sealady

I will be traveling to Rome for 5 days. I don't want to stand out as an American. Since Rome is a major city, I was thinking about dressing in business casual wear. Will this help me blend in???? What about a purse??? I probably will have my money and credit cards concealed but I would like to take a camera.
I guess that the funny thing about this is that I recently visited Budapest and didn't worry about these things and had no problems.
Do I need to worry more in Rome???

StCirq

What did you wear in Budapest?

levon

<<I don't want to stand out as an American.>> Is there any particular reason you are ashamed to appear being American? When all is said and done, no Roman will lose any sleep over you looking slightly different than locals. Do you single out foreign visitors for ridicule where you live? Do you snigger behind their backs when you see them attired or acting differently than the local populace?

PS - one question mark is quite sufficient for each question posed.

sealady

Business casual but I never had a feeling that tourists were a target there. On one occasion we walked around town with maps unfolded pretty much did everything wrong as far as looking like tourists goes. Budapest was great. I would love to go back.

BrimhamRocks

First, you need to calm down with the question marks. One (not three, not four) at the end of a question will suffice.

Second, please stop stereotyping all us Americans as 'ugly Americans'.

Third, you will stand out as an American, no matter what you wear. Your accent, and other various clues, will give you away.

Fourth, yes, Rome is a major city. It, like many many many other major (and not so major) cities, gets millions of visitors each year, from various countries. They will not notice YOU, one person, amongst millions.

Fifth, please, do yourself a favor and wear what is comfortable for you, and just plain have fun. You will enjoy your vacation more, if you stop WORRYING so much. People who are relaxed and confident, no matter what they are wearing, 'blend in' much more than people who spend their whole holiday fretting and fussing. THAT is what will cause people to see you as an 'Ugly American', if the term must be used.

Sixth, I sincerely hope you have a great time in Rome.

Patrick

According to many posts here recently, I think to avoid major embarrassment, you should hire the services of a consultant to dress you and pick out your wardrobe as well as every accessory. What a shame if you should not look like you just stepped out of a Roman fashion magazine, or worse yet, someone might actually crack your secret and discover you are (GASP) an American.

On the other hand you could wear what you want, be comfortable, and have a good time instead of just worrying about impressing the locals, who frankly won't notice what you're wearing and couldn't care less.

Are you seriously worried about what others think of you when you travel? I'm not talking about appearing in the outrageous here, but just using a little common sense and wearing what you feel is comfortable and appropriate. Or is your taste and your opinion of yourself so bad that you honestly feel you will stick out like a sore thumb? Sorry if this seems so brutal, I just think these fashion statement questions have gotten totally out of hand.

And why do you think traveling in Rome is any different from traveling in Budapest?

StCirq

I think I'm more concerned about your statement that "I probably will have my money and credit cards concealed, but...." You MUST have them concealed, and well concealed, whether in a purse (my preference) or elsewhere. As long as you don't wear a pink jogging suit or Hawaiian shirt with black socks and Birkenstocks, you won't stand out in Rome. It's a big city, with people dressing in all kinds of ways, though I do think Romans and Italians in general have a sort of innate style that is hard to mimic. I certainly could never "blend in" in Rome, though I can in other parts of Europe. But I don't think spending a lot of effort on how to dress "business casual" is going to end up being much of a protective factor, if that's what you're concerned about.

chardonnay

Don't be so hard on yourself, maybe you aren't that ugly, maybe you are just homely or plain as they say.

Try a new hairstyle or new makeup and then you won't be so ashamed of your looks, try to accentuate your good points.

Or did you mean something else?

Budman

Before we went to Paris, I was reading from all the fashion police on this site about what to wear, how to dress, and what not to wear.

We got there, and everyone was wearing any damn thing they pleased. I felt right at home.

Just don't wear 10 gallon hats, cowboy boots, big belt buckles, American flag jackets, etc.

Not that you shouldn't love the good old U.S of A, but there are a lot of people out there who don't. Why put yourself into a "situation."

sealady

Wow, you people are brutal.
I live near Orlando and see too many tacky tourists. I don't want to be one of them. I hosted a student from Madrid and she had a fit if I went to the mall without wearing heels and a suit.
That is probably extreme but I would like to fit into the mix.

