I recently returned from Spain and no one knew that I was American. Natives always started speaking Spanish to me and then seemed surprised to find out that I was American. This happens to me wherever I go anyway. My husband and I dress well wherever we go and were surprised that the Spanish did not dress very well over all. The babies and children, however, were dressed to the nines. But don't worry about looking American. Every one was very friendly. Felt no fear at all. <BR>

I think they know we're American by the way we walk and carry ourselves. This was made clear to me one time when a man approached my husband and I in Glasgow. He said, "You're Americans, aren't you?" We lived in Scotland (had for several years), were wearing clothes and shoes purchased locally and had not been speaking. I am of Celtic heritage and look the part and my husband is much the same. All we could figure was that we walked a certain way or conveyed something via body language.

Pat, John, Katy - you are soooooooo wrong. I have traveled through 3 countries in Europe and with RARE exception, could not pick out the americans till they spoke. I was also mistaken for Italian SEVERAL times on a recent Italy trip. These natives were shocked to find I was American, and I was born and raised in the USA. <BR> <BR>STOP GENERALIZING. THose of you so sure you can 'spot an American a mile away' do you ever verify your suspicions? Bc if not dont be so sure they're American. I know personally I would see people I would have sworn were American only to hear them speak another language! You're not as savvy at picking us out as you think. <BR> <BR>However some Americans like me I suppose are better able to 'pass' than others. It's not just attire, it's the whole package. <BR> <BR>

Honestly, Notnecessarily (who is also Sosickofthis, I presume), it's good that not all Americans are and look like you. <BR> <BR>You sound arrogant, pretentious and self absorbed. This surely doesn't help when it come to international relations, be it in the personal or public fields. <BR> <BR>I repeat, I'm glad that not all Americans are like you.

The only person that pegged me as an american was this guy in Florence. He said it was my Jansport backpack. I knew the backpack would peg me as a tourist, but I did't care. It was convenient, and I carry it around all this time in the States too. After the comment about my backpack, he had something to say about my henna tattoo which I got when I was in Rome. He said I should be careful because people will think I'm muslim. He asked if I was jewish. I told him no, I was arabic. He walked away. I wanted to ask him if he had any other comments about my appearance and suggest that maybe he spend a little less time looking for indicators of one's nationality and more time getting to know person, but I let it go. Pretty much everyone else thought I was either Italian or Spanish.

Can't you just imagine the couple getting back to their hotel room and patting each other on the back for having fooled the locals by wearing nice shoes and black attire. How absolutely moronic are you? Sure - you fooled them - pleasent dreams.

Re all the insistence here that Europeans, too, wear jeans and logo t-shirts and trainers and anoraks and sweatpants and the like - yes, some do. The point is, they have the luxury of doing so and USAmericans (according to this article, at least) currently do not. Much like the difference between an upper-middle-class person and a working-class person dressing in very-casual clothes... the former has more leeway than the latter, as they're not worried about "being found out". So maybe the best idea for Americans is to use reverse psychology and go all-out on the sweats-flip flops-bag of pork rinds & can of diet coke look ??

In my travels I have been mistaken for a German, an Englishman and as a local by locals. Like Katy I lived in Rome. And, I could spot another American 100 yards away no matter what they were wearing. I almost never made a mistake. I think its the body language. It's an exercise in futility to try to disguise yourself. Usually they were happy to find out I was an American. <BR>Also, I was recently in Rome and saw Italian women walking alone all over the place.

I am blonde and blue eyed, and wear the same clothes when traveling that I wear at home, NY city. I have been mistaken for English which makes sense, but also for French, which doesn' make sense to me...but my point is-I do not try to hide the fact that I am an American.I don't carry a flag around with me, but it isn't something that I find shameful-although I do think that the way some Americans act is shameful, the loud,rude, spoiled travelers...the "sprawlers"-when we were in the South of France this past summer, everyone wore bright colors,short tight clothes, lots of jewelry-and those were the French! you just have to stop trying to catagorize everybody and enjoy your travels, after all you aren'treally there to look at the people,are you? and one more point-why would women not walk around alone in the cities?

"So maybe the best idea for Americans is to use reverse psychology and go all-out on the sweats-flip flops-bag of pork rinds & can of diet coke look ?? " <BR> <BR>Well, that is all I ever do. Makes packing easy, just throw in a couple sets of sweats and flip-flops, save room for the pork rinds and some extra diet coke and I am ready to rock and roll. However, I also like to take along a good supply of feed company and/or tractor baseball caps and one pair of boot cut Wranglers and my big ol' NASCAR belt (the one with huge chrome buckle)...the only thing I don't like about Europe is it is hard to find a good can of Skoal there.

