Around the World in 80 Dresses

The boots are the stars. Ricky Sarkany is the master of the suede ankle boots and the long, long riding style boots. No wonder, thinking of Argentina is thinking of leather. Ricky may have the material at hand, but it is his genius that produces shoes and boots to die for. © Jorge Royan, Creative Commons The mauve suede ankle boots are too precious for walking the streets of Buenos Aires. I would have to jump across potholes and dog poo. I rather take one of the asthmatic black-and-yellow cabs. There are literally thousands of them roaming the streets in search of customers. In my neighbourhood are some small shoe shops which cater for another sort of customer, for the aficionados of tango. I am always wondering how the women can dance this passionate and complicate dance in those fragile high heeled shoes, but they can. They have rhythm flowing in their veins. Every now and then there are spontaneous dance parties on Avenida de Mayo in central Buenos Aires and everybody...

 Argentina and Chile are Poncho countries. The Indians and later the gauchos used to ride across the Patagonian pampa wrapped in their poncho which doubled as blanket at some make shift shelter during the night. The gaucho is nearly a figure of the past, but the poncho stayed. I can testify to the warming capacity of an ample woollen poncho. I did not cross the wind swept plains on horseback but even as a pedestrian ambling in the street of some forlorn  Patagonian town I experienced the fierce wind and was happy to have my poncho tightly wrapped around me. The dark red one is coarse but quite warm. The soft grey one is the city version from Mandra Diseño in Buenos Aires. The poncho has no button or zip. You best close it with a tupo , the silver pin known since times gone by. And it serves as a welcome excuse to endulge in ornate silver jewellery which comes in many enticing shapes.

I admit to have a penchant for the tailored suit. When I was still working it used to be a sort of uniform. You didn’t have to think much about what to put on. Just two suits and assorted blouses or jerseys and you were fit for a business trip. Now that I am retired the opportunities for suits present themselves not so often. Still I like to wear a suit every now and then on an autumn day in the city or for a lunch appointment. The best: this autumn season the suit is having a renaissance. Look at all the mannequins in suits at the Paris Fashion Week! So, suit is even rhyming to young and fashionable, mainly the version with pants, though. The chequered dark red and green suit was made in Italy by Bartolomei and the black and beige by Viviana Fougá in Buenos Aires. It is sheer joy to stroll along the streets of central Buenos Aires, Recoleta or Palermo and to do some leisurely window shopping. You will never finish browsing. Some boutiques and dress maker’s ateliers are tucked aw...

On the flea market in Buenos Aires I came across the lovely statuette of Don Quijote. The flea markets and antique shops of the Argentinean capital are a treasure trove. I dedicated a whole chapter of my little guide book on the city of tango to the Sunday pastime of hunting and gathering so much cherished by the Porteños. My Don Quijote is reading a book which makes him dear to me. I like to talk to him. As he insists on my addressing him in Spanish he became my Spanish teacher. He is a proud man. I best wear something Spanish during our encounters. I do hope the modern twist of my outfit from skunkfunk will not annoy him. If it does I shall have to change into a period dress like the beautiful ladies on Argentinean National day.

The vast grassy plains of Argentina are a rider’s paradise and the country is the world champion of polo. Even for the less fortunate who do not own the minimum of seven horses necessary for a player some polo fun is possible. They have the chance to see this exciting and elegant game to their heart’s content at the stadium in Buenos Aires' neighbourhood Palermo during the polo season. The passionate audience is part of the pleasure. For the more active there is a plethora of estancias offering rider's holidays and polo lessons. I spent one of my best Christmas holidays with my daughters and a lot pf riding at the polo ranch Estancia La Sofia  near San Antonio de Areco. On the Rural, the yearly country fair of Buenos Aires, I had nearly bought one of the most beautiful Arab horses I have ever seen. Unfortunately, my balcony on Avenida de Mayo was too small to accommodate the diva. As for the suiting outfit and some very special souvenirs there is no bette...