Dress code

In every city or town you visit you’ll find weird people. Of course you don’t know that they are weird until you actually meet them or engage in conversation with them. But there are a few little tell-tales that give them away

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The hair do is one of them. Long dreads, baby dreads, hair does that look like the clippers failed half way, single extensions with beads and feathers attached and other weird stuff. I’m not saying that every person with crazy hair is a weird person. Actually I've met some really cool people with weird hair, but my conclusion is that if your hair is weird you are more likely or even more prone to be weird.

Facial hair is another one. For some reason the ’70 porn star mustache is in full swing here. Even the guys who can’t really grow one are part of the club. I sometimes feel like the door will swing open and a German speaking hairy woman called Tina walks in dressed in just stockings looking for the plumber or pool boy called Ludwig.

The nose is also a good tool to literally sniff out them out. As a backpacker I understand that money can be an issue. Apparently there is money for surf boards and weed and cheap alcohol. But a bar of soap is not that expensive and there are public bathrooms and showers all around town. Being alternative is fine, being a wannabe hippie, suit yourself. But I feel there is a minimum standard of personal hygiene to be upheld. And everyone knows that the nose knows and can’t deceived.

Tattoos are not necessarily an indication of weirdness. I mean I have a few myself, but there are some over the top, flat out ugly, weird ass tattoos around here. And everyone has at least one tattoo. They are everywhere! I’m especially discombobulated by the people, mostly guys, who have a range of random tattoos on their legs. 4 or 5 per leg. Do you remember the fake sticky tattoos that you would get with a pack of gum when you were a kid? And you had a bunch of them on your arm and you felt real bad ass? That’s what it looks like. Perhaps they are reliving their childhood. For some reason these are also the guys who are rocking that ’70 porn star mustache.

But the biggest tell-tale would be how people dress. The dress code in Australia is definitely different then form that in Europe or the USA. Leggings are immensely popular and short cut off jeans so the lining of the pockets stick out the bottom are a common site. Which isn’t that bad since 80% of the women here have a gorgeous body.

BUT and it can be a big but. In my almost two month stay in Byron Bay I’ve seen the weirdest creations come by. Some are just a bit unusual. You can still tell there went some thought into it. Colors match, it looks like an outfit or it is a new designer who sowed a dress on acid. I can live with that.

It are the absolutely out of this word outfits that just blow my mind. I have a lot of trouble wrapping my head around the fact that there are people who go out in public in the stuff they have on. The argument that they don’t care about how they look or what other people think of them doesn’t fly since they do wear a lot of make-up. Sometimes it seems like the make-up needs to compensate for the inability to put some proper clothes on.

Just close your eyes (after reading this of course) and envision this: A small scrawny girl in her mid-twenties with bad skin and short pony tails on each side of her head. She is wearing a pink shirt underneath a bright blue fishnet top. Jean shorts, rainbow colored socks that come up to the knees and red Doc. Martins, while carrying a giant hoolahoop. I know it is bad to judge, but you’ve got the f-ing kidding me.

And there is a range of similar horrendous apparels around town.

I’m sure some of you are shaking your head right now and are thinking: ‘don’t be so judgmental Jelle’.

But once in a while there is nothing better than sitting outside at a bar with a tall drink and just judge the shit out of people passing by and commenting on everything and then some. If you haven’t done that before, try it sometimes it is very refreshing and funny as hell.