When you're abroad

[Winged Victory]

When I was studying abroad in Italy last summer, I was mistaken for a local--by an American tourist asking me for directions. She was speaking quasi Italian/English, so she was pretty relieved when I spoke English. I don't think I looked Italian; I have black hair, tan complexion. Maybe it was my "I'm not lost around here demeanor" that she thought I had.

Never really had a problem blending in with the local culture when I'm abroad. I think that's why I love to travel so much; to soak up as much culture and experiences as I can! And hopefully to dispel any myths the locals might hold about American travelers.

 

[MANT!]

I've always wondered what makes someone stand out as American in a foreign country.

For the modestly affluent subset that make it over to the UK and do the tourist thing rather than being here for business:

White gym-type socks, pulled as high up as possible.

With or without any of the following items: overly white trainers (sneakers), pressed beige cotton shorts/chinos (depending on the weather) or jeans with a really bad wash & a slightly too pristine baseball cap, plus a white T-shirt with some cartoon character or quasi-pithy phrase on it. Oh, and some denim monstrosity of a jacket on top if it's a bit cooler. Bigger hair is also a fairly good indicator on the women.

The younger Americans are a bit better (there are other, more subtle indicators for them, but they don't stick out like a sore thumb in the same way as the aforementioned 40-70 age group).

Please note the following..

Me mid 80s in the UK.....

subtile indicators? please inform..

 

[An Officer]

^ You look remarkably un-American to me. This is a compliment.

On young people, I always find the wearing of round neck t-shirts under button shirts a dead giveaway (a European might go for a v-neck t-shirt if they were going to do such a thing).
Plaid shorts or pants, especially when worn to a smart-ish restaurant.
Ill-fitting jeans - standard high street American jeans seem to mostly be stuck in the 80's.
Unnaturally white and straight teeth.
On boys - shorts with large pockets on the sides (kind of cargo pants style)

That's all for now. This is of course not the majority, just the ones that are visible, and stick out.

 

[Maestro]

With or without any of the following items: overly white trainers (sneakers), pressed beige cotton shorts/chinos (depending on the weather) or jeans with a really bad wash & a slightly too pristine baseball cap, plus a white T-shirt with some cartoon character or quasi-pithy phrase on it. Oh, and some denim monstrosity of a jacket on top if it's a bit cooler. Bigger hair is also a fairly good indicator on the women.

So what kind of pants am I supposed to wear?

 

[Holdfast]

^

I've always wondered what makes someone stand out as American in a foreign country.

For the modestly affluent subset that make it over to the UK and do the tourist thing rather than being here for business:

White gym-type socks, pulled as high up as possible.

With or without any of the following items: overly white trainers (sneakers), pressed beige cotton shorts/chinos (depending on the weather) or jeans with a really bad wash & a slightly too pristine baseball cap, plus a white T-shirt with some cartoon character or quasi-pithy phrase on it. Oh, and some denim monstrosity of a jacket on top if it's a bit cooler. Bigger hair is also a fairly good indicator on the women.

The younger Americans are a bit better (there are other, more subtle indicators for them, but they don't stick out like a sore thumb in the same way as the aforementioned 40-70 age group).

Please note the following..

Me mid 80s in the UK.....

You look remarkably un-American to me. This is a compliment.

Yeah, but I think he lived in the UK for a while back then. So we civilised him.

On young people, I always find the wearing of round neck t-shirts under button shirts a dead giveaway

Good one. I actually rarely do this deliberately, if I'm shooting for a preppy US sort of look.

Plaid shorts or pants, especially when worn to a smart-ish restaurant.

Argh. Madras!

I kind of like its "in your faceness" but it's really only possible to wear with extreme irony.

So what kind of pants am I supposed to wear?

None. Over here, we romp naked the way God made us.

Seriously, some nicely fitting jeans would be a good start for the casual occasions, and some proper trousers (eg in wool or linen, depending on weather) would be better for the rest of the time.

 

[DiSiLLUSiON]

So what kind of pants am I supposed to wear?

If you want to stay incognito in Europe, wear something like these:

(though I wonder where the left one lost his butt -- it's not there)

Unless you're over 30, then it gets a tiny bit conspicuous.
If so, something like this would serve you better:

 

[An Officer]

^ Ooh, I really love that last look - very hot.

