as tourist: dressing up abit?

[sgtiger]

Usually when I travel I want to be as comfortable as possible, so I take more casual relaxed wear. (I pretty much live in casual wear anyway.) However, I'll usually take along a piece or two that can be dressed up or down. That way if DH and I want to have a special date night while there, we can.

Being parents of two younger kids, we don't have too many quiet moments to ourselves, so we try to make the ones we have special. I like to dress up very femininely on occasion too. It's just plain fun. Lately I've been playing around with '30's and '40's style makeup and hair. I just need to find a couple of dresses that fit the period to pull off the look.

[Crankin]

I also tend to wear dresses in hot weather. That is the first thing you learn, when you live in a desert climate, as I did for 16 years. No horrible waistband making you sweat!
I love Athleta dresses and would buy them all if I could.
That said, I do bring nice clothes for vacations, even when we are cycling all day. I tend to bring 3 types of clothes: cycling/hiking stuff, casual pants/capris and tops for walking around/shopping after the sports part of the day is done, and some dresses or skirts to wear in the evening. I might stay in the pants/capris all night, too, depending on where we are going. I like choice and sometimes we're in spots where it can be 95 one day and a few days later, it's in the 50s, like when we went to the Czech Republic.
I love dressing up, but I wouldn't say I am totally dolled up on vacation like I would be if I was going to a fancy place in downtown Boston. When we take winter trips, focusing on x country skiing, what I wear at night depends on if we have to leave the inn and travel in freezing cold temperatures. In Europe, I dress as the natives do. I never, ever wear running shoes, or carry a fanny pack! Not that I do this at home, either, but frankly, I have been told I dress like a European at home, in a kind of mean way. DH gets this all of the time, because he wears capris, the kind guys wear in Europe, and wears really cool shoes that most American men don't buy.
I mean, what's wrong with getting dressed up and wearing make up on vacation, if you are going out in the evening? It's not like I do that when I am riding. Sure, last year when we went to the AMC lodge in the Maine Wilderness, I wore my hiking type clothes at night, but that was more like a camping trip, even though we slept in a cabin.
Oh, and I have that Athleta dress. I have to wear a camisole under it, though, or the cleavage shows way too much. I tried wearing it sans camisole last year, at dinner one night in Spain, and I ended up running upstairs and putting the camisole on, because I felt uncomfortable.

[OakLeaf]

I should note that the only reason I wear old running shoes as my kicking-around shoes is that my feet are so hard to fit. I really can't even find running shoes that fit properly, but some can at least get close. I've never found a pair of casual shoes that I could walk more than a half mile in without agony, let alone the five or six (or more) miles a day one usually walks as a tourist. I'm well aware of how conspicuous they are, and a bit uncomfortable with it when I'm overseas, but really don't have a choice.

[PamNY]

Interesting -- I've always thought European tourists look very casual, at least when they are sightseeing. What they wear to dinner I have no idea.

[pll]

Interesting -- I've always thought European tourists look very casual, at least when they are sightseeing. What they wear to dinner I have no idea.

It depends on the country, and big cities versus small towns. In my experience, on average, Spaniards, Italians and French tend to be dressier, relatively fashion conscious.

[Crankin]

I did find that in southern Spain (Seville, Granada, Cordoba, Malaga, Alahambra), the people didn't dress as nicely as in Italy. I suspect it's different in northern Spain, though, and Seville was pretty "urban" and cool in terms of dress, despite the horribly hot climate. I haven't been to France, but I've been in Siena and Florence and I loved the way everyone dressed there. Same as in Prague, very urban chic. Germany and Austria were a little more like the US, though, although not so many slobs . And I found people in London to be very fashionable.
When I went to Italy in 2004, I first saw women wearing pashima scarves; even when it got hot out, they had them on. The next year, when I got to Prague, it was freezing before our bike trip started and I bought 2 just to keep warm, but also to fit in.
We went to Italy to visit our oldest son, who studied in Siena for a semester. When we got there, we phoned him and were walking toward him on a crowded street. We both walked by him, as he approached us, as he looked totally Italian after just 3 months. It made him a much better dresser and it has stuck!

[pll]

We went to Italy to visit our oldest son, who studied in Siena for a semester. When we got there, we phoned him and were walking toward him on a crowded street. We both walked by him, as he approached us, as he looked totally Italian after just 3 months. It made him a much better dresser and it has stuck!

A proud moment, I am sure! Very cool.

[pll]

I have been told I dress like a European at home, in a kind of mean way. DH gets this all of the time, because he wears capris, the kind guys wear in Europe, and wears really cool shoes that most American men don't buy.

I'd take that as a compliment. And the meaner the person sounded, the better... People's notions of what is "European" are strange. With jeans, I often walk with colorful sneakers (this type). I've been told that looks "European." Oh, well.

I like dressing up a bit, depending on where I'm going. It makes me feel put together.

[Crankin]

Those are exactly the kind of shoes DH and I wear. I have one pair I bought 6 years ago and they are wearing out. I hope I can find replacements.
Oak, have you ever tried looking at these types of "laceless" and colorful sneakers for walking?

[OakLeaf]

Never seen them before.

I'll keep my eye out.

[Owlie]

Those shoes look exactly like re-colored fencing shoes. Seriously. All this time I've had European style in my closet and didn't realize it...

I live my daily life in t-shirts and jeans or shorts. I've pretty much only worn sneakers/running/walking shoes (or my Keens) as daily footwear. I can't walk in most shoes for very long. It looks weird, but the important thing is that my feet don't hurt. I dress up occasionally, if I'm going somewhere nice-ish, but I'm pretty inept at that...Seriously, DBF has to give me advice on what to wear. I suck at being a woman.

[Crankin]

Look at Sketchers. I got a really nice pair, slip ons that I wear everywhere. I have walked for miles in them and they are 4 years old. DSW has lots of shoes like this, but you can't always find what you like in your size. There are also a few brands that don't sell in the US in stores, but you can order on line. Just search for slip on sneakers.

[pll]

Those are exactly the kind of shoes DH and I wear. I have one pair I bought 6 years ago and they are wearing out. I hope I can find replacements.

There are plenty of similar shoes. Look for Onitsuka Tiger (an Asics brand) or Gola in Amazon. For some reason, the men's models have more color options, so my Onitsuka are men's. I could not go with pastel colors... Same goes for Adidas: among their 'originals' series, sometimes to produce cute models for men (I've been wanting to get this Merckx/biking style sneaker... any New Yorkers that frequent the Brooklyn Machine works here?).

PS: And, if anybody is looking for a colorful running shoe, search for "Karhu". Who said running shoes have to be white, black or gray?

[channlluv]

My favorite outfit is usually a skirt and t-shirt or a sundress. Sometimes capris. I usually wear Birkenstocks, but when we went to Hawaii, I lived in flipflops, or what they call slippers. I bought some pretty ones on Oahu, and I rarely wore anything other than my bathing suit and a lavalava (sarong). Dressing in Hawaii is so easy. So is dressing in San Diego.

I've never been to Europe, but the way you all talk about it, I think I'd have to buy a whole new wardrobe.

[rollinat]

I've never been to Europe, but the way you all talk about it, I think I'd have to buy a whole new wardrobe.

I'm Scottish so I'm not sure that really counts as European - but things are definitely more casual in the US. It seemed quite strange on our trip back earlier this summer to see so many people formally dressed, I've obviously adapted to US life quite well!