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- 7 travel fashion trends that should be banned
- First Airbus A350 XWB takes flight
- Italy's best beaches and islands
| 7 travel fashion trends that should be banned Posted: 14 Jun 2013 07:00 AM PDT A New Jersey beach town has cracked down on low-hanging pants. Here are some of the other style sins we think should be punishable by law  We've all heard the phrase "crime against fashion" used in reference to one's sartorial sins. But one New Jersey town literally has made one style trend a punishable offense –- low-hanging pants. According to local news reports, beach town Wildwood has passed a law that bans people from wearing pants and shorts that hang more than 7.6 centimeters below the hips on the boardwalk. In other words, keep your bums covered, kids. Mayor Ernest Trojano says they've received multiple complaints from families about too many people with their butts or briefs hanging out. Offenders will be fined $25-$100, repeat offenders would be given community service. Yet if hip-hop chic is a no-no it is somewhat less clear why some of the following missteps have established themselves as acceptable travel accouterments over the years. Here are seven other travel fashion crimes we think should be banned. 1. Thai fisherman's pants
Come in many different colors and patterns ranging from plain black (almost, but not, forgivable) to luminous orange and tie-dye. Not worn by Thai fishermen. Who wears them: Mainly the preserve of Israelis and impressionable young British backpackers and most prevalent on the party islands of southern Thailand. For prime fisherman's pant-spotting, head to a beach bar after nightfall where you are guaranteed to find young girls and blokes with ratty beards twirling fire-sticks to interchangeable Euro techno. Redeeming feature? Excellent joke material for future years if any of your friends fall into the trap of wearing a pair. 2. Socks and sandals
Who wears them: Once the preferred footwear of elderly Brits uncertain of what to do with their feet in warmer climes, this unholy combo has inexplicably wormed its way into favor with fashion experts who are quite clearly having a laugh at our expense. It's true that bare feet aren't the most attractive item in the anatomical arsenal, but they generally look far better in sandals -- the jury's out on them too, by the way -- when they are unclad. Redeeming feature? Reduces the likelihood of ant or mosquito attacks making your feet even more ugly. Also on CNNGo: Best eco-friendly fashion brands in Shanghai 3. Bad travel tattoos
These designs, however, are generally painstakingly planned and executed by expert artists, not hatched at the tail end of a vodka bucket and branded indelibly onto your person in a hut by an off-duty fisherman. It's the second variety we are talking about here. Who gets them: Travelers who get most inebriated, so Australians, Irish and Brits. Many Americans, too, seem to have a gene that makes them susceptible to vandalizing their body with unintelligible Oriental scrawls and badly rendered dragons when traveling Asia. Redeeming feature? You'll never forget that night you forgot the following morning. 4. Slogan T-shirts
Mostly, however, this fashion niche -- most prevalent on the southeast Asian circuit -- is an exercise in depressing uniformity. Getting inebriated in a tube on a river in Vang Vieng in Laos may have been riotous but does it really have to be commemorated ad nauseum on your chest? Also, it's not being overly judgemental to say that anyone who still thinks the slogan "same, same but different" still has mileage for humor should probably be avoided. Who wears them? A young person's game, which is understandable given that a) the items are cheap and durable and b) baby backpackers tend to hunt in packs and can be forgiven for being swept up in the excitement of being away from home for an extended period for the first time. Redeeming feature? Good way of striking up a conversation with the opposite sex. "Ah, so I see you've been tubing in Vang Vieng. Awesome." Or "Ah, Beer Chang eh? Isn't Thailand awesome." Also on CNNGo: Fashion crimes in Bangkok 5. Crocs
Ugly in every way, it's a well-established fact that it is impossible for anyone to look good, even acceptable, in Crocs. Proponents would have it that their hideousness is outweighed by comfort, but babygros are comfy too. You don't feel the need to parade around in them, do you? Who wears them? Crocs, thankfully, have been shunned by most of the world leaving it up to mostly middle-aged North American men to spread the tarnished gospel. Fittingly, born-again Christian and former president of the United States, George W Bush, was known for his penchant for Crocs. Paired with socks. Also popular among Eastern European and Russian men -– a demographic not generally held to be the most fashion forward. Redeeming feature? This 2002 invention can be used in the future as an example of post-millennial trauma. 6. Bum bags/fanny packs
