Track Suits and High Heels?

When I leave my house in Quito I'm generally prepared to be the worst dressed person on every bus, street or restaurant I go into. If I'm wearing flip flops, I'm also prepared to receive innumerable somewhat disgusted stares at my feet. It's not that my feet are in terrible shape, it's just that Quiteños can't understand why on earth I would wear flip flops rather than donning some stiletto heels to go teach English to 2nd graders. Or buy groceries. Or do anything outside of the house. I'll admit that I jumped on the high heel train late in life and I'm not as good as managing heels as some people, but unlike in Washington where those women who wear heels to work make the sensible step of wearing tennis shoes to work and then changing into the heels in their purse, women here just rock the heels all the time. On the bus, walking, everything. I can't imagine the pain. And let me just say, these are not sensible heels.

A Quiteño woman generally accompanies her heels with a well thought-out (and tight) outfit, every hair in place, and meticulously applied make-up. If I didn't stick out in a crowd because of my "white as a ghost" skin an light hair, I would stick out because of my tennis shoes and t-shirt.

But this style of dress finds a sharp contrast with the uniforms of high school students, which about half the time are track suits. In the afternoons in Quito you would undoubtedly encounter groups walking around the city in matching track suits from their collegio (high school). The girls still have every hair in place and meticulously applied make-up, but coupled with a track suit and tennis shoes it gives a bit of a different impression.

Where in the United States this track suit uniform would be great preparation for the college years filled with sweatpants and t-shirts, when people hit college here the track suits go out the door and people proudly walk to class in designer jeans and, of course, high heels. Having been a volunteer for more or less three years, I simply can't keep up. Not to mention the weight limits on baggage limited me to about three outfits that are even close to meeting Quito standards. But at least I'm comfortable!

The last thing that strikes me about Quito fashion is that fanny packs can be routinely spotted in the city. Yep, fanny packs. So go ahead and stick that in your back pocket.