Our retail gal, Kate Johnson, from the Madison store recently traveled to India and brought back with her some excellent fashion advice, a fresh take on the less popular Kerala, and a beautiful reflection on the women of the world. Enjoy.

Traveling to India is one of those once in a lifetime opportunities. When the chance arises, you just have to emphatically say YES and ask questions later, sure that the details will work themselves out- as they always do. In July, my husband and I spent two weeks in the South Indian state of Kerala. Contrary to what Kerala’s tourism board would lead you to believe, this is not the typical American tourist choice. Most opt, understandably, for the Taj Mahal, Delhi, Mumbai or Varanasi, all in the north. We were also traveling during monsoon season- euphemistically known as ‘the off-season’. Needless to say, packing was daunting. Luckily, I work at a Title Nine store!

So, here’s what I ended up bringing with me: mostly SAMBA. I tell you what; I’m not sure what I would’ve done without my Samba V-Tees (long and short sleeved of course). Well, actually I can tell you exactly what I would’ve done – there would be plenty of photographic evidence of a beet red, sweaty, frizzy-haired, soaking wet, smelly, smelly white girl in India. Instead, thanks to Title Nine, I maintained a reasonable body temperature (and moisture level, for that matter) and was free to explore and enjoy my surroundings. Culturally, shoulders should be covered at all times and any obvious ‘chest’ should be concealed. But the hot and humid weather disagreed. The tencel blended with cotton and spandex of the Samba fabric performed above expectations. It resisted odor like a champ, wrinkles shook out like an instant face-life, and breathed like… Lance Armstrong. If I had been thinking straight, I would’ve packed my Samba dress (Amelia) and skirts (Amelia and Cha Cha)! Burnouts from Prana proved invaluable as light, breathable layers and cover-ups. Here’s the Chai Tee in action at a spice market in Koch:

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