What We Like About Argentina

wineguy999 said:
Writing this, I realize the funniest thing about Argentinos and fashion for me - the obsession men have with draping the sweaters over their shoulders. Holy 1980s! I can understand with some light shirts, but I've seen sweaters over jackets, and yes, other sweaters. And worse, I've seen this in January and February - does anyone really need a sweater when the expected low temperature is 27 degrees, with 90% humidity?
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Well, we also can't forget the ever-popular, all-purpose pullover vest! http://infosurhoy.com/saii/images/2009/03/19/ARGENTINA-Conflicto1-800_600.jpg
To me, it's the milanesa of Argentine men's fashion.

As to clothing quality, and I know this debate has happened before, but I guess I haven't really noticed it. I'll agree that the complete cheapie stuff is probably crap, but then again I wouldn't buy it. But any shirts that my wife or I have from Arg (Kevingston, Ona Saez, etc.) are doing just fine and are pretty solidly made. Of course, they were also more expensive than the US/Euro equivalents if not for the blue.

It's not supposed to be bespoke tailoring after all...
 
This time around, I appreciate the extremely casual dress/styling of Argentines. Men can walk around unshaven with long hair and just generally looking busted, women can wear fake converse, threadbare leggings, a t-shirt and a jean jacket to go out in Palermo, no one cares if your nails are done or if you're wearing makeup or heels, you can let your highlights grow out until you have more split ends than hair, I could go on...Having just come from a much more formal place, the kind where there's a salon on every block and every woman on the bus is made up and blown out complete with fresh manicure regardless of income, I LOVE the extremely informal standards for grooming and dress here.

That informality also extends to people's behavior. Where I was (also Latin America believe it or not), people in the service industry are so robotic, always reciting a script, that you can't joke with anyone, or make a comment about anything unrelated without the person working getting uncomfortable. Hell, you order a pizza and you have to call a call center and listen to 20 seconds of script before you can get a word in. Then you say one thing and have to listen to 20 more seconds of script. It's dreadful. I found myself at times wanting to shake people's shoulders and scream RELAX! I found the people very nice and polite, but extremely rigid unless I was in the right setting. Porteños are extremely informal with just about everything, and despite the fact that this can lead to terrible service and at times blatant rudeness, I'm glad to be back in this kind of atmosphere.

There are other things I've always liked that people have already mentioned, but it took living in other places for me to appreciate or even notice the above.
 
Well I certainly have not seen 'the people of wall mart' in Argentina. On the other hand it doesn't seem that skirts/dresses are much worn by women, its all pants, but maybe thats the weather this time of year.
 
DontMindMe said:
This time around, I appreciate the extremely casual dress/styling of Argentines...women can wear fake converse, threadbare leggings, a t-shirt and a jean jacket to go out in Palermo, no one cares if your nails are done or if you're wearing makeup or heels, you can let your highlights grow out until you have more split ends than hair, I could go on
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Funnily enough, if she's under 35, you pretty much just described the current "boho hipster chic" look, which believe it or not is very trendy. Because I can find the very same look in some pretty trendy parts of SF, London or Toronto in about 2 minutes flat. So no suprise about seeing it in Palermo...and maybe that example says more about the state of global fashion than anything about BA in particular.

If you wan't to be truly horrified about style of dress, as most of us know, spend a couple of days in any middle American town or small city. It's the same roadshow whether you're in Georgia, Pennsylvania, Florida, Michigan, Tennessee or any parts in between.
 
The problem is not that most Americans dress casual. Casual is ok for every day attire. The problem is the lack of sense of style, the horrible faux pas situations you see everywhere. Colors don't match, clothes are too big because the guy went to the clearance aisle bargain hunting and got a xxl, people who wear socks and sandals, people who wear white socks with tuxedos, people wearing white running shoes with EVERYTHING. Those are all awful things. One thing about Argentine people, in general, even when being extremely casual, they have a european sense of style almost unheard of back home.
 
Perhaps we're seeing the American way of casual dressing influencing Argentine style. I appreciate how older Argentine women take the time to dress, wear makeup, etc. for a trip to the grocery store. There is still a generation here that hasn't been influenced by American casualness.

The under-40 generation goes casual because they can't afford anything else. I see another side of formality in the milongas where the over-60 generation dresses to show respect in a social situation and for the dance, the way it's been for decades in Buenos Aires.
 
internationalguy said:
The problem is not that most Americans dress casual. Casual is ok for every day attire. The problem is the lack of sense of style, the horrible faux pas situations you see everywhere. Colors don't match, clothes are too big because the guy went to the clearance aisle bargain hunting and got a xxl, people who wear socks and sandals, people who wear white socks with tuxedos, people wearing white running shoes with EVERYTHING. Those are all awful things. One thing about Argentine people, in general, even when being extremely casual, they have a european sense of style almost unheard of back home.
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The number of times I've seen yokels in Houston in nice restaurants (fine dining that is, not Olive Garden and the like) wearing shorts, running shoes and oversized camp shirts or XXL t-shirts...makes me sick.

But the one I may eventually go to prison over? Hats. The backwards baseball cap is the worst, but a man who doesn't know how to take off his hat in a nice restaurant oughta be shot.
 
jantango said:
Perhaps we're seeing the American way of casual dressing influencing Argentine style. I appreciate how older Argentine women take the time to dress, wear makeup, etc. for a trip to the grocery store. There is still a generation here that hasn't been influenced by American casualness.

The under-40 generation goes casual because they can't afford anything else. I see another side of formality in the milongas where the over-60 generation dresses to show respect in a social situation and for the dance, the way it's been for decades in Buenos Aires.
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Whats with all the references to women and makeup ... why is makeup wearing 'style'? Would you have women always wear heels too?
 
because if they weren't waring makeup they would look like men(Argentinean women have masculine facial features). Heels wouldn't change much.
 
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