If you’ve been on Instagram, Tiktok, or Pinterest anytime in the past 5 months, chances are you’ve come across the 2024 European Summer trend. The aesthetic revolves around America’s perception of “European” summer clothing trends, including lots of flowy white skirts, linen, and light summery colors.
However, those who actually spent time in Europe might have overheard actual Europeans deriding the trend, and mocking the American tourists following the aesthetic.
Over the summer, my family visited Italy, and the divide between tourist and local was evident and stark. Locals dressed in bright colors, athletic wear, and logos, while tourists maintained a very stereotypical uniform of muted lemon slice dresses and light blue stripes.
I asked my native relatives about the trend, and they said tourists were obvious to spot. No Italian is wearing a cream button down and a Mamma-Mia-esq white skirt everyday, but those trying to imitate a fake aesthetic certainly are.
The fact is that while the trend is very aesthetically satisfying and picturesque, it’s really nothing like how actual Europeans dress. And the tourists who dress in the aesthetic, attempting to blend in, end up looking even more obviously like tourists.
While the aesthetic has been labeled “European Summer,” it really only references the stereotypical aesthetics of countries like France, Spain, and Italy. Which makes sense, seeing as those are the top three most visited European countries by tourists. But to call this aesthetic “European” is inaccurately representing most of Europe, and honestly even inaccurately representing France, Spain, and Italy.
When we visited Switzerland, everyone wore heavy duty cargo pants and sweaters. In Austria, it was jeans and t-shirts–just like in America. So why do so many travelers feel a need to play dress up when they visit other countries?
The most obvious answer is the feeling of dressing up. You’re on a lovely vacation in a beautiful place, so why not dress the part? It could also be seen as a status thing. Popular tourist locations in places like Italy have a very luxurious feel to them, so it provides you with an opportunity (regardless of your tax bracket or closet filled with fast fashion) to also feel fancy and wealthy.
Regardless, this trend proves to be just another example of the aesthetics of the insanely wealthy becoming popular among the normal class. We all want that classy “quiet luxury” look, and the European summer trend seems to be the newest adaptation of that.
There’s truly nothing wrong with this–people should dress how they choose to–but the negative of a trend like this is that it creates expectations. Tourists are expecting to feel more immersed, not more detached. They’re expecting to not be scoffed at by locals.
So, maybe in the future we should attempt to make our trends and aesthetics a little more realistic and attainable, especially for those in the working class. Don’t feel pressured to buy a whole new wardrobe for every trip you take, no matter how convincing Instagram is. Just try to enjoy your travels, stay safe, and avoid getting targeted by pickpockets.