Despite being susceptible to any half-competent thief with a knife or a pair of scissors, bum-bag wearers labor under the smug misapprehension that their style crime is offset by the fact that they're a walking Fort Knox. Who wears them? The name sounds like a colostomy bag whichever way you spin it so it's perhaps appropriate that the scared and the elderly favor this item. Also occasionally sported by browbeaten exchange students badgered into compliance by their worried mothers. Redeeming feature? Watching a sweaty youth pawing at his crotch for five minutes as he seeks change for a beer is always a compelling sight. More on CNN: Worst fashions at Winter Olympics 7. Dreadlocks
As a fashion statement, sporting dirty matted coils of hair is as bewildering a phenomena as the Black Eyed Peas. Who wears them: A wide cross section of nationalities. Once almost exclusively the preserve of New Age types, dreads, and near cousin braids, have spread their stinky tentacles far and wide to everyone from gap-year trustafarians to long-term beach bums. Often found in conjunction with fire-sticks, didgeridoos and Thai fisherman's pants. Redeeming feature? Can provide extra cushioning on long and bumpy bus journeys to Indian pilgrimage sites. What travel fashion crimes do you think should be banned? Share them below. Originally published September, 2011. Updated June, 2013. Tags: |
| First Airbus A350 XWB takes flight Posted: 13 Jun 2013 09:35 PM PDT European aircraft maker yet to confirm whether plane will appear at next week's Paris Air Show  The inaugural Airbus A350 XWB test flight took off from France's Toulouse-Blagnac airport at around 10 a.m. local time (8 a.m. GMT) Friday morning. The European aircraft maker says the "MSN1" test aircraft flight will take around four hours. Airbus has set up a website, www.a350xwbfirstflight.com, for those who want to watch the A350's inaugural flight and interviews with company officials live online. It will also be broadcast live on Airbus' Youtube page. "I knew it was going to be impressive, but I was blown away," said Airbus chief operating officer John Leahy following the take off. "Did you hear how quiet it was? Did you hear what you didn't hear? We're going to set new standards. Not just for comfort, not just for performance. But for environmental friendliness. People living around airports won't even know we're taking off." Today's launch is in line with speculation among aviation professionals that Airbus is planning to show off its new plane at the upcoming Paris Air Show, a rumor the company has yet to confirm. The A350 XWB is the first in a family of super-efficient passenger planes Airbus designed to go head-to-head with rival Boeing's 787 Dreamliner and 777s. "XWB" means "extra wide body." There are three members in the A350 family: the A350-800, the A350-900 and the A350-1000, which seat 270, 314 and 350 passengers respectively, in three-class seating. The plane was unveiled last month at Airbus HQ in Toulouse, France. Today's flight is the latest milestone in what has been a turbulent production history for the A350 program, which was first announced in 2006. Airbus officials say five A350 test planes will be used as part of a year-long certification program. Qatar Airways will be the first airline to take delivery of the A350, in late 2014. For more on the A350, check out these CNN reports: |
| Italy's best beaches and islands Posted: 13 Jun 2013 03:00 PM PDT You're espressoed up, you're Colosseumed out -- time to venture to Italy's coast, where dazzling-sea time awaits  In a perfect world, we wouldn't need to explain why Italy's beaches and islands are worth visiting. We wouldn't need to describe the fluorescent waters and talcum-powder sand, or highlight the delicious seafood or lively nightlife. Fortunately, this isn't a perfect world, so we get to show off these beautiful spots and you get to read about them and start planning your next trip. Cretaccio Island
People come here to cover their bodies with clay mixed with seawater, which makes skin smooth and serves as a soothing balm. The place is great for snorkeling and diving, too: the shallows are one of the best attractions. You get here from San Domino island, which has a Benedictine abbey and lively nightlife. Hotel restaurant Il Gabbiano on the main square offers fantastic fresh fish. Wine Bar Era Ora has great cocktails and A Furmicula is worth a visit if you're up for dancing. The ferry to San Domino leaves from Termoli town. Isola Bella Beach
Archeology, shopping and sunbathing combine here. The little isle in front and the protected bay with its emerald, still waters are perfect for swimming and snorkeling. The village's white, shining houses and majestic ancient Greek theater are beautiful -- you can't leave without tasting the almond-paste cakes and candied orange peels at Chemi pastry shop. The Fusion Bar at La Plage Resort offers good evening beach cocktails, while restaurant Baia delle Sirene is the place to try traditional local dishes. Nearest airport: Catania. From mainland drive to Messina for the ferry. Asinara Island
An uncontaminated isle just-off the northern coast of Sardinia, Asinara Island is quiet and surrounded by nature and shimmering sea. Once a penal colony, today it's a protected park where the only inhabitants are local albino wild donkeys, freely grazing the land, and more than 650 other animal species. No clubs, no hotels, no restaurants. You get here by motorboat from Stintino, a chic fishing village. Park Hotel Asinara has bedrooms with great views of the island. One of the best restaurants here is L'Ancora Stintino, serving traditional Sardinian cuisine. I Ginepri beach bar at La Pelosa beach does the best appetizers and aperitifs. Get to Stintino from Olbia port/airport or Alghero airport. Chiaia di Luna Beach (Ponza Island)
