Differences between British and American fashion

[VintageRainBoots]

Hi, all.

I'm new around here. Currently, I'm in Los Angeles, but my husband recently accepted a job in Guildford and we're in the process of moving to the UK.

I'm curious about the differences between American and British fashion tastes. For example, I've heard that British women tend to wear clothing closer to the body (i.e., more fitted) than American women; is this true? I could certainly see how it could be the case. "Baggy" clothing, especially t-shirts, are commonplace in the US. Few people bother to get their clothes tailored unless they're work clothes (e.g., suits for the office).

Also, Americans tend to dress quite casually (e.g., blue jeans and t-shirts), though I avoid t-shirts myself. In addition, people in the US tend to wear lots of "active" clothing, like yoga or jogging pants, even when they're not exercising! Is that done in the UK?

Finally, I have a closet full of Ralph Lauren polo shirts in a rainbow of colours (my berry coloured polo is my favourite!) and a large number of casual trousers (e.g., khakis and cargo pants). Would I stand out as the obvious Yank in such attire?

And, just for fun, what makes an American stand out as an American? Like, when you see someone walking down the street and you can just tell that they're American...what is it that they're doing/wearing that makes them us stand out?

Actually CheerfulYank, if you got this one you'd fit in if you came to the UK too. Furry hooded parkas all over the place this year!

I thought about that one Skink. (I'm actually planning on getting the boys' version for DS for next winter during the spring sale.) But it is a bit expensive if I'm not going to wear it much. I have a coat that I love already, but it's already a bit binding when I'm wearing a sweater underneath, so I know it's not going to cut it size-wise in a few months.

I'm not planning on visiting anytime soon anyway, so I can just stay here and be glaringly American. :o (Looks down at flowered thermal shirt under plain charcoal t-shirt and very dark not skinny jeans...) I do wear low-top Converse pretty exclusively, though. Except in the winter when I have these...it's cold here and I don't drive, so warmth is a must.

VintageRainBoots, sorry to go off at a tangent, but if you happen to be looking for a church where other Americans might congregate, try Millmead Baptist. There is a sizable minority of Americans in and around Guildford and Millmead is big enough to statiscally include Americans. Plus the interior has quite an 'American' feel to it. It's certainly fairly unusual for a British church.

Back to the topic, I think the things that set Americans apart are the baggy clothes, the bigger, neater hair and the immaculate teeth. Ugg boots are very popular here, but they're also hideous, so don't feel you have to buy a pair.

Oh, and there is a Marks and Spencer's store in Guildford, so pop in and check out the Per Una.

What is it about our teeth?

Cheerful Yank that parka looks so cosy I'm quite tempted myself if I win the lottery

Teeth - they are ultra straight, and blindingly white. Tom Cruise is a good example. Although obviously this is a class phenomenon too.

I think this is where the pernicious claims that the British have bad teeth comes from - quite a few people I've spoken to here (NY) genuinely don't seem to be able to get that if your teeth are crooked, or slightly discoloured, it doesn't mean they are actually diseased.

I quite like straight white American teeth.

I do not like however the Hollywood trend for removing perfectly nice white straight teeth and replacing them with whiter straighter bigger veneers.

Horse teeth.

American women have longish hair. British women have cut hair styles - but can be pretty dire imo (picturing two tone with long strand hanging at front) so the longish hair can look a bit 'American'.

No to polo shirts except round the house. Guilford is quite a wealthy area so you will prob have to smarten up. Also it rains and is windy often so you need jackets and shoes that can withstand that.

Also many british women are orange due to bronzing (though possibly not so much now it's winter) so your tanned skin will look stylish

I've just had a look on the LL Bean website, is that aimed at 30-somethings?

My exMIL certainly thought so. She sent me an item or two from the catalogue every birthday and Christmas. Thankfully they have a really flexible return policy and were perfectly happy with issuing me a credit instead of sending exMIL's money back to her -- I got the impression I wasn't the only daughter in law they dealt with in January.

I exchanged many a polo shirt, turtleneck, and one particularly awful dress the colour and shape of a long potato sack for some very good snow boots (not the duck variety) and good quality backpacks for the DCs for school, plus a tankini that made up in durability what it lacked in ooomph as I used to swim a lot back in the day..

