Perhaps as a point of clarification -- I admire a person in well turned-out "western wear" (or even if not-so-well turned out, depending on the circumstances) and indeed that is a style which has frequently been associated with "American" culture (and with some modification perhaps with Australia (e.g. drovers) or with a Spanish flare, Mexico.) I can even admire someone smartly turned out in a T-shirt and shorts, depending on the occasion. I suspect this may be more a function of time than geography. Being born in the first half of the last century it just seemed that people "did their best to dress their best" when presenting themselves in public. No one, not even the poor, would have thought of going to the market in what amounts to their underwear (e.g., just a T-shirt and shorts -- which might nevertheless be perfectly acceptable at say, the beach). Moreover, I agree that America is much more and much richer than Walmart, McDonald's etc. but that's the point. How sad it is that this is what we have largely become and how the world thinks of us. All of this aside, however, it is much less important to me what anyone wears on their body than what they hold in their minds and their hearts!