CEMoore

I am not asking about specific brands (though would be open to suggestions), but general types of clothes. For example, I see Rick Steves walking around European cities wearing long pants with a buttoned shirt tucked in with a belt. This may seem a little formal, but is it appropriate?

What do you wear when exploring a city in your travels?

stut

Depends on the location, of course, but it would generally be long trousers and a shirt (not tucked in).

Warmer locations would see linen trousers and rolled up or short sleeves.

Colder locations would see layers on top of that.

heraclitus

When travelling, I try to be mindful of the fact that what North Americans consider normal is often considered regular, every day clothing elsewhere. So whereas trips to US cities (except NYC) will often involve jeans and casual tops, a trip to Europe or Asia will usually mean slightly dressier clothes, e.g. dress pants and button-up shirts.

Generally speaking, I've followed two rules of thumb:

1) The larger the city, the dressier it will typically be.

2) The older you get, the goofier you look dressed casually. If you're 22, you can get away with jeans and t-shirts pretty well anywhere, but that changes as you get older. I hope to never be the 45-year old parent wearing Hollister t-shirts and other kid brands out in public.

Christopher

It must depend on where I am and on what the weather is doing, but generally tailored long trousers, a shirt with a collar (usually tucked in) and whatever overlayers are required to keep out the rain and/or the cold. As someone aged over twelve, I'd only wear shorts in a true beach resort type of town. Often too I want to look decently enough dressed to be able to to straight from sight-seeing/wandering around into a reasonably good restaurant or an up-market shop without feeling out of place.

Whatever I'm wearing, comfortable shoes for walking in and for standing around in are a must!

YOWzer

I tend to dress nice wherever I go, even if it is hot. Mind you this might be influenced when you are young/single and looking to hook up regularly

I travel a lot to Asia, and as bad as it sounds, they tend to judge you for how you look.

empedocles

Clothes.

(Somebody had to say it)

goalie

but especially clean underwear (unless of course you don't want to cross a street )

chgoeditor

I'm guessing the OP is not a city dweller, but as a woman who lives in a city (Chicago) I find this question impossible to answer.

I have dozens of types of outfits that I'd wear on my typical day out and about. These outfits will vary depending on:
1. The weather
2. Whether I'll be doing a lot of walking or standing
3. How long I'll be wearing the outfit
4. Whether I'll be mostly indoors, mostly outdoors or a combination of both
5. The specific neighborhood I'm visiting
6. Whether I'm primarily wearing the outfit during the daytime, at nighttime or if it has to go from day to night

Even with all of those variables, my outfit for one set of circumstances in Chicago is different from my answer in the identical set of circumstances in Los Angeles, New York or London.

Redhead

Totally depends on where I am. I live in LA on the beach and basically live in jeans or shorts, a nice non-logo t-shirt and sandals. This is appropriate for most everything except business meetings here.

In Europe I dress up a bit more. But I tend towards neat casual since I'm uncomfortable in formal clothes and therefore look worse in them than in biz casual since I squirm and hold myself like I am uncomfortable. I never wear suits for work. A nice pair of black trousers, simple low heels and a silk top are great

exbayern

I don't consider that 'formal' at all.

It's better than the middle-aged female tourists I have seen this year wearing their pyjamas in French museums, but certainly not 'formal'. Nor do I consider short shorts, tank tops, and crocs the best choice for touring cities in western Europe, but many here do. It isn't my personal choice.

I wear what I would wear at home; appropriate clothing to the situation. Today in London I wore a skirt and sweater during the day and after work denim trousers, wrap top, trench coat and scarf.

KoKoBuddy

Amen to that.

KoKoBuddy

No matter how you dress, the locals will always spot a tourist. This goes for Americans overseas and vice versa. So dressing to blend in is silly since you'll never truly blend in.

Wear what is comfortable and makes your travels enjoyable.

aztimm

+1.

If I'm touring around London, I'm not attending a business meeting, and I won't dress like I am.

Whenever I travel, I wear what I feel comfortable in. Yes, it might be shorts and a t-shirt on a rare occasion, but more often a well-fitting pair of nice looking jeans, t-shirt, with a button down shirt on top that is tucked in, and a belt in the jeans. Footwear again is comfortable; lately I mostly wear a pair of trail shoes, or sometimes hiking boots.

I did a semester abroad to Japan in grad school, and our school had given us instructions about dress and such in Tokyo. When I got there I decided I wouldn't fit in no matter how I dressed, so I might as well make myself comfortable, and so did everyone else in the group.

How often do people who live in a city play tourist? The only time I do that here in AZ is when I have out of town visitors. I could care less how tourists to AZ dress. I certainly wouldn't suggest wearing a suit when touring the Phoenix Botanical Gardens in July (nor any other time of year), but if you want to, be my guest.

KoKoBuddy

Have fun with that in Phoenix or Miami or Atlanta in July.

deniah

nothing steve ricks wear can ever be considered formal
i dress the same whereever i am at home or away , with the materials adjusted for weather