TheIdler
Distinguished Member
- Joined
- Mar 2, 2007
- Messages
- 1,199
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Hello all,
This is my first post to the forum, and I wanted to start by saying what a nice little place you all have here. Just a bit of lurking has helped me learn so much.
Anyway, my situation is this: I am an American who is going to be living in Europe. I'll be based in Spain for the foreseeable future and travelling pretty often to London, Paris, Switzerland, and Germany. Although I always considered myself decently, if not exceptionally, dressed by American standards, I feel like some of my clothes are going to be out of place. Obviously, my baseball caps are going into storage. But I'm starting to sense that, compared to the people I'm having meetings with or going out with, my nice Brooks Brothers suits feel shapeless, my tailored shirts look ridiculously large, and I guess I should just burn my chinos.
This coincides with a time when I have a bit more income and a lot more desire to update my wardrobe anyway, based in part on what I've been learning here on SF. I understand I shouldn't change my style just to fit in, but I wanted to ask any of you who might have experience or insight:
1. Is "business appropriate" in Europe different from what it might be in America?
2. And is there anything which just makes you immediately say, "Ugh, that looks terrible. What is he, from the States?" (I'm thinking along the lines of when we in the US see a middle-aged man in a Speedo and assume he's European. Because, really, there's no other excuse.)
Thanks in advance for your help.
This is my first post to the forum, and I wanted to start by saying what a nice little place you all have here. Just a bit of lurking has helped me learn so much.
Anyway, my situation is this: I am an American who is going to be living in Europe. I'll be based in Spain for the foreseeable future and travelling pretty often to London, Paris, Switzerland, and Germany. Although I always considered myself decently, if not exceptionally, dressed by American standards, I feel like some of my clothes are going to be out of place. Obviously, my baseball caps are going into storage. But I'm starting to sense that, compared to the people I'm having meetings with or going out with, my nice Brooks Brothers suits feel shapeless, my tailored shirts look ridiculously large, and I guess I should just burn my chinos.
This coincides with a time when I have a bit more income and a lot more desire to update my wardrobe anyway, based in part on what I've been learning here on SF. I understand I shouldn't change my style just to fit in, but I wanted to ask any of you who might have experience or insight:
1. Is "business appropriate" in Europe different from what it might be in America?
2. And is there anything which just makes you immediately say, "Ugh, that looks terrible. What is he, from the States?" (I'm thinking along the lines of when we in the US see a middle-aged man in a Speedo and assume he's European. Because, really, there's no other excuse.)
Thanks in advance for your help.