Geared for Touring

"For my part," wrote Robert Louis Stevenson, "I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move." Whatever their wont, idyl-worshiping Americans in growing numbers seem to feel the same stirrings of wanderlust for the open road as the place to spend their holidays -- sampling the pleasures of peregrination from beach to bosque, from mountain to metropolis. Thanks to accelerating advancements in automobile design and engineering, to the mushrooming of luxury motels from coast to coast, and to the proliferation of high-speed turnpikes which have brought the scenic side routes of eye-filling but hitherto inaccessible areas within easy reach, the road to summertime sojourns by car has never been so high, wide and handsome. Neither has the wardrobe of the travel-wise male motorist -- as evidenced by the sartorial tour (concluded on page 106) Geared for Touring (continued from page 73) de force of which amiably amateurish mementos adorn pages 72-73: a suitcaseful of freewheeling fashions selected for style, sturdiness and versatility. With the emergence of lightweight and wash-and-wear fabrics in everything from socks to hatbands, touring attire has become as lightly, brightly care free as the spirits of the wayfaring motorist. Available in an unprecedented variety of styles, this cleanly designed line of car wear enables the vacationer to rack up maximum mileage -- socially and scenically -- and to arrive fashionably fresh at rustic lodge and beach-front caravansary. For a one- or two-week expedition, a single three-suiter suitcase of rugged nylon (monogrammed or distinctively patterned for easy identification) should be large enough to meet all your sartorial needs on or off the road -- yet small enough, if your playmate is the roving kind, to leave room in the trunk for the luggage of a traveling companion.

For further information on illustrated men's attire, see box on page 106

Though some touring tyros decide what to stow in their portmanteau by laying out all the clothes they think they'll need -- and then putting half of them back in the drawer -- you can spare yourself this needless chore with a quick study of our own basic travel-wear checklist. Good looks, durability and versatility should be your guideposts in picking what to pack, beginning with a single all-purpose wash-and-wear business suit of rugged, shape-holding Dacron, worsted-type fiber or near-weightless seersucker in a suitably subdued shade of blue, gray, brown or olive appropriate for day or evening wear with necktie or without, and for wardrobe-stretching combination with separate slacks and sports coats. Two contrasting jackets -- tailored for comfort and compactness, like the summer suits, with a minimum of shoulder padding and interior construction -- and two pairs of coordinated trousers should prove adequate for most excursions; plus a pair of lightweight Bermudas for the ultracasual occasion.

However informal your itinerary, a modest supply of dress shirts may be considered de rigueur for candlelit dinners, moonlit dancing and neon-lit evenings en route. Buttondown, medium-spread and round-point pin-collar models are now obtainable in cotton and Dacron-cotton mixtures ranging from standard broadcloth to featherweight voile; all can be rinsed out at night, hung up to dry and worn again, store-fresh, the following day. Three such shirts -- two white and one colored (pale blue, buff or gray) -- should stand you in good stead at the dressiest resort. Half a dozen subtly summery neckties will round out your wardrobe. Such come-as-you-are pleasures as poolside lounging and shore-front fish fries, of course, will require an equal number of comfortably cool short-sleeved sport shirts in regulation button-front and knitted polo styles of porous cotton weaves, boldly solidtoned to harmonize with the shades and patterns of coordinated jackets and slacks. For top-down touring on sunny afternoons, a lightweight, long-sleeved cotton sweater will serve the dual function of looking well and safeguarding you against sunburned arms and chilling wind. And on unseasonably cool August evenings, a second sweater -- this one a midweight cashmere cardigan or wool-blend pullover -- will provide weightless warmth at the beach or in the mountains. The selection of styles is varied; as always, we advise you to cleave to the classic in color and design.

To protect your face and neck from the sun during long stretches behind the wheel between stop-offs, don a jaunty straw hat, crushable cloth cap, or one of the new bantamweight felts -- the kind which can be folded away in the glove compartment and sprung back into shape when needed. And for triple duty as raincoat, beach robe and standard evening outerwear, take along a conservatively styled waterproof topcoat of lightweight, shape-holding synthetic fibers for maximizing comfort and minimizing wrinkles.

Summer shoegear has a streamlined look and feel which offer the motorist a union of utility, comfort and clean design in featherlight models ideally adapted to the space limitations of a single suitcase. Three pairs will be adequate for the active driver: hand-tooled black dress loafers for evening necktie functions, sturdy brown brogues for daily travel and knockabout wear, and a pair of flexible shoes in an offbeat shade of lightweight glove leather or porous man-made fiber, with collapsible counters for handy packing -- as a combination casual shoe, beach clog and bedroom slipper. Golfers, scuba divers and tennis buffs should remember to leave room for appropriate footgear, as well as for their clubs, tanks, rackets, etc.

Whatever your sportive inclinations, you're bound to find yourself within dipping distance of lake, river, pool or ocean somewhere en route. If you plan to tan without plunging, one swimsuit will meet your sedentary needs: a pair of quick-drying nylon briefs for maximum exposure is our suggestion. Those who intend to go off the deep end, however, will want to pack a second-string pair of trim boxer trunks.

Two last-minute addenda and we're off: pocket a pair of functionally designed, conservatively framed sunglasses with precision-ground lenses processed not merely to mute sunlight but to reduce glare optically; then slip on a pair of cool open-weave driving gloves, leather-thonged with ridged seams for a firm grip on the wheel; turn the ignition key, and prepare to set forth on a sartorial concours d'élégance.

A Wayfaring Wardrobe Geared for Touring, Keyed to the Candid Photos on Pages 72-73

Slide 1: washable Orlon cable-stitch cardigan with black trim, by Lord Jeff, $17; Dacron-cotton trousers with extension waistband, quarter-top pockets, by HIS, $7; cotton broadcloth was-and-wear shirt with medium-spread collar, convertible cuffs, by Van Heusen, $5; silk ascot, by Handcraft, $5; tweed men's travel bag, by Samsonite, $39.50. Slide 2: washable Dacron-cotton batik jacket with side vents, flap pockets, by Blacker Brothers, $30; black-olive wash-and-wear slacks of Acrilan-rayon-acetate with belt loops, side pockets, by Asher, $10; cotton broadcloth shirt with convertible collar and cuffs, by Manhattan, $6; paisley silk ascot, by Sulka, $6.50. Slide 3: cotton fishnet shirt-jacket with short sleeves, side vents, $10, cotton denim trunks with extension waistband, $6, both by Sea Squire. Slide 4: washable stretch nylon-cotton golf jacket with zip front, raglan sleeves, button-flap pockets, two-button neck closure, by Lakeland, $16; cashmere cardigan with red and navy silk binding, by Gino Paoli, $45; Acrilan knit pullover shirt with three-button front, short sleeves, by Classic Club, $3. Slide 5: washable Kodel-cotton batiste sport shirt with short sleeves, patch pockets, $6, washable Kodel-Avril abstract-patterned Bermuda shorts with belt loops, side pockets, $9, both by Seven-Seas. Slide 6: blue-black Creslan-Dacron-rayon suit with three-button front, flap pockets, center vent, trousers with belt loops, side pockets, by Haspel, $45; cotton oxford button-down shirt, by Wren Ltd., $6; Dacron-silk rep stripe tie, by Wembley, $2.50. Slide 7: traveling companion, priceless.