I'm late here, but your question made me think of something different. I wonder if the "All-American Girl" style is something any young European (or non-American) girls go for, while we're all falling over ourselves to look "Parisian" or "'Eurochic"! Wouldn't that be funny!

I think of AAG style as being fresh-faced, wholesome, girl-next-door, simply beautiful without the need for lots of make-up, frills or complicated hair-dos.

I think it is the classic style, plus the red, white, and blue combo (which does *not* make you look like a flag, which is my concern about wearing these colors together.) Plus, like other said, the color combo is vaguely naughtical, and you posed next to the water. And, you look approachable. I think that figures in to idea of being "all american".

Plus, with your fair skin and blonde hair, you fit into the "all american" myth of beauty...although we all know americans come in all color combinations. But that's a long, tricky, difficult post that doesn't belong here.

I think maybe the speaker was using "all american" and "classic" interchangeably in this instance, when the terms really aren't interchangeable. That said, we will be happy to claim you, even if you aren't American.

Ralph Lauren is marketing a fantasy of English county style. It's too ...
thick. All-American hasn't much to do with girlishness in my eyes. Strong
bones, good teeth, good health, active. Sounds like the dog show, doesn't it? Though it's a style I really like. Simple and groomed hairstyle, neat because the clothes are given to neatness. I wouldn't agree that it's an unpressed look. Clean lines, some structure and/or crispness. Not subtle. Not faddish. Some groupthink, in that it's recognizable and nothing rude. I always think of some contrast as in the stripes or tipped cardigans or jackets.

I think it originally meant that America was famous for its sportswear feeling.
This jibes with the idea of strong, simple, geometric patterns and otherwise mostly solids. Doesn't have to be all cotton because American Girl has winter, too.

Mary Richards, the character who created some controversy! over a housewife wearing pants, had completely All-American style in my book.

Chrisite Brinkley, Jennifer Aniston, Gigi in the early movies, and most of the girls in Elvis movies lol. Not necessarily just jeans and a tee, but clean, fresh faced, smiling. Classic beauty. Never overly "done up". Not "trendy." I would say button downs are as much a part of this look as tees. Polos to me are a bit more "preppy" than "All American" but they would probably also fit into the category.

I agree that the colors red, white and blue help set the stage for the image of "All American." But white shirt and blue jeans with bare feet would also do it -- like Marilyn Monroe tried to portray.

I disagree that you look AAG. Your hair and your stance speak much more European chic to me. I agree that fresh scrubbed faces, young and yes long locks for the most part are much more AAG/ classic american. I think Jackie O belonged to previous generation of AAG' s: not current ones.

Actually, I meant Mary Tyler Moore as Laura Petrie of the Dick Van Dyke Show but as Mary Richards of Mary Tyler Moore show works, too, for the most part.

I pondered this question as I drove in to work. AAG is not what came to mind with your outfit, Angie.

Some things I consider AAG:

Tennis or sailing clothing
Wide headbands
Keds
Clean makeup and shiny hair
Denim cut-offs
Rugby shirts
Baseball caps
Ponytails

I guess to me AAG is an amalgam of preppy, wholesome, clean, sporty, and fresh - what j. crew was back in the 80s.