NYtraveler, I'm really stunned to hear that people in NY have to deal with poorly-dressed tourists. That surely doesn't happen anywhere else. You would never find tourists dressed oddly here in Florida, for instance. And if you did -- why, we'd just send them straight back to NY where they came from!!!

I guess all the frumpy people better spend their money where they are welcome. I am sure NY can afford to turn away badly turned out tourists who are returning to town after getting over the post 9/11 fears.

Tandoori girl -

If people want to wear resort wear - tatty or not - at a resort - which is what you mostly have in Florida - more power to them. I do object when they wear it here. Who ever said New York is a resort? It's a city. Dress like it. And if you think the ones dressed badly are from New York - you need to brush up on your accents.

Mary2Go - the frumpy people are not the problem. I'm not judging frumpy or sophisticated - I'm complaining about inappropriate. A large grown woman dresing like Britney is not frumpy - merely laughable - except for those who have to look at her. And the tatty husbands are not "frumpy" - I'm not objecting to choice of color or fabric or style - I'm objecting to the fact that they're dressed for cleaning out the garage. Surely they must own something that's clean, pressed and covers the appropriate body parts!

harman - if you are still around - I just wanted to say that I went to NYC for the first time a couple weeks ago and I saw plenty of people in jeans. I did not go to any fancy restaurants and was not in the city in the evenning, so I don't know what people wear out at night or anything, but there were plenty of people on the street in jeans during the day.

Sorry, hit post by accident.

I just wanted to add that I wore a pair of dark blue jeans, dark blue sketchers, a tan ribbed knit tee, and a black leather jacket. I did not feel out of place at all. There were people dressed nicer than I was and people dressed more casual. Whatever you wear, I recommend comfortable shoes for walking. I did a lot of walking that day.

Oh, wait, you guys ARE talking about the New York City in the USA! Before, I thought that y'all must be talking about some NYC in Europe that I never heard of before. You know, one of those places about which the American fashion police/snobs rant about American tourists in blue jeans, white sneakers, and fanny packs.

I'll be in NYC in May. Tomorrow, I'll head over to Wal-Mart and pick up some black jeans, black socks, and black sneakers. And a black "I <heart> NY" t-shirt. Just in case, I will get some black shorts to wear with the black sneakers + socks + t-shirt in case it is a hot day.

VacationDreamer is totally correct with what is in. It is dark blue and it is desginer jeans. Blue with some brown in it is also very with-it. Black jeans are not in style this year.
And shoes... well, they say it all.

nytraveler, Try to see the humor in those slobs, they are everywhere and make for great people watching. I live in Southern California and there is nothing like a day at Disneyland for a few good laughs.

I think we should all go over to the post today by the poor guy who wants to know what to wear on his dogsled trip, and tell him what he really needs to know. So what if he just asked whether he needs a heavy coat or not, let's give him what he so obviously needs, how not to be a slob on a dogsled trip (should he wear $100 slides or a designer jacket while dogsledding? should he wear white to blend in or black to stand out?) All that harman asked was "jeans or black"-that was the extent of the question, but it's been used to launch a full-fledged fashion extravaganza.
BTW Mrwunrfl, those Walmart bags make great rain bonnets when those unexpected spring showers hit in NY. I'm going to NY in May too and I've got mine packed already.

For anyone who doesn't believe that white sneakers are not "in," I offer the following.

My husband and I were recently out for dinner in a Chicago suburb. I have long since given up on trying to influence his style -- he's a grown man and only resents it when I tell him what he should or shouldn't wear. Therefore, he was , indeed, wearing white sneakers.

As we crossed an intersection to enter the restaurant, I noticed two younger men coming from the other direction glance at his shoes and snicker to each other. I could have told him before we left the house that white sneaks aren't in, but it wouldn't have done any good. (I've decided to keep him around anyway.)

Welcome home, emd, and thanks for the tip. I will take a couple of extra bags and use them to protect my new black tennis shoes from the puddles up there in the big city.

I actually had a couple of fashion awareness moments recently. First was on a flight to Frankfurt and I saw a woman in a jogging suit and thought that was inappropriate. The second was at the Red Carpet Club at LAX on Super Sunday where there was a woman in a jogging suit. That was also inappropriate, I thought. Of course, both times I was wearing blue jeans. Sort of a fashion food chain!

No matter where you go ..NY, Palm Beach, Chicago, Aspen, LA,or Small Town USA, there will always be people dressed odd, weird, tacky, etc.Some know better ....some dont.Frankly, I rarely have time to judge them either way..Im just glad people make the effort to get out and see the world.Live and learn.

This is so funny, NYC has finally gotten on equal footing with Paris !
No one knows what to wear there either~

Do what I do when I travel :
pack everything you have that you like, that way you will have something for every occassion, every weather moment and then instead of people picking on you for wearing the wrong thing, they will pick on you for Not Packing Light!!
Have a great time in NYC..no matter what you wear, you will be fine.

White sneakers are definitely "in", along with white suits, teal and pink T-shirts, and Members Only jackets. I'm Hungry Like the Wolf...

When I go on a trip, I usually walk 8-10 miles a day. I wear my most comfortable shoes, and if thoses happen to be white, so be it. I usually wear what ever I usually wear at home on a casual day out. If I'm going to a nice place, I dress up a little. I find it hard to believe that on the street with a hundred or so people that anyone is paying much attention to me. Anyone who wants to judge my fashion sense needs to get a life.

Thanks, teriw, for putting life in a proper perspective!

ROFL. I have lived in NY city all my life. This is hysterical. And if you saw how I walked out of my apartment on Sunday you would have just died laughing.

The one thing I love about NY over living in the burbs is that people here are not afraid to be individuals and march to their own drum. In the burbs the women all wear the same clothes, drive the same cars, get their hair done the same way, and even wear the same color nail polish. And their kids are even bigger sheep with their never ending list of 'wants'. It can't be a $40 down jacket, it has to be North Face for $80, like every other kid in the class. Sick.

So come to NY--with pink hair, sandals with black knee socks, rhinestone belts, and white leather handbags with fringe. Just be neat, clean, and don't block the sidewalk taking photos.

Just wear black jeans and fuh get about it!

Well, thank goodness someone FINALLY got it right, bugswife1. I doubt I could have said it better. The only thing I'd change is the neat and clean portion. The college youth in NYC (at least one million) are very European these days. They know that too much bathing will cause dry skin and too clean hair looks suburban. God forbid your clothing is too "neat." You'll be ostracized before you get a chance to say hello. So, come scruffy, ragged, dirty and greasy it doesn't matter, just have a good time.

bugswife, thanks for finally putting things in perspective!!

I live in Brooklyn, and even though I have plenty of women in my neighborhood around my age that are slaves to the fashion world, I refuse to be. I wear light blue jeans on occasion, and I'm currently wearing white sneakers!! I couldn't care less what's in style because I refuse to spend $125 on a pair of jeans that I won't be able to wear next month because it will be out of style by then!!

As for sneakers, I wear mine because I have screwed up knees, therefore I can't wear heels for long periods of time anymore, and I'm not fond of black sneakers.

Plenty of people wear jeans in NYC, regardless of what color jeans they are. We are also wear plenty of black, but with spring season, there's plenty of white and pastels as well. Plus with the weather still in the 50's, jeans are fine.

Besides, when you are in NYC, you could be here dressed to the last second in fashion, but you will still be pegged as a tourist anyway the minute we spot you taking pictures of the Empire State Building, or riding the tour bus, or asking people where a good place to eat is around here! ;-)