For me, it always comes down to shoes: comfortable but not clunky. It's a careful balance. I like the Ariat Paddock boots because they support the ankle, are waterproof, and look kind of like shoes. They are rather like a light pickup truck, right? They can do the work of a truck, but they ride like a car. Anyway, I'm currently looking for tiny ballet flats that will fit in a tiny amount of space so I don't have to wear boots *all* the time.
Here is a study abroad group. We all decided that jeans and a t-shirt was the most effective international costume.
Everything else has to dry quickly for easy laundry on the go, but I choose things that are dark colors. The huge deal my colleagues and I discussed last year, as Americans traveling abroad, was the width of pant legs. Fashion has gone skinny again, after a brief boot-cut phase, and one of my colleagues was aghast to draw stares at her unfashionably wide legged pants. She said she ran right out and bought some straight legged pants because she felt like she just stuck out in a crowd. This may have been personal hyperbole and insecurity, but I saw her point. I have straight legged pants for this trip, not those wide trousers of yesteryear. But I have to say, that I took a dance class with a friend in Munich, and my wide legged trousers were perfect for that traditional dance class. Hah!
I think overtly patriotic dress draws stares, and alcohol oriented t-shirts might not send the "I'm blending in" message. I read a lot of websites about leggings, and the general message was tasteful dress is leggings with a tunic that comes to the thigh. Rick Steves says, "Wear a scarf!", and I agree. That is a fashion element I have seen everywhere. Baseball caps seem to be more sports oriented and not daily wear in many countries, but I'm ready to be wrong about that upon further observational research.
I think what really stands out is a group that talks really loudly, hogs the sidewalk, and is generally oblivious to others. I think this is an international issue from the Grand Canyon to the Charles Bridge.
Everything else has to dry quickly for easy laundry on the go, but I choose things that are dark colors. The huge deal my colleagues and I discussed last year, as Americans traveling abroad, was the width of pant legs. Fashion has gone skinny again, after a brief boot-cut phase, and one of my colleagues was aghast to draw stares at her unfashionably wide legged pants. She said she ran right out and bought some straight legged pants because she felt like she just stuck out in a crowd. This may have been personal hyperbole and insecurity, but I saw her point. I have straight legged pants for this trip, not those wide trousers of yesteryear. But I have to say, that I took a dance class with a friend in Munich, and my wide legged trousers were perfect for that traditional dance class. Hah!
I think overtly patriotic dress draws stares, and alcohol oriented t-shirts might not send the "I'm blending in" message. I read a lot of websites about leggings, and the general message was tasteful dress is leggings with a tunic that comes to the thigh. Rick Steves says, "Wear a scarf!", and I agree. That is a fashion element I have seen everywhere. Baseball caps seem to be more sports oriented and not daily wear in many countries, but I'm ready to be wrong about that upon further observational research.
I think what really stands out is a group that talks really loudly, hogs the sidewalk, and is generally oblivious to others. I think this is an international issue from the Grand Canyon to the Charles Bridge.
