Big floppy feet and other clown clothes

If we're talking clown shoes, I've warmed to Hoka sneakers slightly recently. :P

I have to admit I didn't read the article, but the thread had some interesting viewpoints.

Being fashionable and wearing bright colours aren't mutually exclusive. I think there's historical tropes about the American in Europe in a Hawaiian shirt and with a camera round his neck. I don't think many people are dressing like that these days.

I think I usually spot tourists because they're a little bit overdressed in the city with hiking gear. That and a baseball cap / and or college / sports team attire. Some NFL or Major League or NBA teams have crossed over in Europe to become fashion items, especially amongst a younger demographic, but wearing your alma mater's sweatshirt isn't so much of a thing in Europe.

Oh and Hokas; I've slagged them off for fun on here before for being ugly, but I have actually warmed to them. They are a serious running shoe for distance and have that boat look for a reason. I just didn't think they were "street ready" sneakers for a long time. Their colourways and "HOKA" in big letters up the side put me off. They've released some more stylish shoes recently, I guess aimed more for street wearers.

Why? Why do we concern ourselves with what anyone else chooses to wear or worry about someone else's opinion of what we wear? Just seems to amount to nothing more than middle school drama rather than grown adults

Looking at what people are wearing is fun sometimes, at least I think so. Having opinions on stuff for the fun of it, including what people are wearing, is perfectly adult.

btw I'm not buying into the clown idea in Allan's OP. Sorry Allan. Other than me making fun of Hokas, saying that people look like clowns isn't very fair in context. Fair enough if someone was going all out to wear an extravagant outfit, then they might end up looking clownish if the wind blows the wrong way. Not in the context of this discussion though.

I'm not buying into the clown idea in Allan's OP. Sorry Allan. Other
than me making fun of Hokas, saying that people look like clowns isn't
very fair in context.

The precise reason for the question. The clown comment wasn't from me and I couldn't tell if it was said in fun or seriousness. I'm curious if for some if it truly is an issue that people are judging others on on this Forum or other sites. On the La Frenchies site on Facebook people definitely get themselves wound up on fashion and fitting in. There is definite disdain on this site for Hawaiian shirts, but guess what is in fashion again if you walk through a mall? I'm talking high end stores with floral prints on $150 shirts.

I'm not literally knocking Hawaiian shirts btw, I'm just using that as an example of brightly coloured clothing that was once associated with Americans. I'd imagine a real deal $150 Hawaiian shirt might be pretty cool. Maybe you'd pay even more for the proper real deal.

I don't know La Frenchies, but it doesn't surprise me. Having an eye for style is a French trope too. North Americans, outside of pockets in maybe New York or some other big coastal city, don't have the fashion history many people grew up with in Europe. I grew up with hip hop, soccer casuals and style magazines in the 80's and 90's.

Maybe VAP is right and a 51 year old man shouldn't be reading sneaker blogs. Lots of middle aged men much more fanatical about sneakers than me though! I like to keep at least a passing interest in some style and new music to feel younger.

Lots of people in Europe, especially in cities, have an innate sense of style passed down from their mother or father that isn't so much in the culture in North America. Maybe that's a rude thing to say, please tell me.

Geez, I think I set this off by saying this in that other thread: "I don't worry about looking like a tourist. I try not to look like a slob or disrespectful. And bright colors on me look kind of clownish. But many people (younger, trimmer) can look good in anything." Note I was referring to myself. I was thinking of a bright red rain jacket I used to have that got some interesting comments. I know humor is hard to get across on the internet, but I thought that was pretty clear.

Clown status, I think is subjective and "I'll know it when I see it". The Griswol ds' custom "French" berets falls into the clown category to me. T-shirts and hats with obscene or insulting words (or on the rear of sweatpants), and droopy trousers tell me something about the wearer. But then clownish doesn't just mean literally like a clown, it also means "tasteless, uncultured, unsophisticated or rude, etc." No comment on the Hokas.

I believe well-dressed people get better service, home and abroad. But it's your choice whether it matters to you or not.

I wear bright "cloths" all the time - there's probably somebody out there who thinks I dress like a clown. I really don't care.

Lots of people in Europe, especially in cities, have an innate sense
of style passed down from their mother or father that isn't so much in
the culture in North America. Maybe that's a rude thing to say, please
tell me.

Not rude, but not something I noticed t be true and I have lived both in the US and Europe. But tourists tend to be in tourist environments and in tourist environments people tend to be of a different socio-economic background so maybe thats why the perception.

But it is true that the vegetables taste better in Europe.

Locals being able to pick out foreigners is not new or European. I live in a tourist city and one can always tell the Europeans because they dress so differently than Americans. And why is that bad? I've noticed Europeans don't have columns or advice on how to dress in America but Americans are always desperate to be seen as "locals".

Hint: You are sightseeing in the city center at 10:30am on a Wednesday instead of working. You are a tourist. Embrace it. After having been to Europe over 20 times, I can safely say that 99% of Europeans you interact with will not care about your clothes, only about how you spend your money.

You can obviously tell that these are Europeans: https://c8.alamy.com/comp/2C86K6E/budapest-hungary-july-20-2020-view-of-unidentified-people-walking-and-shopping-in-fashion-street-in-budapest-the-capital-of-hungary-2C86K6E.jpg Exquisite style, lack of color, etc…. I am lucky to live in a European city where high end style like this is everwhere (because I fit right in). And they are so much more refined than the people in my Texas home town: https://www.worldatlas.com/upload/81/58/5b/shutterstock-2450769031.jpg

As Heather says there is a desperation on here about the localness of trying to be like a local. Be it dressing or living like a local.
Why are we like this?

I spent a couple of hours last trip to Florence sitting on a bench by the Duomo, photographing strange /memorable clothing that people were wearing.
(No faces.)
It varied from huge orthopedic shoes to high glittery sandals, to thick stockings in 35 degree heat, to evening wear…at 1pm…to military outfits , to not much of anything that would be called clothing, and everything in between.
No clown wear though.
Fascinating.

My philosophy for travel is wear whatever is comfy for you, but please, please, please….shower first, wear clean clothing, wear deodorant and brush your teeth!

As Heather says there is a desperation on here about the localness of
trying to be like a local. Be it dressing or living like a local. Why
are we like this?

This may have been a better question to start with.