You're going to Europe, not the 1850s. Wear whatever you want.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm American, about to move to Europe with my European husband too.

I've travelled around Europe and it does depend on where you are. But as a rule of thumb, people tend to wear athletic wear only for exercise (so no leggings, shorts, etc for running errands).

I think the rest will depend on the social setting/country. Sneakers can actually be chic, I've noticed in Italy that a lot of women wear sneakers...

A fellow American with a Euro husband! Thanks for the advice on avoiding athletic wear. Seems like that and shorts are best avoided. Cowboy boots and turquoise jewelry are fine!!! Are you excited?

Excited, nervous, & stressed. There's a lot to do before we leave!! But it should be nice to be closer to his family for once.
How about you?

Btw, I think some shorts can be okay, but it depends on where you are. I like dressy shorts in silk or structured cotton with a good belt. I'm not getting rid of my shorts!

I come from generations of Western horsewomen. They rode side saddle because they wore long skirts but had to keep their legs covered, a challenge if you rode a regular saddle in a long skirt.

Which country and which part of that country? That makes a big difference. Berlin and Munich are two different worlds, but cowboy boots and turquoise jewelry would probably be viewed as interesting and cool either place.


-- American who's lived and spent a lot of time in Europe.

My advice is, do not try to fit in in Europe. That will happen naturally over time, as you adapt to their fashion trends and shop in their stores.

In the meantime, I think your fashion sense will be seen as interesting and exotic. Yes, there are people who dislike Americans (racist/nationalist people exist everywhere, particularly in small ethno-states) but wearing their clothes will not make you suddenly acceptable to them. On the other hand, many Europeans like Americans and are charmed when they meet an unabashedly American person in Europe. FWIW, I often wear cowboy boots when I'm in Europe and people seem to love it. People love confidence and self acceptance.

Whatever you do, don't wear pyjama pants to grocery store or flip flops in winter! That is a uniquely American thing

I am in Europe. Shorts are perfectly fine, especially not athleisure. On the other hand, athleisure is very 'in' right now. Baseball hats, sneakers and keds included.

Check this influencer from Spain, she sure wears a lot of shorts https://instagram.com/carlahinojosar?utm_medium=copy_link

Of course, anything would look good on a body like that but to say that shorts are not okay is wrong.