kleeblatt

My husband bought "boxer shorts" bathing trunks for the US. He'll leave his tight and sexy bathing bottoms here in Europe, where they aren't misunderstood. Poor things.

hanl

I would never dream of asking what to wear in the US - whenever I go there I just pack my normal clothes. In fact, wherever I go (this summer it'll be Malaysia, last year it was Namibia) I just pack my normal clothes - summer gear, winter gear, whatever. The only time I might ask a "what to wear" question would be if I were going to a wedding in the US, say, or going somewhere with a climate or terrain I'm really not familiar with and want to make sure I'm well equipped. Who cares about looking like a tourist.

eigasuki

Here in Australia, sandals with socks is the giveaway for Europeans. No, just no.

Geordie

<<Here in Australia, sandals with socks is the giveaway for Europeans. No, just no.>>

Completely agree, its not just the men but the women as well, it looks so daggy its not true.

Geordie

xyz123

Easy answer...

T shirts, blue jeans and sneakers for every day touring....and perhaps a knit shirt for evening out unless one is going to the top restaurants or night spots.

MissPrism

Well sandals with socks has a long history.
See http://tinyurl.com/l8hq

When I visit anywhere, I just dress normally and so do the majority of American visitors to these shores.
I'm in my late 60s and so I don't think that sleeveless tops, shorts and a baseball hat would really suit me.

Nina66

None of our European visitors have ever asked what they should wear here. We always remind them if it is their first trip to San Francisco, that our summer nights can be like their mild winter evenings.

Perhaps the Europeans have their own secret board similiar to Fodors, where they can get their wardrobe questions out of their system before they arrive here ;-)

Nina

BTilke

I have been asked many questions about what to wear, but only by Europeans friends/colleagues who wonder about the U.S. climate. For example, an Italian friend has asked me if it's really hot in Las Vegas in mid-summer (yes, hotter than ANYTHING she's experienced in Italy, but she should also bring a sweater because the indoor AC can be COLDER than any AC she's experienced in Europe). Does it really rain ALL the time in the Pacific NW? How cold will Chicago be in December (anywhere from surprisingly balmy to frigid). But they never ask questions about style...they've seen enough American TV to get the general idea and they're comfortable with their own style.

mariposa85

It makes me laugh how Americans constantly refer to Europeans as if Europe were one country. The "Europeans" most people seem to be referring to in this way are the French, who are known for wearing a lot of black, staple items, leather shoes etc, within Europe (maybe the Italians as well). In the UK and Ireland, white or other coloured sneakers, jeans and hoodies are the norm. You would not see British men in tight neon pants like Italian men, yet they're Europeans as well. In the Netherlands most people wear very casual, comfortable clothes, the Spanish have trends of their own (stuck in 1984) So even if someone is from another European country they will be labelled as "not from here" by the locals. I now live in Spain and can spot a Brit or German from a mile away. I can tell if you are American too, and it's rarely because of the clothes. I just know. I really wouldn't worry too much about trying to fit in clothes wise because chances are you won't blend in anyway, why not wear something comfortable and worry about what to see and do?
I don't worry about what to wear when I go to the U.S, except in a practical sense, such as wearing a big jacket and woolly hat in winter in NY. I don't care if people know I'm not American or laugh at my clothes.

dfr4848

mariposa85 makes a very appropriate and valid point. Brits, Italians and Germans in the same clothing pot? Don't think so! [that would probably make up an entire thread of its own]. We should probably all face the fact that whether we want or intend to or not, we all look like tourist when we visit a foreign country - probably because we are and we react accordingly. On our trip to Austria earlier this month, we were pulling up to a bus stop in one of the larger cities where we were supposed to meet our city guide. The only person there was a gentleman totally dressed in bright orange (shirt, pants and shoes). Turned out it was our guide (who was fabulous). But I remember my initial, subconscious reaction was: "jez, what are we doing picking up a prisoner?" We're all unfortunately a product of our environment - but maybe that's why we're all so interesting.

nytraveler

No - they don;t seem to - but I certainly wish they would.

For much of the year they wear heavy wool suits (not realizing NYC - and much of the US - is hot as hell in the summer) that definitely need dry cleaning. And if I see (on northern european men) one more pair of droopy multi pocket shorts/capris with sandals and those brown hairy socks (they must have lot of herds of naked goats in Scandinavia) I'm going to scream.

And there seems to be a direct realtionship bwtween the size of the backpack they carry and the hairiness of the socks. Frankly - they're so hairy a pair of them could be folded together to make a port a dog.

kenderina

I promise that if I ever manage to visit the States, I won't ask such a thing

walkinaround

nytraveler...and northern europeans and germans wearing cartoon socks (snoopy, simpsons, etc) with suits. i have no idea of the history of this but it should be illegal.

suze

I think the entire phenomena appears out of proportion from reality if you judge by posts on this forum.

I have quite a few friends (west coast US) who take trips to Europe. Not a single one of them posts on Fodors, nor do they ask what they should wear while there. They don't plan itineraries or restaurants to eat at ahead of time. They may or may not read guidebooks. They toss some clothes from their closet into a suitcase, and off they go.

annw

Too true about diversity among "Europeans"; just going from Munich to Venice and back to Heidelberg/Frankfurt areas showed a dramatic change in the prevailing styles. And in San Francisco tourists from Minnesota stand out as much as, sometimes more than, European tourists.

I thought the socks/sandals was largely a German phenomenon?