Study abroad prerequisites: Lose 50 pounds and lose the Abercrombie

I was amused by this article about American college students abroad, and about attempts to crack down on "boorish behavior that occasionally makes the ugly-American stereotype a reality." Amused, because while the behavior described in the article may be typical, my own study abroad experience involved a bunch of Americans (mostly girls; all from UChicago) doing their best to seem as French, or at least European, as possible. Sure, there were some rowdy kids, but mostly, no. Think skinny girls with scarves, dressed in muted colors and speaking in muted voices, who shower weekly at most, and, in the group's favor, who actually speak the language of the place. This more or less worked--Parisians took the Chicago bunch for Brits, not Americans, and given the lack of French enthusiasm for Americans last fall, this was probably for the best.

Or was it?

We were (and are) not at war with France, and it would have been nice if my group could have presented itself as distinctly American and yet not "boorish" or "ugly" in our behavior. I have absolutely no idea how this could have been accomplished, but I do think there should be some way for American college students to study abroad while neither drunkenly trashing their host countries nor going out of their way to look and seem something other than American.*

*Unless, of course, the motivation is something more serious than a desire to fit in, such as a desire to make it back to the States in one piece. The University of Chicago's study abroad safety guide urges students to "Be inconspicuous. One travels to see, not to be seen. Clothing or behavior that broadcasts "tourist" or "young American abroad" could bring trouble in your direction." Urging students to blend in style-wise makes a lot of sense if the students are going to, say, a country where women are required by law to wear veils; it is less crucial for students going to a place like France to leave behind any and all garments with the word "Abercrombie" on them.