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Inspiration: Vintage Travel Photography

Today, Kristen is chiming in to give us a little inspiration for the Knitcation contest we’re currently running. Remember to enter your travel wardrobes by the end of the month! Now, here’s Kristen with some fun vintage photos for us. -Sarai

vintage-travel-10[A flight attendant aboard a Boeing 707-121. PanAm Historical Society]

I have a terrible case of wanderlust right now. This is pretty typical for me since travel always seems to be somewhere in the back of my mind, but at the moment my condition is amplified because I just returned from vacation.

vintage-travel-11[Herat, Afghanistan. July 1972. Vintage National Geographic]

You might think taking a trip would help me get the travel bug out of my system, but seemingly without fail the minute I’m home I start thinking about my next few years worth of adventures.

vintage-travel-06[Miami Beach, Florida. January 1930. National Geographic]

Since I just spent a week in the Caribbean I’m currently in the middle of some very serious imaginary vacation planning.

Vintage-Travel-02[Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique. 1960’s. Huffington Post]

Sometimes I get a little carried away. I’ve been known to check the price of airfare, research activities and local attractions, browse hotel websites, and even plan my wardrobe for a trip I am probably not even going on any time soon.

Vintage-Travel-04[1946. Untapped Cities]

One way I keep my itchy finger from clicking “buy” on a ticket to Thailand or Peru is to look at vintage travel photos. I find it so interesting to view the world how other travelers saw it decades ago.

vintage-travel-08[Furka Pass, Switzerland. 1956. National Geographic]

I love the idea that no two travel experiences are ever just alike. It could be because of where you stayed, the year you visited, or the people you met; you will always have a unique story to tell.

vintage-travel-07[Grand Palace, Bangkok, Thailand. June 1961. Vintage National Geographic]

These are some of my favorite images I’ve come across. They never fail to inspire me.

vintage-travel-09[Swiss Miss]

What’s on your upcoming travel itinerary? Are you actively planning or dreaming of your next vacation?

Kris Blackmore

Designer

Kris is the designer at Colette, and also writes and illustrates our sewing patterns. A graduate of The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM), this Texas native worked for a variety of companies in the fashion industry before joining Colette in 2013. On our blog, Kris helps solve your wardrobe woes through the Wardrobe Architect series she writes.

Comments

Toni

June 18, 2014 #

I’m going to NYC tomorrow, Virginia in October, Israel in March, and, at some point within the next year, Greece.

Kristen

June 18, 2014 #

I’m jealous of your itinerary! I went to NYC for the first time last year and loved it. Israel and Greece look amazing.

Raphaelle

June 18, 2014 #

We’re busy planning a family trip to California. Well, more like San Francisco and around there. The husband originally wanted to do the whole West Coast (from San Francisco all the way up to Vancouver) but with only two weeks and two young kids, it felt wiser to limit ourselves. We have leave room for kid centric activities while not missing out on what we want to see so everything takes a little longer…

I have no clue what future travels will be. We’ll probably go back to the West Coast to do the Portland-Seattle-Vancouver part that we’re missing out on! And our eldest daughter (6), has been begging to go to Disney World so we’ll probably do that in the next year or two.

Kristen

June 18, 2014 #

You probably made the right choice by just sticking to San Francisco. I lived there for about 5 years and still never saw or did everything you’re supposed to do. Be sure to take your kids to the Exploritorium! It’s one of the best children’s science museums in the country.

Melissa O.

June 18, 2014 #

We’re making our very first trip across the pond in August. We’re visiting London & Paris. So excited! We haven’t even left yet & I’m already planning a trip to Italy w/ my best friend for our 40th birthdays in 3 more yrs. We’ve been besties since we were 4 yrs old, more like sisters from another mister, so spending such a momentous birthday together in such an awesome place seems fitting.

Jenny

June 18, 2014 #

I just got back from Asia and walked up those very steps to the Grand Palace in Bangkok!

Deb

June 18, 2014 #

We leave for Alaska in about 1.5 weeks to visit my husbands father. Then in December we’ll be spending two weeks in the Hawaiian Islands.

Kristen

June 18, 2014 #

I really want to go to Alaska soon (just incase wasn’t obvious from my Knitcation contest inspiration boards)!

Hawaii is one of my favorite places in the world. Most of the time when I travel I generally like where I’m visiting, but I’m happy to get back home. I’ve been to Hawaii twice now though, and I always wind up with the post-Hawaii blues.

Catherine

June 18, 2014 #

Two weeks in Rome in October. (At least two Monetas planned!) Have already booked the apartment, we’re starting to plan our itinerary.
It’ll be our fourth trip to Rome, we’re determined to see some things we’ve missed in previous trips.

Lisa S.

