The ‘Queer Eye’ star and fashion expert is EXCLUSIVELY spilling his top tips on packing for your upcoming summer vacation and the true bond he has with the Fab 5 — ‘you can’t fake that sh*t.’
We spoke to Tan France EXCLUSIVELY at the launch party of Travelpro’s Platinum Elite Collection in June, and it was just before the show was renewed for season 3! “All I can say is the response has been massive and hopefully, if it’s done as well as it has, then hopefully we’ll have a season three,” he told us at the time. Of course, the Fab 5 started filming season 3 of Queer Eye in mid July and we CAN’T WAIT to see more! “We’re a close group of friends,” he told HollywoodLife.com. “They’ve become my very best friends. I mean, if you see our social media, you know that you can’t fake that sh*t!”
“This is a bit of behind the scenes which I don’t think I’ve ever said before,” he said about filming. “Our days are only meant to be 10 hours, and they always end up being 12 because of the amount of times they’re like, ‘You need to behave, stop playing, we’ve got to get this done.’ So, yeah.” As far as what actually makes the show after so many hours of filming, Tan says things do get cut. “With Mama Tammye — I took her hat shopping and she had a breakdown because she was talking about her mom and how she has impacted the church. And then at the end, you see us actually shopping, so you get to understand why [her party] dress was chosen. I talked about body positivity for women — I’m sick of women being told that they have to hide away their curves. ‘Wear an a-line because you’ve got hips.’ No, baby! Wear that bodycon dress! If you love your hips, wear that bodycon dress! There’s no rule, there shouldn’t be a rule. So those are the kind of things that I wish had made their way into the episodes.”
As far as packing for your next getaway, Tan loves the Travelpro Platinum Elite Collection, which has a built-in USB to charge your phone on the go! He SHOCKED me when he said he does not roll clothes to “save space” — he folds them. “I do not roll. And I travel literally every weekend. Even before the show, I traveled all the time. I don’t think it makes a difference.” He says that despite his wild fashion on the show, it’s easier to pack basics for vacation, and then mix and match to create a lot of outfits and options. “Scarves and jewelry [can add personality to basics]. However, I think it’s just as easy for women to pack a couple pairs of pants, maybe add in a skirt that’s a little more neutral, that could be dressed up or dressed down. And then also I would pack a pair of heels as well, because you never know when you’re gonna need to dress up in the evening.”
Another tip: “Fly with your heavier pair of shoes, pack the others.” For women, he says, “I always suggest packing a couple of dresses, but keep them simple so it doesn’t look like a statement piece, and so you can re-wear it throughout your trip. For example, you’re wearing an a-line dress. So let’s say it’s a tank dress up top and it’s an a-line at the bottom. 1. Wear it as a dress. The next day you can wear it to brunch with a big oversized sweater, and it looks like you’ve got a cute skirt and a sweater. You have two ways of wearing that right there!” For men, pack a full suit. You can wear it for a formal dinner, and then mix and match. Wear the jacket with jeans, or wear the pants with a tee for a more casual look.