How not to look like a tourist

[world traveler]

When I travel, I try and blend in to the scenery. I realize that going to Rio, will be a bit difficult due to skin color(this is not a racist remark). So..can anyone suggest the type of clothes one should wear. I realize it probably is not a good idea to wear a t-shirt or sweat top that has USA or Harvard etc. printed across it. Generally I wear, track paints with runners, or just casual slacks with a pullover t-shirt etc. Am I on the right track?

 

WT

[trilingual]

It may not be a racist remark, but it suggests you haven't been reading this board or any travel guides very carefully. Brazilians come in EVERY color and shade, so unless you're green/polka-dotted/have antennae you will find you blend in. Brazilians aren't as tall as Americans/Northern Europeans, on the whole, so if you're very tall you may stand out (as Tomcal does). Our clothing, walk, and other body language also can set us apart. Skin color will not.

 

If by track pants you mean sweat pants, please don't wear them anywhere but to a gym or a track. For everyday use you can wear bermudas, jeans or slacks with t-shirts, polo shirts, or buttoned short or long sleeve shirts (buttoned shirts are considered formal/dressy). Please don't wear shorts downtown; it's declassé. Basically, take your cues from the Brazilians you see on the streets and at the bars/restaurants. They don't dress very differently than Americans/Europeans. As a visitor who wants to blend in, I'd suggest using duller, more neutral colors for your shirts (no flaming scarlet, electric blue or safety orange). You can use patterned or Hawaiian style shirts, but go for the more subdued shades/patterns. T-shirts with Harvard or New York or other things in English on them are OK because even Brazilians wear them, but just now I'd avoid anything that explicitly says U.S.A, is red-white-and-blue, or is covered with U.S. flags.

 

On the beach it's OK to wear a brief speedo-style bathing suit, but it's considered tacky to wear it off the beach, so wear a t-shirt and a pair of bermuda-style shorts over your speedo when you go to and from the beach and if you go into a restaurant, even Maxim's. With bermudas and a t-shirt, you can go most anywhere in Copacabana, like shops or informal restaurants during the day. With only a bathing suit, you'll not be extremely welcome in your hotel lobby or the "social" elevator of the apartment building where you're staying. For nicer restaurants, trips downtown, visits to museums and churches, etc. I'd strongly suggest wearing long trousers and a polo or buttoned shirt. (You may not be allowed in some churches wearing shorts.) Rio is a real city, so resort wear is out of place except in the beach neighborhoods.