June 18, 2014 #

My dear friend and I are heading to Boston in August to celebrate the year of our 40th birthdays. Hopefully a stop at Grey’s Fabrics will be on the itinerary!

daisy jones

June 18, 2014 #

I had no plans until I saw these gorgeous inspiring images…..D x

Stephanie

June 18, 2014 #

I’m going to Dallas from Los Angeles next month to visit my old college roommate. I’m super excited, even though it’s Dallas! Hopefully I can squeeze in someplace fun around Christmas.

Kristen

June 19, 2014 #

Hmm, I feel that as a Texas native I should have suggestions for you for Dallas, but I’m coming up blank. The one interesting thing I ever remember doing there was grabbing a snack with my grandparents at the restaurant in Reunion Tower.

Stephanie

June 23, 2014 #

Haha thanks. :) We are actually planning on spending a lot of time sewing, not sightseeing, which is still super fun!

Robin

June 18, 2014 #

Travel has the same issues for me as shopping, per the discussion the other day. It is so loaded with desire, anxiety, expectation, time suck, etc. that I find myself indulging in travel fantasies – and actual travel – less and less. It is worse than just shopping, because you also shop when you are planing a trip and then you shop again when you are actually on the trip! Perhaps the bottom line is we live in an age of info overload.

I used to travel quite a bit for business, and loved it. I bought fabric every where I went! This was before the airlines got really bad. So I have great memories, but kind of dread travel now.

Caroline

June 18, 2014 #

Always thinking about the next holiday – Turangi?!? …. from the other side of the world Turangi may seem exotic http://www.turangi.co.nz/ – but trust me it isn’t!

In the meantime for some more vintage travel goodness… http://holidaymag.wordpress.com/

Julie Eilber

June 18, 2014 #

I’ve already landed in my summer spot, Martha’s Vineyard, and now I’m setting up my sewing “Batcave” in the shed out back.

Adeline

June 18, 2014 #

Excited to see the photo of Bangkok since I come from sunny Singapore!
Would love to be soaking in the sun, snorkelling and island hopping in Bali or Boracay at this point :)

Linda

June 19, 2014 #

We have booked our holiday of a lifetime, to New Zealand next march. We are touring with a group of motorcyclists, so my vacation wardrobe will be motorbike gear! Can’t wait!

Rose

June 19, 2014 #

NZ is totally awesome! I lived there for the past 10 years or so, am currently in Australia, but miss it all the time. Can’t wait to go back, I feel very lucky to think of it as home. There are so many beautiful places there, exploring by motorbike will be great!

Annabella

June 19, 2014 #

I’m a New Zealander living in Auckland with my American husband. We’re planning a trip to Philly around Christmastime to see his family. That’s the cool thing about being married to someone from another country, there is always an excuse for international travel! The only problem is, the destination stays the same. I’m not complaining though, any excuse to go back!

Kristen

June 19, 2014 #

I sort of have the same problem. My husband works for a non-profit based in Washington DC, so while I’ve visited the east coast what feels like dozens of times, I had never been anywhere outside of DC and Baltimore Maryland! Fortunately, the east coast of the U.S. is really easy to get around, so last year when we visited we flew into DC and then took a bus to NYC and flew back home from there. You could try doing something like that with almost any east coast city next time you’re planning a trip to Philly!

Debra

June 19, 2014 #

I love the retro travel photos. People used to get so dressed up to go on a plane. I will probably be sticking close to home this summer. If we go anywhere it might be to visit family in San Francisco or Las Vegas. But I would really like to take my daughter to see the Panama Canal Zone, where I grew up. I’ve already taken her to Peru, where her dad grew up.

Rose

June 19, 2014 #

I love those vintage photos! Maybe I’ll start collecting them myself!

Meghan

June 19, 2014 #

Thank you for posting. Beautiful photos. :)

ebony

June 19, 2014 #

These photos are great! I especially love the Miami beach one.

Kristen

June 23, 2014 #

Those umbrellas are amazing! I want fabric with those prints.

amy w

June 20, 2014 #

Those pictures are wonderful!

My dream vacation is traveling through the UK and Western Europe. Start in Ireland, hop over to England, Chunnel across to France and make my way around Europe, ending up in the Cinque Terra in Italy. The next year I would cover Eastern Europe. I would travel by train, staying in little B&Bs along the way, and definitely packing light.

izy

June 20, 2014 #

Oh my, I arm chair travel also. To dream it costs nothing, yet gives you a future incentive to have aspirations. It helps with all aspects of life. I do this too. In time it all has a way of manifesting. Just squirrel away you dollars and in no time you can have those holidays come true!

Becca Zammito

June 27, 2014 #

Can I just say that you are awesome. I love all of your posts. Truly inspirational, please never stop voicing your opinions and advice.

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