papagena

I wish I could dress like an Italian

RSTravelers

papagena, if this comment is intended for me, I did not say I am TRYING to dress like an Italian - just that I noticed women in my age range dressed similarly. I have always felt more comfortable & preferred to wear longer dresses no matter what country we visit. - to each his own.

mr_go

<i>&quot;Do all Americans dress the same????&quot; </i>

Yep. Jeans, baseball cap, polo-style shirt in spring/summer, sweatshirt in fall/winter.

Hey, it's comfy.

vivi

Yes, I have two wardrobes.

I keep a closet full of dressier, more sedate, darker clothes in our apartment in Washington DC. These are the clothes I am taking to Europe next week.

In California I have a closet full of brighter, more casual clothes; lots of short skirts and sandals. I am not taking any of this stuff with me on my trip.

Patrick

I'm trying to take this post seriously. But honestly, how can I?

Yes, all Europeans dress the same!

There, is that really a possible and believable answer? Of course not!

Leely

I have been waiting patiently for someone to take the low road and say something about &quot;left pant leg first, then right pant leg, same as in America,&quot; etc.

Where are the really corny people when I need them?

cmt

All EU citizens are issued EU-approved wardrobes, funded by national taxes, for business wear. They are made of British wool and Portuguese cotton, naturally belached in the Greek sun, styled in Italy, sewn in France, using German equipment, while the shoes are made from Hungarian leather, and orders are taken over Finnish phones. The only variation permitted is in the Czech beaded lapel pins, which may include a small national flag symbol.

panucci

It's all in the shoes. The problem is I don't think our US feet can handle the look, especially when traveling.

chtiet

One big difference for men's business attire is that 3-piece suits are very common in Europe (ie, the vest being the 3rd piece), whereas they are &quot;uncommon and awkward&quot; in the US (the words of a US career couselor)...

m_kingdom2

Firstly, a &quot;vest&quot; is an over or under-garment of one-piece construction. You refer to a waistcoat.

Three piece suits are naff, and outdated world over. Unless you're playing snooker, stick to a two piece.

WillTravel

&quot;Vest&quot; has a different meaning in American vs. British English. In Canada, &quot;vest&quot; is often used to refer to a T-shirt, particularly an undershirt - it would seem it's the same in Britain.

One reason for keeping one's appearance sharp at all times might be if you are scouting either romantic or business prospects as an incidental part of a leisure trip. Any stories of success with the latter?

m_kingdom2

My dear, one should be sharp in both mind and appearance all the time.

Curt

I always thought German men were easy to spot in their birght pastel sport coats with contrasting trousers. Ah yes the pea green jacket and yellow trousers always screamed German...but now that they all wear the EU Uniform who knows where any of them come from. Darn, I miss the old days!

MyriamC

&lt;Do all Europeans dress the same?&gt;
As per most of the posters on this board: YES, we're all dressed in BLACK. Well, I can tell you that black is very hard to find this summer!

elle: you forgot the wooden shoes in the Netherlands!

chtiet: 3-piece suits are long gone in Europe! 'Casual' is the word, these days.

nona1

Chtiet, are you the career councillor who came up with that piece of wisdom or did one tell you that.

I have not seen a three piece suit for well over 15 years. You would look like a prat in one.

starrsville

Well, for wonderful visuals of the wide variety of what people wear in Europe, take a look at these pictures of a wedding in Florence -

http://www.loriandmatthew.com/photos...ng2/index.html

Spectacular wedding photos - but I found myself looking at the spectators. Less black than expected - but oh, so obvious are the tourists!

alzaloum

I've noticed that Germans tend to wear more colorful clothing--especially the men with their shirts. You don't see quite so much black in their wardrobes. Also, European women rarely wear shorts. It's really a rare site. Most european women tend to wear pants or skirts. you will certainly stick out if you wear shorts and sneakers. When I went to Provence a couple of years ago in June, I wore skirts and sandles most days, and never felt like I stuck out.

Xsnewman

We just returned from Italy yesterday. Before we left I was wondering what to wear, would I fit in? After returning...who cares?! You will see everything, from jeans to suites. Wear what you will feel comfortable wearing. The snobs who work in the high-end shops in Milan won't remember you 5 minutes after you left.

Enjoy!

Monty_Python

If you're going to Germany, don't forget you'll need a black uniform, a steel helmet and jackboots. There are plenty of good examples in the films over the years, you should be able to hire them from your local video library. I would suggest: The Eagle has landed; The Great Escape (with Steve McQueen); Where Eagles dare. It makes things easier if you learn to march as well.

Wearing the above uniform in larger cities such as Paris or Prague will also make a good impression

marshacarlin

Have been watching this post since I returned from 3 weeks in Ireland/Scotland last week, and realized that I had something to offer and I'am procrastinating from writing my &quot;trip report&quot; (feel pressure to be witty, interesting, etc.) Anyway the best piece of clothing I took with (and I took too much, of course)was a pair of black jeans. Not because they were stylishly black but because i could hike, walk around, do touristy things during the day, and then if I was too tired, or it was too late or whatever to change for a city dinner I could just change my top, put on a necklace or a scarf, and look perfectly acceptable going into a pub or a good restaurant.........at least I thought I looked presentable. I also decided, no one realy cared how I looked (even though I am the type who understands your question and likes to play with clothes and fit in, etc.). I decided I WAS after-all a tourist, and from America to boot, and no one seemed to hold it against me. mabe the Irish and the Scots are different than the rest of Europe about making you feel welcome, which they did.....and I WAS leaving a lot of money behind which was helping to support their economies so why should I feel selfconscious??
It was cooler than I thought it would be but we had little rain in 3 weeks. Layers were the way to go and take 1/2 of what you think you'll need and more tops than bottoms. have fun