (2) DRY JEANS ($99) from VAUDE say "urban casual"—only you'll know that their technical CoolMax-and-cotton blend is wicking away sweat. No need to walk barefoot through airport security when you're shod in (3) TEVA's SELIGMAN sandals ($60). A waterproof leather upper meets a rubber outsole—sans metal buckles. (4) BLURR's new carry-on AGENT BAG ($85) expands to 2,500 cubic inches to hold crucial duty-free items. The (5) VICTORINOX MT. ROSA single-strap carryall ($50) is great for guidebook and sunglasses. ON HER » Steamy climes demand (6) IBEX's CRUZ SPORT TOP ($52), a silky merino-wool-and-Lycra number with a shelf bra. Team it with (7) ISIS's TERRA SHORTS ($63), constructed of stretchy woven nylon, with their own webbed belt. Mary Janes meet the trail in (8) TIMBERLAND's PACIFIC GROVE ATHLETITUDE shoes ($70), strappy nubuck babies with dirt-worthy outsoles. Bring your sun salutations on the road with the (9) ATHLETA STUDIO SLING ($79), a bag that'll tote a (10) PRANA YOGA MAT ($34) wherever your quest may take you.

ON HER » Ward off alpine or A/C chill with (11) KAVU's stretch-woven cotton-and-nylon PIXEE PULLOVER ($79), an anorak with a roomy kangaroo pocket for snacks or cold hands. Pair it with (12) PRANA's cotton RAW EDGE TEE ($28); the fringed V-neck lends a certain fetching allure to the wearer. Secure your vitals—without looking totally dweeby—in (13) PACSAFE's GOSAFE bag ($30). The 1,200-denier nylon sack, big enough for passport, cash, and cell phone, has a slash-proof front panel and a wire-reinforced shoulder strap. Skirts go in the must-pack category for the freedom they offer on the trail or in town; the (14) HORNY TOAD cotton-and-nylon BIG EASY SKIRT ($47) is the knee-length answer for comfortable ambling. TEVA upgrades the slip-on summer standby with stripes, suede, and a cushy EVA midsole on the beach-to-city (15) SHORE flip-flops ($45). ON HIM » "Ommm" your way through any travel crisis in (16) PRANA's XANADU STRETCH shirt ($55); it's made of a hefty, pebble-textured polyester, with some built-in give. Take your fashion cues from climbers, whose sartorial influence is spreading far beyond the grungy tents at Yosemite's Camp 4. Despite the name, (17) ROYAL ROBBIN's SLUB CANVAS BOULDERING SHORTS ($40) work equally well on a barstool or on the rocks—they've got a nine-inch inseam and commodious yet unobtrusive back pockets. The new (18) TIMBUK2 DUFFEL (medium, $80), from the masters of the messenger bag, swaddles 2,900 cubic inches of stuff in rugged ballistic nylon bedecked with stylish stripes. Though the old-school design of the (19) ASICS LENNOX sneaks ($65) debuted in 1981, they're still hip, travel-worthy companions.