More Americans who stand out:
Old fashioned glass frames - none of that snazzy Armani or Prada for them.
Hideous haircuts - depending on the state they come from it could be: Jesus hair, crew cut, mullet, DIY clips haircut.
Clothes a couple of sizes too large on the men, jeans waist might be too tight in fact, then covered up with a giant tent t-shirt.
Elderly Americans - socks with sandals

That's all for now. All the Americans on the board are going to just love me after this. I am only talking of the ones who stand out though, I'm sure most Tbbsers would blend in perfectly.

 

[Maestro]

Clothes a couple of sizes too large on the men, jeans waist might be too tight in fact, then covered up with a giant tent t-shirt.

Hey, leave us fatassed Americans alone. Ever consider that comments like this drive me right back into the pizza to feel better about myself?!

 

[An Officer]

^ Hey! I wasn't even thinking of weight, just the fit of clothing... you can be any shape you want, and still get the sizing wrong. This is an equal opportunities problem.

And pizza is never a bad thing...

 

[cultcross]

then covered up with a giant tent t-shirt.

This reminded me - ice hockey jerseys are a big giveaway, they've never really caught on here, except in a very select crowd.

 

[An Officer]

^ That should never ever be worn outside of a game. Same with soccer shirts. Awful materials and colours.

As to myself... I am pretty sure I really stood out in Milan, this is because I did not insist on wearing my trousers with butt seam firmly lodged between my cheeks, not to mention other areas. That is one fashion I could never adapt to, not unless someone payed me, very big money. I think I would hurt myself when I sat down. I stood out in a couple of other ways, but that's a story for another day.

 

[Locutus of Bored]

At first, I read the title wrong:

When you're a broad

I've always been a guy, so I wouldn't know how I'd feel being a broad.

I totally started singing 'West Side Story.'

When you're a broad,
You're a broad all the way...

 

[Canadave]

when I'm in the US, get bills mixed up because they're all the same colour.

They have different numbers on them.

I am aware of this.

It's just that I don't look at the numbers on the bills in my wallet, I look at the colours. If I open my wallet and see green, purple and blue I know I have $20s, $10s, and $5s. When I'm in the US, I open my wallet and see all green, so I instinctively think I have all $20s. This has led to me picking out a $1 bill and handing it over for a $5 transaction without thinking a number of times in the past. It's not that I don't know to look at the numbers or anything, it's just not how my mind works when I open my wallet.

 

[Locutus of Bored]

when I'm in the US, get bills mixed up because they're all the same colour.

They have different numbers on them.

I am aware of this.

It's just that I don't look at the numbers on the bills in my wallet, I look at the colours. If I open my wallet and see green, purple and blue I know I have $20s, $10s, and $5s. When I'm in the US, I open my wallet and see all green, so I instinctively think I have all $20s. This has led to me picking out a $1 bill and handing it over for a $5 transaction without thinking a number of times in the past.

Though green is still the predominate color, they all look quite different now, even just from seeing the top of them.

 

[DiSiLLUSiON]

Though green is still the predominate color, they all look quite different now, even just from seeing the top of them.

They're all a pale color and all those guys looks the same; not easy to spot when you're in a hurry.

 

[RoJoHen]

They're all a pale color and all those guys looks the same; not easy to spot when you're in a hurry.

That's why you look at the numbers.

 

[Locutus of Bored]

Though green is still the predominate color, they all look quite different now, even just from seeing the top of them.

They're all a pale color and all those guys looks the same; not easy to spot when you're in a hurry.

I would think you guys would appreciate our loud clothing with your obviously inferior eyesight and inability to distinguish subtle color differences then.

 

[Kestra]

When I'm in India, I can be spotted as an American a mile away. It doesn't matter if I'm wearing Indian clothes and don't open my mouth. They can just tell by looking.

 

[RoJoHen]

When I'm in India, I can be spotted as an American a mile away. It doesn't matter if I'm wearing Indian clothes and don't open my mouth. They can just tell by looking.

There are a bunch of Indian people who live in my apartment complex, and you can tell instantly that they are not originally from here. Something about the way they walk...it's slower and less focused.

 

[Locutus of Bored]

When I'm in India, I can be spotted as an American a mile away. It doesn't matter if I'm wearing Indian clothes and don't open my mouth. They can just tell by looking.

You really should stop wearing that big scarlet "A" everywhere.