How does somebody "look American"?

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Americans have a lot more clothes, but probably not as nice or tailored. If you only have a few things because tiny house, no closet, you may spend more on the few things you own.

And definitely straight teeth. Usually better complexions, clearer skin, and clean hair.

very true about the closet, but the rest is really white people focused. Have you seen how Asian's take care of their skin? Much better complexion than Americans.

Asians are not the only other people out there. Americans of all races are very aesthetically pleasing. I think the mutt nature mixed genes of so many people really brings out the best.

didn't say Asians were the only ones out there. The ^PP made it seem like Americans were the only tourists out there.

I think people are getting confused thinking everyone saying American means white. And that's not true at all. But in general when I travel abroad I come home and think how good everyone looks comparatively. Across the spectrum. And maybe its the more friendly open nature that makes people look better. But you also don't see a lot of bumps, moles, disfigurations, and other things. Americans tend to look well cared for and despite all the complaints about our healthcare system people seem healthier.

you live in a bubble.

Americans are definitely NOT healthier. Are you kidding? And they are not more better looking. Please.

DP but to me it's more of a cosmetic polish that americans have versus overall healthier body/mind

Yes, that's what I'm talking about. You can just tell an American because of it.

That's because by and large (pardon the pun) Americans who are well traveled tend to be wealthier and more cosmopolitan.

I went to MX, and not the Cancun part of MX. There was a bus load of Americans, and they were overweight and not "cosmetically" put together.

Go to any beach/lake in the south or midwest of the US. You will see what I mean.

The average American is overweight, size 16 to 18, and spends too much time in the sun without sunscreen or a hat.

The same can be said of a lot of countries. Go to the Cornish coast and you’ll see the same type of Brit

It's interesting you bring up a Brit since I'm married to one, and we go to the UK often, just this past summer, as a matter of fact, to Cornwall.

Yes, of course, there are overweight people in every country. As a matter of fact, my Brit spouse has relatives who are bordering on obese. But the average American is heavier than the average Brit. Also, you forget that many Americans are of British ancestry, so their build is very similar.

But you can still tell the difference even if they have a similar build or weight. Generally, Americans will have bigger whiter teeth and Brits will be paler. Brits will generally gave different haircuts and different style of clothes (American women more likely to have big styled hair, wear bright colours and more make up; British men more likely to have close cut hair and possibly slightly funkier clothes rather than conventional polo neck and khakis, few baseball caps). I can generally spot a 'conventional' American a mile away. Clearly, not everyone fits that stereotype.

Yes, of course, style of dress and haircuts are cultural and even regional.

However, I was responding to a PP who stated that Americans are more aesthetically pleasing looking. Like what? Average Americans are obese compared to Brits and Europeans.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Americans wear shorts during the summer months when visiting international locations. Locals rarely wear shorts, especially men.

Also, American kids are easy to spot because they either have 1) braces or 2) perfectly straight teeth and always, always have a hoodie on.

Americans, even when they try to look chic, still end up looking sloppy for the most part because the clothing is cheap fast fashion type pieces. It's never tailored.

And finally, Americans love their sneakers! When walking along the streets, it's easy to spot who is a local going about their day in loafers or a nice pair of sandals versus an American tourist in their clunky bright sneakers.

When were you last in Europe?

Because all the above applies to many if not most Europeans. See the separate thread about sneakers in Europe (yep, most Europeans wear sneakers too). People are wearing shorts everywhere when the weather warms up, both Americans and Europeans. A lot of Europeans wear cheap and sloppy clothes too.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Americans have a lot more clothes, but probably not as nice or tailored. If you only have a few things because tiny house, no closet, you may spend more on the few things you own.

And definitely straight teeth. Usually better complexions, clearer skin, and clean hair.

very true about the closet, but the rest is really white people focused. Have you seen how Asian's take care of their skin? Much better complexion than Americans.

Asians are not the only other people out there. Americans of all races are very aesthetically pleasing. I think the mutt nature mixed genes of so many people really brings out the best.

didn't say Asians were the only ones out there. The ^PP made it seem like Americans were the only tourists out there.

I think people are getting confused thinking everyone saying American means white. And that's not true at all. But in general when I travel abroad I come home and think how good everyone looks comparatively. Across the spectrum. And maybe its the more friendly open nature that makes people look better. But you also don't see a lot of bumps, moles, disfigurations, and other things. Americans tend to look well cared for and despite all the complaints about our healthcare system people seem healthier.

you live in a bubble.