Russ

The term "Ugly American" has nothing to do with fashion and everything to do with attitude. As they prepare for a trip abroad, American travelers should generally concern themselves less with their outward appearance (they are often obsessed enough with this already, whether their tastes are Nike or Gucci) and more with the level of knowledge and understanding they will be bring to their trips. Many - not all but many - are simply too deficient in their knowledge of history, politics, art, culture, and all the rest to get much from a trip to Europe, and they often end up reinforcing the stereotype that Europeans seem to have of the underwitted, materialistic, anti-intellectuals that some of us indeed are.

levon

So you do snigger behind their backs...ok then, that explains a lot as to where you're coming from.

HowardR

For the sake of literary accuracy, the title character in the book The Ugly American was the good guy!
Next, I would think you'd be more concerned about sticking out a tourist in Budapest, since there are far, far, far fewer of them there than in Rome, where tourists are pretty commonplace.

BrimhamRocks

In my mind, the only valid 'what to wear' questions are weather-related, or related to what one should wear when visiting a place of worship (ie, make sure bare arms are covered and skirts are no shorter than the knees, etc etc).

That's just my own opinion. But obviously, by the other responses you received, other people get annoyed with the constant 'what should I wear' questions, too. Worse yet are the threads which stereotype people because of their nationality, as yours does. I imagine that is why we come across as 'brutal', when posts like yours come up.

Really, just wear what's comfortable. If YOU think it's tacky, then don't wear it. Don't worry about what others think. You'll be there five days, you said? I guarantee that anyone who sees you in Rome during those 5 days will remember you FAR longer for your demeanor when interacting with others, than they will remember you for what you are wearing.

Just pack what you will be comfortable in, and then RELAX and have a good time. It ain't that difficult, I promise.

chardonnay

Then if you don't feel that you look ugly at home, why do you feel that you will look ugly in Europe?

Instead of feeling ashamed, why didn't you tell the Madrid student that that isn't how Americans dress when they go to the mall.

It is not right or wrong, just culturally different, since you seem to know already that you want to fit in, dress up if that is your first concern.

lyb

Yes, many people on this board can be brutal, and I'm going to be one too at this point. Unless you dress awful in your day to day life, why do you think that all of a sudden you'd look awful in Rome? Also, Romans don't have to take a fashion class in order to graduate high school...trust me I saw quite a few that needed to be the victim on "What Not To Wear". If I were to dress like many of the Roman women, I'd be wearing a strapless sundress with a regular bra, not a strapless. People dress well in every city and people dress badly in every city.

As others have said, you will NOT blend in. Romans do not go to all the tourist sites on a day to day basis..by being there, you've just brought attention to yourself as a tourist. Romans speak Italian, do you? Romans don't go around look at their surroundings in wonderment, you just might.

Go and enjoy your vacation, and Rome is also not filled with pickpockets, yes they are there, but it's not like you have to go through an obstacle course of pickpockets to get through the city.

Again, relax and by the way, the tacky tourists you see in Orlanda, have you ever wondered if many there were Europeans? Perhaps they asked advice on how to dress when coming to the States and that's the advice they got?

As far as the exchange student who stayed with you, well, I think she's got her own set of problems!

Kelabel

Watch out for pick-pocketers. I was wearing a purse that had long straps and 2 nine year old children tried to remove by putting a piece of cardboard near my stomach.
What kind of purse do you have????
Good luck.

BrimhamRocks

I don't understand the cardboard thing the previous poster mentions. Yes there are pick pocketers, but there are pick pocketers everywhere.

Kelabel

also,
Americans tend to show different body language styles than that of Europeans or so some studies suggest. We may even pick up on these cues subconsciously.
For example we on average prefer more personal space when talking to a person and Europeans want less and will even move closer to you.

I remember in Switzerland i walked up to a counter in a store to ask a question and the man took one look at me and said "American" I think they can just tell.

NYCFoodSnob

Brim, the gypsy kids use a cardboard sign, "we're impoverished and need your financial assistance" kind of thing, to shove in your face as a distraction while the five-year-old lifts your wallet from your purse. I haven't seen this sort of thing since before the Jubilee Year. I've been at the Colosseum on both of my last visits (their presence here used to be notorious) and haven't seen one. Maybe they still come out in summer.