I have a thing about glaring white teeth.

When you look at someone's face you normally look at their eyes, however if they have glaring white teeth, you find your eyes are drawn to their teeth. So that means you are not relating to them as you would normally and might mean that you sort of blank them rather than acknowledging them.

Just my theory.

If I had my teeth whitened I would have them whitened to a natural looking white not brilliant white.

I have lived in the US for many years. When I moved here I was, I thought, fairly stylish. Within a couple of weeks I was invited to a party, just a casual event in a neighbour's home. Without exception the women were stylish and sleek with gorgeous swisshy hair. Not a bouffant 80's frosted do in sight. I have never felt more frumpy. So I don't recognize the stereotype of the chino and polo shirt wearing Mom. LLBean is really for much older people or for outdoor clothing.
For me the main difference is that there is more choice in the UK. The malls here are all the same - very few independent retailers.
I hope you have a wonderful time living in the UK VintageRainBoots - it is still my favourite place in the world.

As far as overdone make-up, perfectly coiffed hair, and professionally manicured fingernails, yes, that's all de rigueur here in the US, though I never caught on to any of it. Women here might not care so much about their figures, but they're going to have perfect nails and hair, dammit.

Funny enough, I was speaking to my MIL this afternoon, and she mentioned without any prompting at all, that I absolutely must buy a hair dryer for her to use when she visits. How's that for reinforcing stereotypes?

Bessie, I'm willing to bet that I'm no more tanned (bronzed) than most anyone on mumsnet, despite having lived my entire adult life in Southern California and the desert of Arizona. In fact, I'm a devotee of broad-spectrum sunscreen and sun hats. Nothing makes me more miserable than sunshine day after day after day...

Moving to the Guildford is going to save us so much money on sunscreen .

You're right, you won't be needing sunscreen

But it's not often too cold or too hot to go out in the UK , you just need water proofs!

Just curious - are people's teeth in the UK really as bad as all that, if North American teeth (I'm Canadian) stand out as being blindingly white?

And if yes, why are they?

are you mental? american teeth overall are MUCH worse..as is the number of people whose eyes were put out by a staple from a fence post. a nation that makes the poorer pay more for healthcare so they often choose not to have operations that would save or extend their lives,

I'm not mental, thank you. Just asking a question based on what I've read on this thread.

Mine are quite straight due to braces as a teen. :) And I do whiten them...

I think it is generally thought that Americans have whiter, straighter teeth than in the UK, certainly from what I have seen and read.

The teeth thing is interesting. I am 42 and I think that when I was 12 or 13 my teeth were considered alright and it didn't occur to anybody to get me braces. But now, a 12 or 13 year old where I am, in Ireland, would definitely get braces. Their parents would get a loan and pay it back ?40 a month. there a braces repayment schemes now. There weren't when I was 12. so NOW i would say 'we' have nice teeth, if 'we' are younger than about 32? somewhere between 1980 and 1990 teeth became a prioritiy.

Agree with the tipp-Ex white teeth look being odd though. I don't know where to look. they eyes should draw your attention! not the teeth.

Whenever I go to the US for work I always feel freakishly overdressed on clothes (dresses, tailoring) and freakishly underdressed on hair and make-up (lacking a helmet head).

I don't think you have to fit in though. A friend of mine has moved to the US and become more Brit in style - like a cross between Miss Marple and Vivvienne Westwood.

As someone from Guildford. We do use hairdryers and straighteners. We have numerous nail bars and good hairdressers (although prefer a more natural look). Most Mums have a Mummy look, there are a few Yummies, but most women look like they are about to or have just been walking the dog. However there are quite a few foreigners in town (US, Dutch, Romanian, lots of French and Spanish), so there are quite a few people with "different" dress sense.

Don't wear plaid shorts, draw string trousers/shorts. Some people wear fitted (but not the majority dog walkers). Some Mums come to school in short tennis dresses, but not most. But British style is far less conformist than US, after all our aristocracy and tramps can be dressed very similarly.

"Make sure you get a haridryer" is probably more of a comment on you than on the UK, unless she thinks that a previously-coiffed DIL is suddenly going to "go native" and ditch the hairdryer.