Americans are definitely NOT healthier. Are you kidding? And they are not more better looking. Please.

DP but to me it's more of a cosmetic polish that americans have versus overall healthier body/mind

Yes, that's what I'm talking about. You can just tell an American because of it.

That's because by and large (pardon the pun) Americans who are well traveled tend to be wealthier and more cosmopolitan.

I went to MX, and not the Cancun part of MX. There was a bus load of Americans, and they were overweight and not "cosmetically" put together.

Go to any beach/lake in the south or midwest of the US. You will see what I mean.

The average American is overweight, size 16 to 18, and spends too much time in the sun without sunscreen or a hat.

The same can be said of a lot of countries. Go to the Cornish coast and you’ll see the same type of Brit

It's interesting you bring up a Brit since I'm married to one, and we go to the UK often, just this past summer, as a matter of fact, to Cornwall.

Yes, of course, there are overweight people in every country. As a matter of fact, my Brit spouse has relatives who are bordering on obese. But the average American is heavier than the average Brit. Also, you forget that many Americans are of British ancestry, so their build is very similar.

But you can still tell the difference even if they have a similar build or weight. Generally, Americans will have bigger whiter teeth and Brits will be paler. Brits will generally gave different haircuts and different style of clothes (American women more likely to have big styled hair, wear bright colours and more make up; British men more likely to have close cut hair and possibly slightly funkier clothes rather than conventional polo neck and khakis, few baseball caps). I can generally spot a 'conventional' American a mile away. Clearly, not everyone fits that stereotype.

Yes, of course, style of dress and haircuts are cultural and even regional.

However, I was responding to a PP who stated that Americans are more aesthetically pleasing looking. Like what? Average Americans are obese compared to Brits and Europeans.

And those Brits have jacked up teeth, rumpled clothes, and don't look freshly bathed a lot. Americans just have a look about them. Sorry you don't see what others see. You're too hung up on weight to see anything else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Americans have a lot more clothes, but probably not as nice or tailored. If you only have a few things because tiny house, no closet, you may spend more on the few things you own.

And definitely straight teeth. Usually better complexions, clearer skin, and clean hair.

very true about the closet, but the rest is really white people focused. Have you seen how Asian's take care of their skin? Much better complexion than Americans.

Asians are not the only other people out there. Americans of all races are very aesthetically pleasing. I think the mutt nature mixed genes of so many people really brings out the best.

didn't say Asians were the only ones out there. The ^PP made it seem like Americans were the only tourists out there.

I think people are getting confused thinking everyone saying American means white. And that's not true at all. But in general when I travel abroad I come home and think how good everyone looks comparatively. Across the spectrum. And maybe its the more friendly open nature that makes people look better. But you also don't see a lot of bumps, moles, disfigurations, and other things. Americans tend to look well cared for and despite all the complaints about our healthcare system people seem healthier.

you live in a bubble.

Americans are definitely NOT healthier. Are you kidding? And they are not more better looking. Please.

DP but to me it's more of a cosmetic polish that americans have versus overall healthier body/mind

Yes, that's what I'm talking about. You can just tell an American because of it.

That's because by and large (pardon the pun) Americans who are well traveled tend to be wealthier and more cosmopolitan.

I went to MX, and not the Cancun part of MX. There was a bus load of Americans, and they were overweight and not "cosmetically" put together.

Go to any beach/lake in the south or midwest of the US. You will see what I mean.

The average American is overweight, size 16 to 18, and spends too much time in the sun without sunscreen or a hat.

The same can be said of a lot of countries. Go to the Cornish coast and you’ll see the same type of Brit

It's interesting you bring up a Brit since I'm married to one, and we go to the UK often, just this past summer, as a matter of fact, to Cornwall.

Yes, of course, there are overweight people in every country. As a matter of fact, my Brit spouse has relatives who are bordering on obese. But the average American is heavier than the average Brit. Also, you forget that many Americans are of British ancestry, so their build is very similar.

But you can still tell the difference even if they have a similar build or weight. Generally, Americans will have bigger whiter teeth and Brits will be paler. Brits will generally gave different haircuts and different style of clothes (American women more likely to have big styled hair, wear bright colours and more make up; British men more likely to have close cut hair and possibly slightly funkier clothes rather than conventional polo neck and khakis, few baseball caps). I can generally spot a 'conventional' American a mile away. Clearly, not everyone fits that stereotype.

