Dressing in Germany
German fashion - think Karl Lagerfeld, Joop,Jill Sanders, Mont Blanc, BMW, Mercedes...sleek, stylish, lots of black. Looking like a German is easy once you get a few things down.
Don't wear trainers (sports shoes) unless they are the latest in Pumas or another like brand.
Don't wear running gear unless you are running. Wear lots of black - black skirts, black dresses, black shirts.
Women, complement your wardrobe with a scarf, you don't need jewelry, just a nice scarf - and no one is going to steal a scarf from your hotel room.
Jeans are always OK - add a jacket for the evening but don't wear your jeans with tennis shoes and white socks.
Try to avoid wearing shorts - a sure indication that you are not a German.
Wear Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren, or other American designers-actually most designer labels are OK. Of course, if you can afford Hermes, that never hurts.
Back packs are fine if you are touring, but don't wear a fanny pack unless it is of leather. When in doubt, jeans and a simple black tee shirt will do, whether you are a man or a woman. Don't walk down the street in the rain without an umbrella - you will get wet. If you are staying in a hotel that offers robes and slippers and you want to go down to the pool or sauna, use them, don't go down to the sauna in your gym suit unless you are planning to work out.
Don't wear your bathing suit in the sauna. Dress up when you go out at night - it's fun and a lot of German night clubs still have dress codes. All that being said, Germany is becoming increasingly casual, wear what you like and be comfortable. Enjoy yourself and make sure you have good walking shoes - even if they are not designer trainers. Bottom line is, nobody cares as long as you tip well and are polite. But if you are like me, you want to blend in just a bit, so knowing how to dress never hurts. You can do it on no budget at all (think monochromatic), and it is rather fun to be mistaken for a German when you walk in the door to a restaurant.
Dressing in Europe
Any visit to Europe involves going in and out of churches to look at the art. The churches are full of fabulous art, but many are also regular churches being used by local people. You are entering a place of worship and are expected to dress and act accordingly. Do not talk loudly. If there is a religious ceremony going on, wait until it is finished to examine the art near the altar.
Some churches have signs telling you what type of clothing is acceptable, some have people at the doors turning people away who are not appropriately dressed, some do not have a dress code enforced. It varies from church to church. It is best to dress appropriately in case they are turning people away because of inappropriate dress.
This photo shows a sign on the door of the Orvieto Duomo in Italy. This is what it is trying to say:
- Not Permitted: Men and women cannot be in short shorts or sleeveless tops.
- Permitted: Men can wear long shorts (to the knee) and women can wear skirts to the knee.
- No dogs, no cameras.
- Usually sleeveless tops are not permitted for either men or women. A woman can carry a light shawl to cover her shoulders and upper arms when needed. Frequently shorts are not acceptable. We usually wear long pants in Italy; lighter weight ones in the summer.
On average, Europeans tend to dress better than Americans. Steve and I dress a little better when we are in Europe. Things are more casual now than they were 10 years ago and we no longer bring a jacket and tie for Steve for restaurants, but we do bring one or two casual shirts for going out for dinner. We also wear nice looking leather walking shoes instead of running shoe-like walking shoes (although running shoes are starting to be more popular in Europe). You need comfortable footwear because you spend a lot of time walking, but pick a shoe that looks nice too. Be sure your shoes are well broken in before your trip.
The topic of blue jeans in Europe comes up regularly on all the travel message boards. Here is my opinion. Ten years ago wearing jeans in Europe was out of place. This is no longer the case. You will see Italians in jeans (and even in jogging suits and running shoes). Do not avoid jeans because you think they will make you stand out as American.
I personally love jeans and always bring them to Europe. Jeans are good because they don't show the dirt. You can easily go a month without washing them and they don't look outrageous. You can wear them hiking, or put on a nicer top to go out for dinner. But jeans are heavy to pack (I always wear mine on the plane) and if you wash them they can take days to line-dry in the wet season. Most laundries charge by weight so it is expensive to get them washed and dried.
I think it boils down to whether or not you are a blue jeans person. If you are, then bring them. Cotton pants are more sensible in the hot weather, but when you are away from home it is sometimes comforting to wear your favorite clothes.
Dressing for Air Travel
It's really embarrassing to set off the metal detector while you frantically pat your pockets. It's worse to get called aside to for a secondary X-ray search. This can happen over a simple, forgotten tie tack. A secondary inspection involves:
- An intimate pat down with someone's hands,
- And a metal detector web wand set at an absurdly high sensitivity.
- This is all in full view of everyone passing through the gate. This is pretty irking, but even worse, can make you miss your flight during peak travel times.
Best to just be proactive; dress simply, in loose, comfortable clothing. Wear shoes that slip off - you will have to take them off anyway for X-raying. No hair ties, belts, jewelry, doodads or watches (check the time on your cell or PDA instead).
Wear a comfortable, clean outfit with elastic, like an attractive jogging suit or other stylish or sporty casual wear. This will be much more comfortable on the plane for prolonged sitting, and attempted sleeping.
This kind of attire won't wrinkle, either. No one says a business traveler has to look like a cardboard cutout in a power suit. Find some leisure-wear that says "expensive" and no one will question your judgment or taste in business class. Try shopping at Nordstroms - tell the sales staff exactly what you are looking for. This should not be a new request to them.
Wear slip on shoes. You will have to remove your shoes for the security check, for one thing. And for another, feet will swell during flight, so slip on shoes are a great choice. Wear fresh socks in consideration to others if you have smelly feet.
If you are traveling without a carry-on bag, you will need to place all your personal items through the X-ray conveyor belt in something. Don't hold up the line while you check all your pockets. Have everything ready to go in a Ziplock or other see-through plastic bag. Lay the bag on the conveyor belt in the provided bins. If everyone did this ahead of time, security checkpoints would be a breeze. Remember that jackets go through the X-ray machine as well.
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