virginia

Would we look too American in jeans and running shoes? We plan on being in Dublin only for an afternoon, then heading to the southwest. Have lots of comfortable running shoes, don't want to buy more walking shoes! We are in our 40's, runners, active. Any suggestions on blending in?

Thyra

Hi Virginia, <BR>Unfortunately you would look like American tourists in running shoes and jeans. The jeans are fine everyone wears them, but generally speaking Europeans wear running shoes for running ONLY. Unless you are a teenager, and wear all that sporting goods look. We were just in Dublin a few months ago (I used to live there), and as people have said on this forum. Dubliners (Eupropeans in general) prefer more subdued colors. I am a runner too, and to be honest I would have felt silly wearing my running shoes walking around town, let alone in a pub. Find some comfortable black shoes.

lisa

i agrre with the first message... i think running shoes definately give you the "touristy" look any where in the U.K....depending on the time of year you are travelling, black is the color of choice for shoes and clothing... thats what they are all wearing there.

Richard

So what's wrong with looking American? We toured Ireland on our bikes a few years ago and to 'dress up' we zippered the legs onto our shorts. We go to the local for pub grub and a pint or two and looking American is a great way to start a conversation, especially when they find my wife is from Texas and I'm from New York. We cycled the Dingle peninsula, Ring of Kerry and then to Kinsale and back to Cork.

Cathy

Virginia, <BR>I am Irish and I live near Dublin, wear your running shoes etc. Shorts might be a little to cold for the Irish climate as it currently exists but when I am off duty so to speak I walk through the city in casual clothes with no problem. However I don't go into smart hotels and up market department stores in running shoes. Ireland is a relaxed country, used to tourists and we will accept you whatever way you are, come and have a good time and forget about worrying about what you should and shon't wear, <BR> <BR>Cathy

Charlie

I agree with Cathy casual wear(no jogging suits)is acceptable.I've visited Ireland and other European countries a number of times and never felt uncomfortable wearing jeans and sneakers for sightseeing.Going out to the pub or somewhere for dinner calls for,maybe, Dockers and comfortable deck shoes(black/brown).Come to think of it I did have a small problem in the Irish town of Cashel late one afternoon while wearing a tee shirt with a large "USA" on the front.An Irishman,with a bit much to drink,came from a pub that the wife and I happened to be walking past and went ballistic about bloody Yanks and we were close to blows before we went our separate ways.The lesson learned was we aren't universally liked(surprise,suprise)and it's not a good idea to wear logo or patriotic garb.Relax, and with the above mentioned exception,wear whatever is comfortable because you will look like a tourist anyway.Have a great trip.

Ed

Why all the worries about looking like a tourist. <BR> <BR>If you're seriously concerned about this fate-worse-than death: <BR> <BR>1) Carry no maps (dead giveaway) <BR>2) Carry no camera (only tourists and tax assesors carry them <BR>3) Keep your mouth closed unless your accent, language and idiom sound precisely like a local <BR>4) Don't look at sights ... pass them by like you've seen them a thousand times before <BR>5) On arrival, go to the nearest clothing store, buy a full wardrobe and throw away all the clothes you came with <BR> <BR>I've probably missed a few. <BR> <BR>Wear what's comfortable (and affordable) for you, and enjoy yourself. <BR> <BR>Some tips at www.twenj.com/tipsclothes.htm <BR> <BR>Ed

ilisa

No offense, but you are American. Are you ashamed of it? It's more important to use common sense and good manners than what you wear. I'm a docent at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC. I get people on my tours from all over the world in all manners of dress; there is no doubt that these visitors are tourists. However, at the end of the day, I can't tell you what anyone was wearing, but I can tell you precisely who the rude, impolite and ill-mannered people were. So, wear what you want, be comfortable and enjoy.

Lid

Just a thought......do Europeans ask going to North America do i have to leave my dark clothes behind and wear jeans and sneakers so as not to look like a tourist? <BR> <BR>If you live in a major city you can always spot the tourists, whats wrong with that. <BR> <BR>I'd rather be comfortable wear what i want but be polite than "fit in" and be rude. Wear what ever you would if you were in your own city center if your comfortable in it at home it should be fine on vacation. <BR> <BR>

Thyra

Just to elaborate on my original posting. There is absolutely nothing wrong with looking like a tourist! If that is what you want to do. It's a matter of what an individual is comfortable with. Virginia's post indicated she WANTED to blend in. That's a personal preference. I absolutely respect people who can march around dressed like typical tourists. I just would not feel comfortable doing that. My husband and I prefer to go to cities all over the world wearing clothes that are considered "urban" or "hip". I hope no one jumps on me for that. It seems to me that neither attitude is right or wrong, it's just about what you like to do and I think everyone would agree that manners and outlook matter more in the long run.

fed up

Folks, Virginia asked for tips on how to blend in. I get so sick of all you holier-than-thous lecturing people and making them feel bad for just trying to dress "local." What's so wrong with that? And, no, ilisa, that doesn't necessarily mean we're "ashamed" -- what an ignorant statement! But, as Charlie pointed out, Americans aren't popular in many places (and for good reason), plus American tourists have a rather well-deserved reputation for boorish behavior, so why advertise? <BR> <BR>Maybe it just depends on how you present yourself at home. I live in a major city, and I wear my running shoes for running, or to the grocery store/doing errands, etc. I never wear them shopping, to movies, museums, or restaurants. So, it stands to reason that when I go abroad, I maintain my level of dress: the fact is that most of Europe is dressier than the US, so it is *respectful* to try and dress accordingly. <BR> <BR>I have a request: why don't all you I'm-an-American-and-I'll-wear-whatever-I-darn-well-please types STOP ANSWERING posts like this? No one needs your sarcasm (Ed) or your criticism. If you can't be constructive, just shut up.