Yes, of course, style of dress and haircuts are cultural and even regional.

However, I was responding to a PP who stated that Americans are more aesthetically pleasing looking. Like what? Average Americans are obese compared to Brits and Europeans.

Average American isn't traveling to Europe. Which is why you're more likely to see obese Europeans in Europe!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Americans have a lot more clothes, but probably not as nice or tailored. If you only have a few things because tiny house, no closet, you may spend more on the few things you own.

And definitely straight teeth. Usually better complexions, clearer skin, and clean hair.

very true about the closet, but the rest is really white people focused. Have you seen how Asian's take care of their skin? Much better complexion than Americans.

Asians are not the only other people out there. Americans of all races are very aesthetically pleasing. I think the mutt nature mixed genes of so many people really brings out the best.

that's quote a sweeping generalization, and I completely disagree. There are a lot of not so "aesthetically pleasing" Americans. I think you live in a bubble.

Just go to Scandinavia for a while and I promise you will not think Americans are the top of the attractive list. And while there are many attractive americans there are just as many or more that are overweight, and don't care about their outward apperance.

If you like fair, blonde blued-eyed people, then sure but I prefer darker (Mediterranean).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread should be retitled as "How does somebody white look American?" because most of these posts only center on the white American tourist stereotype, which is unfortunate for many reasons.

So jump in.. add your observations about how Black, Hispanic or South Asian tourists are easily identifiable as Americans when traveling abroad

Not so many black tourists in Europe but I've seen them in the Caribbean. They are definitely American just like the white Americans.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm in Italy right now. A few thoughts. Plenty of Italians are overweight and slobs. A lot of bad dressers in Italy. In Naples a shocking percentage of people had a shocking amount of visible tattoos.

I'm also more aware of class and that in turn has made me more aware of class in America. Most American tourists I've seen on this trip are pleasant looking people, typically pleasantly dressed and pleasantly mannered. Then you realize it's because they are also pleasantly upper middle class. And the same is true back home. The juxtaposition between affluent Americans and working class Italians also exists in the US, except we live much more economically divided in the US, few of us have great city centers that bring out everyone.

You can probably say, par for par, Americans will be slightly heavier than their European counterparts, but not that much so. Because we're taking about the top 10-15% of Americans who can afford to travel overseas. Even if on a budget. Affluent America isn't overweight. Which is true when I'm home in a typical UMC suburb.

What makes Americans stand out in the way some of us are talking about on here is mainly body language, sense of automatic confidence, default assumption for personal space, some preferences for certain clothing styles, etc.

exactly. Most American tourists in Europe are UMC and cosmopolitan. So, they are going to appear more put together than a lot of the locals.

[Anonymous]

A slightly confident swagger. (Whether deserved or not), I can usually spot the Americans

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Americans have a lot more clothes, but probably not as nice or tailored. If you only have a few things because tiny house, no closet, you may spend more on the few things you own.

And definitely straight teeth. Usually better complexions, clearer skin, and clean hair.

very true about the closet, but the rest is really white people focused. Have you seen how Asian's take care of their skin? Much better complexion than Americans.

Asians are not the only other people out there. Americans of all races are very aesthetically pleasing. I think the mutt nature mixed genes of so many people really brings out the best.

didn't say Asians were the only ones out there. The ^PP made it seem like Americans were the only tourists out there.

I think people are getting confused thinking everyone saying American means white. And that's not true at all. But in general when I travel abroad I come home and think how good everyone looks comparatively. Across the spectrum. And maybe its the more friendly open nature that makes people look better. But you also don't see a lot of bumps, moles, disfigurations, and other things. Americans tend to look well cared for and despite all the complaints about our healthcare system people seem healthier.

you live in a bubble.

Americans are definitely NOT healthier. Are you kidding? And they are not more better looking. Please.

DP but to me it's more of a cosmetic polish that americans have versus overall healthier body/mind

Yes, that's what I'm talking about. You can just tell an American because of it.

That's because by and large (pardon the pun) Americans who are well traveled tend to be wealthier and more cosmopolitan.

I went to MX, and not the Cancun part of MX. There was a bus load of Americans, and they were overweight and not "cosmetically" put together.