It's great for sea adventurers with precipices, inlets, the caves of Ponzio Pilato and the nearby isle of Zannone. At the harbor, visitors can rent a motorboat or go for a guided tour. The scenic town's crazy nightlife is something to behold. The best aperitifs can be had at the glamorous Bar Tripoli on the main square, where VIPs mingle with football players. For great seafood there's the family-run hotel restaurant Bellavista, overhanging a white-pebble beach. If you want to get wild, open-air Covo Nord Est disco is a must stop. Drive or take the train from Rome to Anzio or Formia, where ferries leave. Palmarola Island
The water color and almost prehistoric scenery of colorful pebble-stone beaches, granite cliffs, sea stacks and grottos will make you feel like Indiana Jones exploring a new world. The island is uninhabited. There's a small restaurant open only during the summer. If you feel like trekking, there are dozens of organized tours. To get here, rent a boat or opt for a guided trip from nearby Ponza island. Lampedusa Island
Lampedusa is Italy's southernmost island (it's near Tunisia), with blinding white cliffs, fluorescent blue waters, African-like temperatures and dry desert. Protected turtles lay eggs here; dolphin-watching is one of the main attractions. The village-resort of Borgo Calacreta offers accommodation in typical white huts called "dammusi" and has an elegant cocktail lounge. At the harbor, visitors can rent a boat for a tour around the island and nearby volcanic isle of Linosa, featuring a spectacular black and red Mars-like beach. The local cream pastries and fish couscous at Trattoria del Porto are great. Get here by plane from Rome, Milan or Bologna. Ventotene Island
Calanave Beach, the sunset from Parata Grande cliff, Giulia's Roman Villa and the ancient fishery are all highlights. If you're looking for something typical and snug, family-run hotel restaurant Isolabella serves house-made pasta and artistic fish dishes on a sun-kissed terrace. From Rome, take the train or drive to Formia for the ferry. Mondello Beach
Loud and vibrant, "noble and popular," as locals define it, it's a top windsurfing site and an elegant holiday location. The restaurants along the sea promenade lure tourists with their stands of fresh fish. Bye Bye Blues restaurant has excellent sea urchins and amberjacks roasted in almonds. Get here by car or bus from Palermo, just 11 kilometers away. Numana Beach
It's silent, peaceful and breezy and surrounded by lush vegetation: no wonder hermits used to come here in the Middle Ages to meditate. After walking around the ancient Greek harbor with colorful houses above, visitors can stop and cool off at 30Nodi Beach Bar or reat traditional fish dishes at La Torre restaurant. Hotel Monte Conero on the mount's top offers a spectacular, 360-degree view. It's a former ashram suspended in mid-air. There are also bird-watching or horseback riding activities along many mountain trails. To get here, take highway A14, exit at Ancona -- the area is also connected by plane from Rome and Milan. Lipari Island
Standing on the Belvedere Quattrocchi, a rocky platform suspended above the stacks, visitors can enjoy a panoramic view of the archipelago. The castle, Norman cloister and Aeolian archaeological museum are all worth a visit. Along the village's central street you'll find Da Bartolo, a restaurant serving delicious local fish specialties. The Café La Precchia, the heart of the island's nightlife, is renowned for its slushies, appetizers and fruit cocktails. If you plan to spend the night, Hotel Poseidon is a restyled typical villa in a marvelous garden. Get here by ferryboat from Naples, Palermo or Messina. La Maddalena Island
The coral beaches of Budelli and Spargi atolls can be reached by boat. The pinkish granite rock (some of which was used to build the Statue of Liberty) makes the picturesque fishermen's village -- dubbed "Little Paris" -- glitter at sunset. The panoramic road that circles the isle takes in several old military forts. If you feel like fresh fish, pasta and bread, La Scogliera, a wooden terrace beach restaurant with a great view, is a good choice. The island is famous for its nightlife: Bar Milano offers food at all hours and DJ music. How to get here: fly into Olbia airport or port (from the mainland), then ferry from Palau. San Vito lo Capo beach
San Vito lo Capo is a tiny holiday spot famous for its picturesque bay. It lies at the foot of the spectacular Cofano Mount and the 1,659-hectare Zingaro natural reserve. The medieval village of Scopello is a seven-kilometer walk away, but worth it. Here you can try delicious vegetarian menus at Pensione Tranchina. On the beach, Hotel Capo San Vito is an ideal place to stay, and the Cous Cous Café and Jacaranda restaurant with outdoor tables will make your day. Closest airport: Palermo, then a two-hour drive by car or bus. Tags: |
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