I'm interning in New York for the summer and my parents came to visit me last weekend. My dad insisted that my mother not take out a map when we were in public so people would not think we were "rednecks from Boise, Idaho" --because clearly Boise connotes more redneck fun than my home state of Georgia.
After this experience, I got to thinking about the challenges of fitting in wherever you go on vacation this summer.
Some places are easier than others. If you're going to the Outer Banks for a week on the beach, you don't really need to pack anything special besides a bikini and cover up. Cairo, where a friend of mine is studying, is a little trickier. She dyed her bleached blond hair to more of a Jennifer Aniston caramel, but I have a feeling she's still not going to pass for an Egyptian.
When I studied in Italy last summer, the American tourists were excruciatingly obvious, sporting shorts and Tevas, tennis shoes and fanny packs, college T-shirts and denim mini skirts. I occasionally wondered if these people actually wanted to be pick-pocketed, just so they would have a story to tell back at Chipotle. Thanks to the current administration, being an American is not as cool as it used to be. If you have a trip planned to Europe this summer, here are a few tips:
Don't wear shorts. Guys can get away with them, although you'd fit in a lot better with pants in a light material, but for girls this is a serious no-no. This includes even the trendy cuffed ones that you wear out or the longer office-appropriate shorts. Nothing screams tacky American tourist more, besides maybe a fanny pack. But I know you guys would never do that.
If you don't want some serious catcalls, don't wear a short skirt or dress when walking around, especially during the day. This is very applicable to Spain and Italy, however you might get away with minis in London, Paris or any coastal town.
Although celebrities act like baseball caps make them invisible, they won't help you blend in. Tennis shoes are also a serious negative, especially if they are white or you wear atrociously colored socks with them. If you must wear sneakers, try to wear cute retro ones, like Pumas or Converse, which the locals might actually buy.
If you're going somewhere you don't speak the language or where you have a completely different coloring from the people who live there, you're not going to pass as a citizen no matter how hard you try. Are you a tall blond guy going to China for a week? A sorority girl visiting Morocco? No matter. Even if you throw on a jeweled tunic and Moroccan slippers, no one is going to think you were born in Marrakech. I don't care if you ride in on a camel with a monkey perched on your shoulder. Solution?
My advice is to mirror what the expatriates are wearing and not the tourists. It may be 110 in the shade, but a Brit living in India is not going to be wearing shorts and a tank top. No, he or she will be in a breezy tunic, linen pants and thongs or light slippers. Since you may not be able to anticipate the best clothing to wear before you get there, you have two options.
Option one: Be logical and bring something practical that makes sense in the environment you're visiting. If you're going to Zimbabwe, bring light linen pants and a pale colored top. Check out the weather beforehand, look up what people actually wear there and, most importantly, figure out what is a serious fashion faux pas.
Option two, and my personal preference: Go shopping! Pack light and then emulate what everyone else is wearing once you get there. If you love someone's outfit and you can speak the language or do sign language, ask where they bought it. Even if you're in New York, people will probably be nice and give you an idea of where the good shopping is.
Alex Jospin is a Cavalier Daily columnist. She can be reached at jospin@cavalierdaily.com.
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