BootsnAll Travel Community

Hi all,

I am heading to Brazil with my girlfriend for 4 weeks, with a week in Rio and time in Salvador, national park close to there, Olinda and beaches closeby, and Fortaleza for the off season carnval.

I am a slightly tanned, fairly hairy white guy with a medium build (slight pot belly that I can suck in nicely). I know I will stick out to a certain extent but I would prefer to try to blend in as much as possible, both to ward off thieves and to 'fit in' at least a little. I have tried to search the web and thorntree/bootsnall but haven't found much on clothing. We will not be wearing fancy clothes or jewelry (e.g. no nice watch for me or rings/necklaces for my girlfriend) and we will not be walking around with sporty day packs and flashing our digital cameras (we bought disposibles for especially seedy areas and beaches). But beyond that:

can I wear shorts when it's hot? I typically wear longish, baggy shorts that go as low as an inch or 2 above my knees.

are swimming trunks ok or should I really wear speedos (or because I'm hairy not not so tanned, will I stick out anyway and may as well wear the trunks)?

any other suggestions?

Thanks a lot,

Dave

Shorts are no problem walking around outdoors. Longer ones are the norm, just as they seem to be in the US. Brazilians always wear speedos(except the surfers) when swimming or at the beach, no matter how fat they are. It's kind of humorous actually. Many tourists wear swim trunks. You will be fine.

Like anywhere, shorts will be frowned upon in nicer restaurants, and most nightclubs will not permit them at all.
The really big no-no is going shirtless ANYWHERE besides the beach or pool.

Good idea about the jewelery and camera. That is what I do and have never had a problem even in some really dodgy areas late at night.

Sorry to attempt a coup on your thread but.....

How about Peru's beaches, are they gonna be cool with a white geezer wandering around with no shirt on?

Are they as funny about it as the Indians in Peru or Brazil?
I mean, people in England don't like it, but theres a difference between some funny looks and actually being attacked for it.

Sorry, but this whole idea of "blending in" by using certain clothes is ridiculous. You still have non-Brazilian grooming (Wanna wax your top half like some Brazilian guys?) and you don't move like a Brazilian, as well as other factors. I can spot you from half a mile away. Do you think anyone bent on taking advantage of you can't? Staying safe is more a matter of being well prepared and always aware (with a little luck thrown in) than anything else.

As far as clothes go, for casual, board shorts such a Billabong and Quicksilver and a T-shirt will do for most places, with smeakers or nice sandals (flip flops for beach). Rio clubs at night, and maybe her fancier restaurants, are dressier.
All my local male friends in Salvador wear board shorts, not sungas, but if you choose to wear one, buy it there.

"cameras (we bought disposibles for especially seedy areas" You should not be in seedy areas under any circumstances, with or without camera.
(and btw, If you are thinking of doing a favela tour in Rio, I would discourage this as a heinous form of poverty voyeurism.)

Also, unless your Portuguese is fluent, you will be among gringos, although Brazilians are likely to be quite friendly and accept you for who you are. So stop trying to fit in (And really how can you fit in when you spend in a couple of days what most people make in a month?) and just enjoy your tourist holiday. You've chosen some spectacualr destinations. So have a great trip.

Forget the clothes. Go on a diet, hit the gym 2 hours each morning, trim the hair, and get a tan. Then you'll blend!

I think that most of us North American mortals would stand out on Rio's beaches no matter what we did.

Some real advice (coming from someone who lives in a tourist town) - put a little more effort into what you wear on the beach than the typical American & Canadian. I'm not talking about couture; just beach clothes that fit and look nice on you, rather than something found on the discount rack at K-Mart. It's shocking how hideous some of the clothes some of our visitors wear.