Lost Tourist
10 min · $5-12 · Easy
Fit: Built for teens and adults. Start from clothes the wearer already owns in their size, and size every prop against them before attaching.
Wear wrinkled clothes, carry a crumpled map, add one luggage tag backwards on your shoulder.
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DIY this week: ~$5-12, 10 min
- Wrinkle the button-down shirt on purpose.
- Write a fake name and hometown on an index card for the luggage tag.
- Tape the luggage tag backwards on one shoulder with the clear tape so it faces the wrong way.
- The map is the costume's punchline, fold it wrong-side-out and hold it upside down.
- Hang the camera or phone around the neck and put the sunglasses on top of the head.
Tip: ask strangers for directions to somewhere obvious, in character, all night. The costume is a performance, the map gets you noticed, the bit gets you remembered.
You need
- Button-down shirt, 1 (own, to wrinkle on purpose)
- Sunglasses and camera or phone on a strap, 1 set (own)
- Paper map, 1 (make: print one at home, or draw a fake map on printer paper)
- Luggage tag, 1 (buy: office supply store, or make: index card with string)
- Clear tape, 1 roll (own)
Steps
- Wrinkle the button-down shirt on purpose. Stuff it in a bag overnight, or ball it up and sit on it for ten minutes.
- Write a fake name and hometown on an index card for the luggage tag. Punch a hole in the card and tie on the string.
- Tape the luggage tag backwards on one shoulder with the clear tape so it faces the wrong way.
- The map is the costume's punchline, fold it wrong-side-out and hold it upside down. A neatly folded map reads as prepared; an upside-down map reads as LOST. Commit to the upside-down.
- Hang the camera or phone around the neck and put the sunglasses on top of the head.
- Walk around looking at the map upside down.
- Optional pro finish: ask strangers for directions to somewhere obvious, in character, all night. The costume is a performance, the map gets you noticed, the bit gets you remembered.
Common questions
- What is the difference between Hawaiian shirt and lost tourist?
- The map plus the confusion. Hawaiian shirt is a vibe; lost tourist is a character. Add the upside-down map and the asking-directions bit and it becomes a costume.
- Socks with sandals, really?
- Really. It is the single most recognizable tourist signal on earth. White socks, sandals, confidence.
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