Americans? (hairstyles, living in, accent)

[jacq63]

Yeah, it's the Stetson and cowboy boots, gives 'em away every time.

[littleandoften]

In London, most Americans under 40 don't stand out that much and look like Europeans/western standard fashions etc. It's your seniors that are most instantly recognisable. The stereotype is clashing clothing, such as an egg-yolk yellow shirt and red pants and new, brandless sneakers and a green baseball cap.

[hurley89]

I HATE FANNY PACKS!

worst invention. ever.

This is really interesting. When I travel i try to be as non tourist as possible. I also didnt know we were the only people who regularly wear baseball caps haha

cool cool. keep it comin

[orangeapple]

Originally Posted by Neuling

There are a couple of things that tend to give them away.
- adults wearing Nikes etc.
- adults wearing shorts, especially certain colors
- adults wearing a baseball cap
- the reddish face color (hardly met any black Americans outside the military bases)
- accent /dialect
- little waist bags
- certain brands

Usually it is a mix of all that and more that allows me to spot US-Americans from near and far.

This sounds dated by about 20 years.
I mean waist bags (fanny packs I'm guessing) & nikes - who still wears that? Tourists, apparently.

I have to say, tourists from just about any county (and I see a lot here in California) tend to dress for comfort & function more than anything when traveling.

The reddish face is interesting ..... Since there's people of all races in the US, there's a big variety in coloring. I am quite olive, for example.

[ako]

Americans are the loudest. Sometimes when I go to the park I see these people doing stretches or dancing in a circle with a radio in the middle, the music is so loud that anybody within a 70 meter radius can hear what they're listening to. And when you hear them talk, you listen to their accent, yep, they're American.

Also in restaurants they tend to be loud and when they sit down leave their stuff all over the place, unlike most other tourists who keep their bags nearby.

It's OK though, watching them dance is always good for a laugh, and even though they're loud, they're rarely inappropriately loud.

[Visvaldis]

-Baseball caps for sure, especially if worn backwards.
-knit caps in the heat of summer.
-shaved heads or very short hair.
-white socks.
-sleeves (on t-shirts, sweatshirts) torn off at shoulders to show biceps.
-loud talking in public.

[rickmahorn]

Originally Posted by Visvaldis

-Baseball caps for sure, especially if worn backwards.
-knit caps in the heat of summer.
-shaved heads or very short hair.
-white socks.
-sleeves (on t-shirts, sweatshirts) torn off at shoulders to show biceps.
-loud talking in public.

This is pretty spot on. Add khaki shorts and you're set. Just a general poor fashion sense. I am an American, so maybe it helps in picking them out. I feel like I could spot an American from a mile away, there's just a way the average American carries themselves. It's hard to articulate in certain terms.

[Tiger Beer]

You never know. I'm an American who has spent over a decade abroad.

Sometimes you think it's an American, but turns out to highly frequently a Canadian or Scandinavian or German...you really have no idea.

I'm 100% American myself...but frequently people always think that I am European...even when I visit the U.S.! (I've spent most of years abroad in Asia, so it isn't like I'm picking up any European habits or anything).

[rickmahorn]

Originally Posted by Tiger Beer

You never know. I'm an American who has spent over a decade abroad.

Sometimes you think it's an American, but turns out to highly frequently a Canadian or Scandinavian or German...you really have no idea.

I'm 100% American myself...but frequently people always think that I am European...even when I visit the U.S.! (I've spent most of years abroad in Asia, so it isn't like I'm picking up any European habits or anything).

Oh, absolutely. Most people who meet me abroad think I'm Scandinavian. We're just going for the generalized 'American stereotype'.

One thing that is funny while abroad is calling a Canadian an American. They generally seem to despise getting confused for Americans (maybe not anymore with a president with a better worldview).

[Neuling]

Originally Posted by orangeapple

This sounds dated by about 20 years.
I mean waist bags (fanny packs I'm guessing) & nikes - who still wears that? Tourists, apparently.

I have to say, tourists from just about any county (and I see a lot here in California) tend to dress for comfort & function more than anything when traveling.

The reddish face is interesting ..... Since there's people of all races in the US, there's a big variety in coloring. I am quite olive, for example.

Well, I was talking about tourists over here in Europe (there would be no point in asking how one can spot US-Americans in the US). I can speak mainly for Germany and Portugal. And here the things I mentioned still apply.
I deliberately mentioned 'adults' because in Germany for instance hardly anyone beyond the age of, say, 30 wears sneakers (unless when working out). And the younger people mainly wear Adidas, Puma, Vans and other brands which often reflect political orientation (Nike is pretty much taboo with young people over here, not least thanks to the bad reputation of that company).
The reddish faces, well, I guess that is because most Americans who come to Europe go on a little tour covering Spain, Germany, France and maybe some other countries. And most Americans who go to Europe are white, probably 95+%, probably because they know their ancestors came from there. And we all know what happens to someone from the Midwest when they are in Spain or Portugal, they underestimate the power of the sun down here and turn into crabs for the rest of their vacation Same goes for Brits by the way, but they dress differently and they are not as fat on average, their English is different and their teeth tend to be messy. So it is easy to tell them apart from Americans.
What is also typical of Americans over here are those black Miami Vice-style sunglasses. Even though some Europeans also wear sunglasses, it is usually not that type of glasses.