CHEERFUL

Speaking of being RUDE and BOORISH, you, Fedup, really take the cake. Yours was the most vindictive, spiteful note of all. <BR> <BR>I just got back from Europe and did study the dress code, including to sneaker or not to sneaker, and it was obvious that the only ones who wore jeans AND sneakers were indeed Americans, so I fooled everyone by only wearing sneakers but not jeans. Or did I? Anyway, I met lots of very friendly and helpful people, even in France and I don't speak French nor did they speak English - sign language worked! <BR> <BR>Ed, I can add one to your list: don't shop for souvenirs or ask for menus in English. Those two gave me away every time.

Tom

Yes, Virginia, your running shoes might give you away as an American. But so might the map you will most likely be carrying everywhere, and the camera you will most likely be using, and the way you say truck instead of lorry, etc, etc. So bring the running shoes, and a more formal pair of shoes for dinners out, etc. You will undoubtedly look like a tourist, running shoes or not. Just remember to use the same manners you most likely have here in the U.S., and people will treat you accordingly, whether you're wearing running shoes or Gucci loafers.

sick

We go around and around this on this web site - there are perfectly valid reasons for not wanting to look like a tourist - like AVOID THIEVES. I see it here in Chicago, and I see it all over Europe, when a pickpocket, grifter, or just generally annoying freak is looking through a crowd of people to select their next target, they focus in immediately on the people who look the most like fish out of water, or who plain old look like they have no urban survival skills. In chicago, that would be the people wearing shorts, tennis shoes, baseball caps and slogan tee shirts. These people might be from the suburbs (which still may mean they're an easy mark) but they leave the rest of us, dressed more to fit in, alone. That, all by itself, is a good reason to try to tone down the screaming obvious "I'm from far far away" look.

Calvin

This topic is SO exaggerated and blown out of proportion! We just returned from Paris, Tuscany, and Rome. Before we left, I read all of the posts on this forum about how terrible it would be to wear white sneakers and jeans. We were on the streets of Paris all of ten minutes, dressed in all black, before spotting some Parisians dressed in jeans and white sneakers. Then when we hit the tourist spots, it was a free-for-all; we saw every type of outfit you can imagine on every type of person you can imagine. My feeling is that, in the big cities, there are so many people, tourist and otherwise, that no one really notices or cares what you are wearing. In the small towns, you may want to be a little more dressy, but don't freak out about it. I wouldn't worry so much about how you dress as how you act. If you are fingered as being American, which is likely regardless of what you do, think about how Americans are generally viewed by Europeans, then try to change the stereotype. I just tried to be polite and gracious to all of the natives I met, and I was received warmly. Of the times I was treated rudely, even once targeted by a pickpocket, 90% of the time I was NOT wearing jeans or sneakers; I was wearing dark slacks and black shoes, no moneybelt, no maps, and a small backpack (which is VERY common in Europe). Trust me: a polite American in jeans and sneakers will get a warmer reception than a rude American in "Europewear." <BR>And to FedUp, in what way was your post "constructive?"

emilypost

That's it, I'm wearing pajamas, since they are the most comfortable things I own and who gives a damn what the locals think.

Russ

It's also my impression that Europeans are now dressing more and more like Americans, especially when they are out playing tourist. 20 years ago, I was frequently stared at on public buses in Germany, my tennies and jeans sending alien signals to the more conservatively attired. Now, I evoke scarcely a glance when dressed the same, despite my age. In the last 10 years or so, I've found that the shorts and sneakers crowd are almost always tourists, but that they are very often European-born tourists who have chosen to vacation as most Americans prefer to -- comfortably. <BR> <BR>If you want to pretend your a Parisian businessperson instead of a tourist, be my guest. It's your vacation. Cathedrals always merit long pants, of course, and the opera has its own rules. Otherwise, I'm seldom in social circumstances abroad where I feel the need to dress up, and for me, comfort is far more important than pretense.

Steve Miller

The minute you open your mouth, everyone will know you're an American. I just got back from Dublin and, quite frankly, didn't meet anyone in Ireland who cared what I wore (jeans and hiking boots, by the way). The most important thing is to be comfortable. The Irish people are absolutely wonderful and really didn't appear to be very concerned about what I was wearing. I personally think it's more important to see as much as Dublin as you can in an afternoon (use the hop-on, hop-off bus by the way). Taking an extra pair of shoes for a single afternoon just doesn't make sense. Use the extra room in your suitcase for a sweater - or better yet buy one in Dublin (Aran machine knitted sweaters run you about 50 punt - there's a couple of great shops across from Trinity College). <BR> <BR>Have a great time.

Doastheromans

It's time to add my brilliant insight, ro what it's worth. What is the common national dress of Ireland..a kilt (or is that Scotland?) I say the most respectful blend in dress is to wear what is universally recognized as the code for that particular country, plus, what great memorobilia to bring back. So in Germany- go for dirndels and leader hosen, Roman and Greece- togas, Paris leaves many options open- I mean, shoot, when you go to Hawaii, don't you always bring back a Hawaiian shirt? You should know this has been the subject of long and serious consideration on my part and I HOPE no one will criticize me for it. One last thought... wasn't it James Joyce who wrote Finnegans Wake, so maybe black would be o.k. and they do may black running shoes.

tom

I see lots of concerns whether to wear white or black sneakers. So what color socks do you wear? <BR> <BR>(I've always thought black socks + shorts look dweeb-ish, but hey, I'm just an American!)