Thank you nnn for posting that it was online. <BR> <BR>It was a nice read. <BR>One thing, though, Italian women do walk alone. They are no different than anyone else in this matter. <BR> <BR> <BR>To Another American: It is not just one thing you can put your finger one that makes us different. <BR>Some people are more attentive to others particularities than others. <BR>There are many clues, that give away where a person is from. <BR>These clues change from place to place. <BR>One good example, in a small city in the US where Italians frequent, we can pick them out of a crowd as well. <BR>How you say? Shoes once again. <BR>High water jeans and timberland shoes (winter ones). This is only effective in this one small city, you would not be able to do this in any other place. <BR>Here in Italy it is the same. <BR>It could be your shoes most of the time, clothes, hair style, hair color, how you talk, the way you talk, etc. <BR>The biggest thing, for me is, body language, mentality plays a big role in this. <BR> <BR>Yes, I am like some others that people never figure I am American either, I get French a lot, of for some reason Swede and for others that are not really into people, just another Italian. <BR>Again, I am born and raised in the US, with a heavy accent when I speak in english, but if someone is really paying attention, they will know I am American without my having to say anything. <BR>Don't get offended by this. I think it is something to be proud of. <BR>The way I take this article is they are just trying to tell us not to shout it out we are American ( and I do not mean by yelling). <BR> <BR>

I work in Century City near Beverly Hills Calif. I see tourists all day long, how can I tell? Because they are wearing casual clothes and walking shoes because they are touring. The office workers are wearing office attire and dress shoes. To tell the truth when we see the tourists we have a tinge of envy because they are on vacation, and we are working. I can't usually tell where a tourist is from <BR>but I can tell whether they have style or not. But it doesn't really matter I judge them by their attitude not their clothes.

We visited a small town in Wales several years ago, and we stopped by the local post office for a few postcard stamps. As we were standing in line, we became aware that every eye in the place was on us, not because of our low key attire, but because of our height! I'm 5'10" and my husband is 6'4" and we stood head and shoulders above everyone else there. Seems like they just grow 'em taller in the U.S.

I've always liked the contrasting photos at: <BR> <BR>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv...euro/front.htm <BR> <BR>In my experience, whenever I've seen someone dressed like the person at left, and have been close enough to hear them talk, they're inevitably American. No judgment (since I feel that people should wear whatever they find comfortable), just an observation.

MAN! Am I ever tired of these "don't look like an American" threads. If somebody wants to dress comfortably and in the style they're accustomed to, SOOOOO WHAT!! <BR> <BR>All you insecure Americans who are vicariously embarrassed by the way your countrymen are dressed make me laugh. Why not tell an Indian woman in New York City that she shouldn't wear her sari because she won't blend in?

Well, Jeez, yes I would. <BR>

While there have been other threads where this issue was discussed from a, shall we say, "aesthetic" point of view, as Howard noted above, the point of the New York Times article that Mimi referred to at the beginning of this thread was from a "safety" point of view, how Americans can avoid looking like Americans for their own safety. <BR> <BR>And, actually, the safety issue has been brought up before too. Not in regard to terrorism, but in regard to pickpocketing (or perhaps mugging.) I would think the more one obviously looks like a tourist -- especially a tourist that is perceived to come from a wealthy country -- one would more likely be a target for pickpockets.

I just read that article and it says for Ameicans to not wear black Reeboks. <BR>Why? If they are black they don't look like "sneakers" or gym shoes. They are black and leather which I thought was "ok" for Europe. I was going to wear black high top Reeboks on our trip to Europe near Spring. Should I not wear the black Reeboks? What type of comfy black walking shoe is okay? How does it look different than Reeboks?

I have to disagree with the Post article - that suit on the right looks synthetic, and it is. I will bet that IRL you could peg it as tencel from a hundred metres away. I can understand people not wanting to pack silk and linen for a trip, but what's wrong with cotton and wool? Americans wear much more synthetic things, on many more occasions, than Europeans - and it's clearly not a question of comfort or hygeine, as natural fibers would win out there. It makes me shiver just to think about wering a full suit of polyester or whatever this is. Yeep.

Peggy, <BR> <BR>I don't see anything wrong with black Reeboks, for Christ sake. Just wear black or dark colored jeans with them and you'll be perfectly OK. Or wear whatever you're comfortable wearing. As far as you don't try to enter the Vatican in shorts, or sleeveless tops or shirts, what's the problem? I can't see any... <BR> <BR>Firstly, I don't believe,in spite of some posts written by Americans that I have read on this board,saying that Americans are being a target of some aggressive behavior from some ethnic groups in Europe, I repeat, I don't think that wearing sneakers or not wearing them would change a thing about this.. <BR> <BR>Secondly, as tourists, in my view, our main concern should be that we are able to walk comfortably, is that our feet don't hurt, and ultimately, that what we wear suits our own style and personality. I don't think it's funny or interesting to give up our own identity our style trying to look something or someone that is definitely NOT us. This would be ugly, fake, and we wouldn't fool anyone but us, and maybe not even us...