The survey of holiday fashion mistakes by discount shopping site PromotionalCodes.org.uk highlighted the wardrobe blunders Britons make when the sun comes out and they let their guard down.
The sarong has always been popular with female holidaymakers but it’s a total no-no when sported by a man – even if his name does happen to be David Beckham. More than one in ten voters – 16% named it as the worst possible holiday fashion faux pas.
Not wearing enough clothes – with the risk of sun burn that involves – was second in the poll with 15% of voters saying too much flesh was a major fashion mistake.
Socks with sandals came next in the poll with 14% of voters giving the look – beloved of Germans – a resounding thumbs down.
Fashion faux pas we should also steer well clear of included farmer’s tans, braided hair and too-loud Hawaiian shirts.
One female respondent commented: “I do tend to let my hair down on holiday and end up wearing items I’d never be seen dead in in the UK.
“There are definitely a few sun dresses in my wardrobe that only come out for those two weeks in the Med each summer. They are loud and floral and really not me but on holiday they seem to work.
“My husband has never worn a sarong but he does have some garish bright green shorts he insists on wearing year after year. They are truly awful.
“Mind you at least I don’t have to tell him off about wearing socks with his sandals. If he ever did that I’d be filing for divorce immediately.”
Other holiday fashion mishaps highlighted by the poll included the burkini, as worn by domestic Goddess Nigella Lawson on a visit to Bondi Beach, and the mankini, popularised by Sacha Baron Cohen in the film Borat.
A male respondent said: “I’d love to be bold enough to wear a mankini like Borat in the movie – it’d be hilarious. However the truth is I’m far too conservative. I did try a sarong in Greece one year but my wife almost died laughing.”
Managing to scrape into the top ten was the styling disaster of matching outfits on couples, tiny mini dresses and souvenir t-shirts such as ‘I love New York’.
A spokesperson for PromotionalCodes.org.uk commented: “Us Brits love to go on holiday but there are certain fashion rules that go straight out the window as soon as we leave Britain. The ten faux pas that were shown are just a handful of fashion mistakes that we make, leaving the rest of Europe pondering our sense of style.”
Top Ten
1. Male Sarong 16%
2. Not enough clothes 15%
3. Socks with sandals 14%
4. Farmer’s tan 12%
5. Braided hair 10%
6. Too Loud Hawaiian style shirts / shorts 9%
7. Matching outfits on couples 8%
8. Tiny mini dresses 7%
9. Burkini / Mankini 4%
10. Souvenir t-shirts 2%
Others / don’t know 3%
Sample size: 400
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