What distinguishes your attire as American?

[Anonymous]

European here. This is how I usually notice Americans:

Athleisure. Bonus point if in full make up and hair super styled.
Footwear. People who live in cities usually own a few pairs of comfortable walking shoes that are not what they wear for gym. I guess because Americans are mostly driving around, their idea of footwear for walking is running shoes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Big athletic shoes when not exercising.

Europeans have long worn fashion sneakers.

I lived in Berlin, Munich, Amsterdam and Barcelona and way back in the early 2000s you would see the retro pumas and Adidas, etc., on women. They were very practical because you walk everywhere over there and lots of cobblestone streets.

I was a very big anti-running shoes/sneakers outside of the gym until I lived there. I adopted the retro sneaker look (they are not bulky) for wear with jeans when my wedges or casual boots/sandals are impractical.

Back then (and pretty much still), people did not wear athletic wear outside of the gym (and gyms were scarce and in Germany had bars and smoking). My husband and I would go in street clothes to the gym and ALWAYS change back into street clothes post workout even if we planned to shower at home.

I am 100% full-blooded American, but I was always asked if I were Spanish or Italian by locals over there. I have olive skin and blue eyes, and a small roman nose. I still can easily pass as European. But, I wear a helluva lot of Lulu working from home and working out mid-day and I don't change out of it to go to the grocery store--so right there is a big tip off.

I have a minimalist, classic style that could pretty much be from anywhere. I don't wear heavy make-up, fake eyelashes or have heavily highlighted hair or beach waves (all very American--think Navarro cheerleader--ha). I get my brunette hair highlighted/low lights very minimally to break up the color only twice a year.

My daughter studied abroad in Paris in 2016 and the one thing she wanted for her birthday that year when we came to visit was those Adidas Stan Smith shoes. She said every other woman she saw on the street and the metro wore them and she wasn't wrong!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve heard Kate Spade is a giveaway but what do you think distinguishes someone in say London or Paris as an American before they even open their mouth to share that information?

What do you wear that you feel makes you appear American?

Kate Middleton wears Kate Spade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a non-US person living in the US for 20+ years, the chasms between Americans and others grows smaller all the time..... Sure, someone from Ohio visits London or Berlin and is like "everyone dresses so much better here!" But when you go to the crappy suburbs of Berlin, or the rural parts of germany or the chavs of the UK.... lots of fat, ill dressed people wearing sneakers and track suits. Just like if you go to NYC, people dress a lot better than rural North Dakota.

At this point, the only really obvious American marker of clothes is college gear. WHAT is with the college shirts (says every person who moved to the US, ever)???

Actually it's college gear for real colleges that is distinctive. There seems to be a trend outside the US for college gear for fake colleges. Plus there is the Franklin & Marshall line of clothing, unrelated to the college of the same name.

There are always brand differences among countries, even when the item is pretty much the same. Black puffy coats are ubiquitous in the UK for example, but North Face tends to be more american.

[Anonymous]

Gym clothes. When I lived in Europe I couldn't believe the insanity at the gym. People arrived and left in real clothes - NEVER, ever would they leave sweaty to go home to shower. So weird.

I'd also add that people can tell by your kids. European kids always look like they're in magazines. Even on the playgrounds kids would be attired in sweaters and collared shirts (and scarfs at all times). Mine looked like homeless kids.

[Anonymous]

It's typically a safe bet to wear all black or dark clothing if you are trying to blend in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Big athletic shoes when not exercising.

This is a good one, and a faux pas I avoid at all costs - even when I had plantar fasciitis!

I'm the pp and definitely wear them when I have plantar fasciitis pain, I just know it makes me look like a super dork and really American, lol.

[Anonymous]

Like many have said: College sweatshirts. What’s the deal with needing so many words on our chests?

I’m tempted to say sports sandals, but that may have changed a bit with recent years’ ugly sandal trends? Maybe a better answer would be sports sandals with shorts.

[Anonymous]

I lived in Europe for several years.
American women look American when they wear coach bags, Ralph Lauren, athleisure outside the gym, Lilly Pulitzer, too much bright cruise style color, blingy fashion jewelry… also the female American tourist wearing cropped mom jeans, and lumpy sweater or sports logo shirt with walking shoes or sneakers.
American men look American when they wear sports logo gear, baseball cap, khaki straight leg pants, or in the summer, khaki shorts, with air jesus sandals or sneakers. Basically if guys can’t pull off the skinny pant look with jeans, trousers, etc, it’s a dead giveaway.
I notice that our American expats had two wardrobes depending on where a meeting was being held - a set that they wore in Europe… a set that they wore in America

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve heard Kate Spade is a giveaway but what do you think distinguishes someone in say London or Paris as an American before they even open their mouth to share that information?

What do you wear that you feel makes you appear American?

Kate Middleton wears Kate Spade.

Interestingly the brand didn’t really get to London until 2010 and the flagship didn’t open in London until 2016 (pop up in 2010). https://www.marieclaire.co.uk/news/fashion-news/kate-spade-comes-to-london-160824

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a non-US person living in the US for 20+ years, the chasms between Americans and others grows smaller all the time..... Sure, someone from Ohio visits London or Berlin and is like "everyone dresses so much better here!" But when you go to the crappy suburbs of Berlin, or the rural parts of germany or the chavs of the UK.... lots of fat, ill dressed people wearing sneakers and track suits. Just like if you go to NYC, people dress a lot better than rural North Dakota.

At this point, the only really obvious American marker of clothes is college gear. WHAT is with the college shirts (says every person who moved to the US, ever)???

Agree with this. I've spent a lot of time in the hinterlands of Spain, France and the UK. It's not like these people popped off the cover of Vogue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a non-US person living in the US for 20+ years, the chasms between Americans and others grows smaller all the time..... Sure, someone from Ohio visits London or Berlin and is like "everyone dresses so much better here!" But when you go to the crappy suburbs of Berlin, or the rural parts of germany or the chavs of the UK.... lots of fat, ill dressed people wearing sneakers and track suits. Just like if you go to NYC, people dress a lot better than rural North Dakota.

At this point, the only really obvious American marker of clothes is college gear. WHAT is with the college shirts (says every person who moved to the US, ever)???

Actually it's college gear for real colleges that is distinctive. There seems to be a trend outside the US for college gear for fake colleges. Plus there is the Franklin & Marshall line of clothing, unrelated to the college of the same name.

There are always brand differences among countries, even when the item is pretty much the same. Black puffy coats are ubiquitous in the UK for example, but North Face tends to be more american.

+1, there’s been a trend of faux college gear.

[Anonymous]

Frumpy look
Bleached hair/too much highlights
Ugly clothing
Backpacks
Athletic wear outside of gym
Big rock
Loud voice

[Anonymous]

Kate spade isn't that much of a giveaway anymore...back when it was those nylon bags, yes, but not so much now.

I would say Lilly Pulitzer is a DEAD giveaway, though. So is Vineyard Vines, Simply Southern, and anything like that.

[Anonymous]

Also for older crowd:

Grey hair
Bob haircut (women)
Resting b… look
Ugly sack instead of purse
Vera Bradley
Hideous shoes like these

https://www.bornshoes.com/Product.aspx?ProductID=24100&gclid=EAIaIQobChMImc_IgdjS9QIV9BvUAR1AnQagEA0YAiABEgLvs_D_BwE