How to look less like an American when travelling
 

http://www.seattletimes.com/life/tra...as-you-travel/

Interesting article this morning. It tells me all of the things I SHOULDN'T wear, not a lot of advice on what I SHOULD wear. It also doesn't mention jeans, which I thought was also a dead giveaway of an American.

Any suggestions beyond what's in this article? Or should we all just go with Birkenstocks with knee high socks & nothing else? :p

To save others some time, this is a Christopher Elliot "article" where he shills for some high priced "travel clothes" and the main theme appears to be not to wear too much "bling."

As that great social commentator Bugs Bunny would say, "Wadda maroon."

Buy clothes at your destination, if it really matters to you.

I'm pretty sure that, even in countries where I speak the language with a decent accent, my clothes identify me as American.

On the other hand, when I was in Germany during wet weather, it appeared that 50% of the population was wearing outerwear by The North Face.

It depends a lot on where you are going. When I go to Japan I cannot blend in no matter what, even though I speak the language. If I want to look "less American," I speak a lot of German or Spanish or perhaps wear a Maple Leaf tee shirt.

Seriously though, I don't think the trick is to look less American but rather to look less like a tourist. I don't wear Bermuda shorts, sandals, Hawaiian shirts, camera on a strap around my neck or anything else typically "tourist" and let the rest of the chips fall where they may.

I won't be looking forward to Mr. Elliot's book, although it will be entertaining to see Gary Leff tear it apart.

^^

people the world over wear jeans.

jack wolfskin should outnumber TNF by about 100 to 1. salewa and fjallraven should also be far more prevalent

I'm of Asian descent and haven't felt like I've been treated as a stereotypical American. Being very polite seems to help. Then again, I also do a mean Canadian accent. :p

When I stayed in hostels, people would assume I was Canadian. I've been told it's because I "don't seem like an .......". (sarcastic finger quotes)

Being relatively left leaning, having a good knowledge of geography, and not wearing jeans helps too.

I am perfectly happy looking like an American when I travel. Sure, there are places where you need/should dress in certain ways, but I'd say those are not the majority. I've never felt like a target or felt like I need to say I'm Canadian. I am happy to represent America, and think I generally do a good job.

There are some places where the fact that you are a tourist is clear, and also means you have a lot more money than the locals, but wearing muted colors won't make much of a difference.

What Will2288 said in spades. You'd never catch me sporting a maple leaf. I dress nicely appropriate for where I'm traveling to & that may include my good jewelry if it's not a poor area. Why have it if you never wear it.

I noticed one woman in the article who was pulled aside by TSA because the sweatshirt she was wearing was embellished with sparkly things. I guess the 80's never died. Stick a maple leaf on her.

I don't really worry about it. Not saying that I go around wearing a fanny pack but I'm not going to try to convince anyone that I'm a Canadian. I just think it's pointless—you're unlikely to fool anyone and if you're somewhere truly dangerous you're taking more precautions than a maple leaf patch on your bag.

Dress respectably and you'll be fine. Even if that includes jeans. ;)

(That said, I normally avoid jeans because the material is heavy and doesn't breathe well but that's an orthogonal concern)

What's wrong with jeans?

I feel the same. I used to think it was a compliment when people said I must be Canadian because I didn't fit some people's notion of Americans as being loud yahoos. But over time I've come to realize that that's not unlike "complimenting" an African-American for being articulate, or saying that a French person must be Swiss because he's not rude, or saying "How can you really be Irish if you don't drink?" It says more about the speaker's prejudices than it does about me.

And FWIW, in Europe at least, jeans have been common for decades.

I've had people assume I am from Canada, not the U.S., for the oddest reasons, including:

-- I wore an analog watch, not a digital one. "Americans can't tell time."

-- My notepad was filled with neat printing. "You're so organized, you can't be American!"

Amusingly these two situations and quotes were in Canada by Canadians!