How to look like an American in Ireland - Vera Bradley bag the giveaway that screams ‘Yank’ to the Irish

Vanessa Hudgens - rockin' the look

Over the weekend, during the Jazz Festival, I got to not only experience some great live music, but also got to people watch - a favorite pastime of mine.

While quietly observing the crowd, I tried to guess if the people was watching were Irish, American, or another European nationality…I found that I could pick the Americans quite easily.

I have been here for nearly two months and while I do try to blend into the Irish crowd as much as possible, there are a few unchangeable things that I understand will always identify me as an American. While this is not entirely a bad thing as these are things that cannot be changed such as my accent, some of my shoes (Frye boots aren’t really found in this part of the world), and I get that I can simply “look American,” I have noticed that there are a few things that do make some Americans stand out more so than others:

Vera Bradley bags

1.) Vera Bradley bags-you have probably seen those bright, sometimes obnoxious paisley-print bags somewhere.

These are quite a big trend in the states. I was given a duffle one for a dance team gift and I even brought it along for the return trip to as an extra carry-on. I do not use this bag on a daily basis, but I have seen people that do and it is a dead giveaway that the girl in front of you is from the states. I have nothing against Vera Bradley and think that the little ID wallets are quite functional and cute, however, I do find the larger school bags a bit over the top.

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While the bags can be cute, outside of the US they tend to look like odd, out-of place carpet bags compared to the plethora of leather-like bags or Jansport backpacks people tend to carry here.

Uggs and leggings

2.) Leggings with UGG boots and a North Face fleece jacket-this look is distinctly American, especially when paired with a Vera Bradley bag. While a perfectly fine outfit on university campuses in the States, it does stick out a little here. Leggings are usually worn under a long tunic top or sweater that covers the bum a bit-not solely as pants with one’s behind fully out in the air.

UGGs are worn by a lot of the girls here, but they are not usually paired with the aforementioned combo. Girls usually wear them with skinny pants or jeans and a top of choice. The North Face jackets, are fine by themselves, as they are quite warm and are excellent layers under rain gear-I have a similar style fleece thing that is a great layer piece and I have worn it out before, but with items other than UGG boots or leggings.

Dress up - get out of those jeans

3.) Jeans as part of the going-out outfit. The standard of night-dress is pretty high here. While walking through the city on my way to find jazz music over the weekend, I noticed that a lot of the foreign female tourists were wearing jeans to the late night venues.

I have adapted to wearing a skirt with tights or dark, dressy pants on nights out now, but I used to always wear jeans and constantly felt under-dressed by local standards. I actually like dressing up a bit more now, as it is not only more fun to get ready for, but also gave me an excuse to go shopping…again.
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Read more stories from the Gaelic Girls on IrishCentral

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