Go to any beach/lake in the south or midwest of the US. You will see what I mean.

The average American is overweight, size 16 to 18, and spends too much time in the sun without sunscreen or a hat.

The same can be said of a lot of countries. Go to the Cornish coast and you’ll see the same type of Brit

It's interesting you bring up a Brit since I'm married to one, and we go to the UK often, just this past summer, as a matter of fact, to Cornwall.

Yes, of course, there are overweight people in every country. As a matter of fact, my Brit spouse has relatives who are bordering on obese. But the average American is heavier than the average Brit. Also, you forget that many Americans are of British ancestry, so their build is very similar.

But you can still tell the difference even if they have a similar build or weight. Generally, Americans will have bigger whiter teeth and Brits will be paler. Brits will generally gave different haircuts and different style of clothes (American women more likely to have big styled hair, wear bright colours and more make up; British men more likely to have close cut hair and possibly slightly funkier clothes rather than conventional polo neck and khakis, few baseball caps). I can generally spot a 'conventional' American a mile away. Clearly, not everyone fits that stereotype.

Yes, of course, style of dress and haircuts are cultural and even regional.

However, I was responding to a PP who stated that Americans are more aesthetically pleasing looking. Like what? Average Americans are obese compared to Brits and Europeans.

And those Brits have jacked up teeth, rumpled clothes, and don't look freshly bathed a lot. Americans just have a look about them. Sorry you don't see what others see. You're too hung up on weight to see anything else.

? No, you are comparing apples to oranges.

Americans who travel to Europe tend to be UMC, and they tend to be more well put together.

Pick UMC Europeans and compare to average Americans, and those Europeans look a lot better. But that would be an apples to orange comparison.

You are too hung up on yourself.

[Anonymous]

-Speak loudly (you can hear their conversations from across the room)
-Perfect white teeth
-Blonde highlights on women
-Very friendly and chatty
-Baseball caps, sportswear, sneakers

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Americans have a lot more clothes, but probably not as nice or tailored. If you only have a few things because tiny house, no closet, you may spend more on the few things you own.

And definitely straight teeth. Usually better complexions, clearer skin, and clean hair.

very true about the closet, but the rest is really white people focused. Have you seen how Asian's take care of their skin? Much better complexion than Americans.

Asians are not the only other people out there. Americans of all races are very aesthetically pleasing. I think the mutt nature mixed genes of so many people really brings out the best.

didn't say Asians were the only ones out there. The ^PP made it seem like Americans were the only tourists out there.

I think people are getting confused thinking everyone saying American means white. And that's not true at all. But in general when I travel abroad I come home and think how good everyone looks comparatively. Across the spectrum. And maybe its the more friendly open nature that makes people look better. But you also don't see a lot of bumps, moles, disfigurations, and other things. Americans tend to look well cared for and despite all the complaints about our healthcare system people seem healthier.

you live in a bubble.

Americans are definitely NOT healthier. Are you kidding? And they are not more better looking. Please.

DP but to me it's more of a cosmetic polish that americans have versus overall healthier body/mind

Yes, that's what I'm talking about. You can just tell an American because of it.

That's because by and large (pardon the pun) Americans who are well traveled tend to be wealthier and more cosmopolitan.

I went to MX, and not the Cancun part of MX. There was a bus load of Americans, and they were overweight and not "cosmetically" put together.

Go to any beach/lake in the south or midwest of the US. You will see what I mean.

The average American is overweight, size 16 to 18, and spends too much time in the sun without sunscreen or a hat.

The same can be said of a lot of countries. Go to the Cornish coast and you’ll see the same type of Brit

It's interesting you bring up a Brit since I'm married to one, and we go to the UK often, just this past summer, as a matter of fact, to Cornwall.

Yes, of course, there are overweight people in every country. As a matter of fact, my Brit spouse has relatives who are bordering on obese. But the average American is heavier than the average Brit. Also, you forget that many Americans are of British ancestry, so their build is very similar.

But you can still tell the difference even if they have a similar build or weight. Generally, Americans will have bigger whiter teeth and Brits will be paler. Brits will generally gave different haircuts and different style of clothes (American women more likely to have big styled hair, wear bright colours and more make up; British men more likely to have close cut hair and possibly slightly funkier clothes rather than conventional polo neck and khakis, few baseball caps). I can generally spot a 'conventional' American a mile away. Clearly, not everyone fits that stereotype.

