This is the type of info that I just don't get....please help me to understand this:
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If you don't wear tennis shoes/sneakers you will be doing yourselves a favour. There is nothing that advertises "American tourist" quite so loudly as sneakers, and you will be treated accordingly, which can be with avarice/contempt/disgust depending on the person you are dealing with. (The next loudest advertisement is fanny packs, followed closely by the American flag - if you look you will see few Brits in London wearing or displaying anything that looks like the UK flag.)
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Tourists come to visit us from all over the world. I sure hope they don't try NOT to look "asian" or try not to look "chinese" or whereever else they hail from.

I can't understand why we are suppose to "not look American." Are we that despised over there that we should downplay the fact that we are American? Trust me, I'm not going to start singing any anthems and I won't be donning any flags on my back, but there is something funny about "trying not to stand out" as an American. This just never dawned on me until I started researching the appropriate dress for London.

You mean if someone knows we are American, it is much more likely they are will be treated with disgust? Ouch...perhaps this is NOT where we want to go if we have to "hide" where we hail from. Man, I sure hope other countries visiting the states never get the message from us to not look whatever you happen to be when you are visiting. That is down right degrading and I might add, not so inviting.

Perhaps we should just stay in Ireland for the full two weeks. Having to hide that I am American just does something to the ol' gut.

And by the way, my husband is Canadian. When we visit Canada, I see more canadian flags being donned on EVERYTHING...they are just EXTREMELY proud of their country and it shows. Just FYI...

Feeling totally "uninvited to London,"

Dawn