Introduction: How to Blend in With Crowds.
Being inconspicuous takes practice, skill and cunning. Here are some things that I've learned about staying anonymous.
Step 1: Dress for Success
Dress so you don't stand out. Normally this means dressing plainly. Although, sometimes you may need to dress up like a zombie to blend in with a crowd.
Anticipate what the rest of the crowd will look like and use common sense. Avoid bright colors or revealing clothing. Avoid anything that could get people to pay attention to you. Avoid being too out of style and too in style. Avoid things with big logos or graphics on it.
In most situations the ideal outfit has dark muted colors, is clean, covers your naughty bits and matches. It should have a timeless look.
Step 2: Don't Draw Attention to Yourself
Don't behave in a way that draws attention to yourself. Don't scream and jump around. Also, don't act suspicious and keep looking over your shoulder.
Use common sense. Behave the same exact way everyone else is behaving. If everyone is screaming and jumping around, then do the same.
Step 3: Wear a Disguise
Wear something to disguise your natural features without drawing attention to yourself. It could be as simple as carefully selecting a hat.
You would be amazed how hard it is to find someone you know in a crowd that is wearing a hat that you've never seen before.
Changing the way you walk is also surprisingly effective. You can remove the liner from your shoe to walk lopsided or if you don't mind pain, just put some rocks in a shoe.
Step 4: Stay in the Middle
Stay as close to the most dense part of the crowd. It is easier to find people straggling about on the edges. It's harder to find people that are in the middle of everything since everyone is moving around you. If people are moving in small groups through the crowd, pick a random one and pretend that you are with them by following closely behind.
75 Comments
12 years ago on Step 4
Uhm, is there ANY way for a hijabi (muslim gal who wears headscarf) who feels stalked to blend into the crowd? I've got a friend who wears the scarf and she feels that there is no way for her to hide short of violating her religious policies. Can you help?
Reply 5 years ago
I'm a hijabi but I still have to go to church b/c I'm a convert
Try wearing a brown or grey hijab--it'll blend in with other people's hair
When I'm at church, I try to wear a plaid hijab to blend in with the older women--plus I'm short, so I try to look older.I also adopt a limp and hunch over.
Inshallah this helped!
Reply 10 years ago on Step 4
A hooded sweatshirt, drug rug, hooded jacket, etc. is inconspicuous and modest and it would mostly hide a hijab.
Reply 11 years ago on Step 4
tell her to take it off. If she feels that she being stalked and is being endangered then who cares about religion. It is not worth being hurt.
Reply 11 years ago on Introduction
Your friend should wear a scarf that isn't bright and is an earth tone or kind of a dull color. I have seen dull colors on other hijabi's and it looks fine
10 years ago on Introduction
this is a lovely idea :)
14 years ago on Introduction
A white dude (tallish, green eyes, hair on arms, porridgey pale skin, spiky but far from I-have-perfect-black-hair-that-looks-like-this-when-I-woke-up-and-it-moves-in-the-wind-just-like-in-Anime-because-I-am-Asian kind of hair, huge and monstrous feet) trying to blend into China. Buddy of mine went to Shanghai for the F1 - he was there for 3 days, and walking on the street he eckons he was the tallest person on that part of the continent. He's 1.8m. Can blending in even be possible?
Reply 13 years ago on Introduction
If you're above average height, slouching can help; Below average - high/thick heels.
13 years ago on Introduction
if you combine this hiding technique with this hidden blade then you have a deadly combo indeed!
hidden blade link: https://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-the-Assassins-Creed-Hidden-Blade/
14 years ago on Introduction
Thanks for the great instructable! now i can hide the fact that i have wings on my back that i can fold in and the wingspan is 15 feet. Yes, i can fly!
14 years ago on Step 4
A Dues Ex Machina is when the author just spontanieously fixes the conflict with an out of place event and ends the story, like in that Superman movie when he just flies counter-clockwise around the globe to go back in time, but i apriciate the fact that we both read the wikipedia article (and you are using the example about its use in greek plays)
Reply 14 years ago on Step 4
Actually, no, I didn't read the wikipedia article, I passed 10th grade English class.
Reply 14 years ago on Step 4
well glad to see teahcers take examples from wikipedia ain't it? just btw not trying to fight but you should consider taking more time and adding in more details to your comments
Reply 14 years ago on Step 4
10th grade english class was 11 years ago. There was no Wikipedia back then.
Reply 14 years ago on Step 4
Wow you had one amazing nice psycic teacher then..:)
Reply 14 years ago on Step 4
no.
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
And what does any of this have to do with Harrison Ford?
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
Not sure how but he can join the party
14 years ago on Introduction
If you suspect that someone is looking for/at you, immediately develop a plausible reason to be in the area; get a haircut or shave, look at/purchase foods at an outdoor market. If you're doing what all the other people of your gender are doing, it's usually a lot easier to blend.
14 years ago on Introduction
You forgot to act like nothings weird I almost always do my homework right before its due in class, and I never get caught. It's kind of funny watching other people get caught and it drives my friends nutty.