Yes, of course, style of dress and haircuts are cultural and even regional.

However, I was responding to a PP who stated that Americans are more aesthetically pleasing looking. Like what? Average Americans are obese compared to Brits and Europeans.

And those Brits have jacked up teeth, rumpled clothes, and don't look freshly bathed a lot. Americans just have a look about them. Sorry you don't see what others see. You're too hung up on weight to see anything else.

? No, you are comparing apples to oranges.

Americans who travel to Europe tend to be UMC, and they tend to be more well put together.

Pick UMC Europeans and compare to average Americans, and those Europeans look a lot better. But that would be an apples to orange comparison.

You are too hung up on yourself.

The thread is "how does somebody look American" I guess you have no idea what Americans look like and can't pick them out of a crowd. That's a you problem. Many of us don't have that issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Americans have a lot more clothes, but probably not as nice or tailored. If you only have a few things because tiny house, no closet, you may spend more on the few things you own.

And definitely straight teeth. Usually better complexions, clearer skin, and clean hair.

very true about the closet, but the rest is really white people focused. Have you seen how Asian's take care of their skin? Much better complexion than Americans.

Asians are not the only other people out there. Americans of all races are very aesthetically pleasing. I think the mutt nature mixed genes of so many people really brings out the best.

Gosh, I don’t think so. I went to high school in Germany in the 90s, and the kids in my school were all so good looking, I assumed due to their very un-mutt like blood lines. And I say this as a Jew.

I agree with this and made the same observation when I lived in Spain in the 90s. Spaniards are dramatically more attractive than most Americans (who as a population looked very ugly to me when I returned, LOL).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Americans have a lot more clothes, but probably not as nice or tailored. If you only have a few things because tiny house, no closet, you may spend more on the few things you own.

And definitely straight teeth. Usually better complexions, clearer skin, and clean hair.

very true about the closet, but the rest is really white people focused. Have you seen how Asian's take care of their skin? Much better complexion than Americans.

Asians are not the only other people out there. Americans of all races are very aesthetically pleasing. I think the mutt nature mixed genes of so many people really brings out the best.

Gosh, I don’t think so. I went to high school in Germany in the 90s, and the kids in my school were all so good looking, I assumed due to their very un-mutt like blood lines. And I say this as a Jew.

I agree with this and made the same observation when I lived in Spain in the 90s. Spaniards are dramatically more attractive than most Americans (who as a population looked very ugly to me when I returned, LOL).

Only the young ones, the older ones don't age well at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Americans wear shorts during the summer months when visiting international locations. Locals rarely wear shorts, especially men.

Also, American kids are easy to spot because they either have 1) braces or 2) perfectly straight teeth and always, always have a hoodie on.

Americans, even when they try to look chic, still end up looking sloppy for the most part because the clothing is cheap fast fashion type pieces. It's never tailored.

And finally, Americans love their sneakers! When walking along the streets, it's easy to spot who is a local going about their day in loafers or a nice pair of sandals versus an American tourist in their clunky bright sneakers.

When were you last in Europe?

Because all the above applies to many if not most Europeans. See the separate thread about sneakers in Europe (yep, most Europeans wear sneakers too). People are wearing shorts everywhere when the weather warms up, both Americans and Europeans. A lot of Europeans wear cheap and sloppy clothes too.

Last summer in Paris, I spotted a lot of French women wearing Birkenstocks. It was shocking. But at least they haven't yet started wearing leggings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Americans have a lot more clothes, but probably not as nice or tailored. If you only have a few things because tiny house, no closet, you may spend more on the few things you own.

And definitely straight teeth. Usually better complexions, clearer skin, and clean hair.

very true about the closet, but the rest is really white people focused. Have you seen how Asian's take care of their skin? Much better complexion than Americans.

Asians are not the only other people out there. Americans of all races are very aesthetically pleasing. I think the mutt nature mixed genes of so many people really brings out the best.

Gosh, I don’t think so. I went to high school in Germany in the 90s, and the kids in my school were all so good looking, I assumed due to their very un-mutt like blood lines. And I say this as a Jew.

I agree with this and made the same observation when I lived in Spain in the 90s. Spaniards are dramatically more attractive than most Americans (who as a population looked very ugly to me when I returned, LOL).

I think Spaniards win for being MOST attractive