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Clothing |
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Travel light and dress modestly:
If you are traveling to India, carry minimal clothing,
both clothing and laundry are cheap.
India is very traditional and some heads will turn if
you dress provocatively in public. Short tops, short
skirts / shorts, tight or body revealing clothes etc
should be avoided. You might invite unwanted attention
from certain men who stare and pass comments at women to
amuse themselves. We would suggest that you always cover
your shoulders in public. In the big cities like Delhi,
Mumbai, Banglore, Pune, etc you can wear shorts. However
when you are not in the tourist hotels or shops, cotton
shirts or T-shirts, with cotton trousers or ankle length
skirts are good and cover your shoulders. Take jeans and
some full-sleeved shirts and T shirts for comfortable
travelling. Full-sleeved clothes are ideal protection
against sun tan during the day and mosquito bites at
night. Be sure to have good sturdy shoes with you since
your feet will get dusty and dirty while travelling. And
it is best to avoid high heels, flat sandals will do
just fine.
Dressing appropriately will set the tone of how you are
received by the locals (and potentially other travelers)
and will help ensure that unwanted attention and
advances from men are kept to a minimum. Low cut,
tight-fitting shirts, tank tops, skirts that fall above
the knees, shorts and bikinis are highly discouraged.
While swimsuits can be worn in beach resort areas such
as Goa, consider wearing a conservative one-piece and
covering yourself with a sarong and t-shirt when you’re
not sunbathing or when you are interacting with locals.
Short sleeve cotton shirts can be worn in warmer
climates but they should be loose fitting and not
revealing. Observe the locals and dress a bit more
conservatively than the most liberally dressed woman.
Incorporate some of the local dress into your outfits by
shopping once you arrive in-country. Purchase a locally
made blouse or delicate scarf or shawl to wear over your
Western-style clothes. Consider buying a salwar kameez.
The kameez itself is a loose-fitting blouse, often with
half or long sleeves, that comes down past the waist or
just above the knees. Salwars are loose-fitting
pajama-like pants that are very wide at the top and very
narrow at the ankles. A dupatta (long scarf) is often
used as an accessory or for covering the head when need
be. A full outfit can be purchased at many department
stores, small boutiques or can be tailor-made
(recommended if you are a large size as many clothes are
made for small women) for a very reasonable price.
While saris are worn by all Indian women at one time or
another, they are rarely worn by Western women, except
for special occasions such as a wedding. A sari consists
of a long length of fabric wrapped elegantly, and
without pins, zippers or buttons, around the body and
over a choli (a short sleeved and often midriff-baring
top). While a choli may seem revealing to the Western
eye because the stomach often shows, it should never be
worn alone without a sari or other fabric covering it
up. This would be akin to wearing just your bra outside
your home.
While Bollywood beauties are seen in advertisements and
movies wearing provocative clothing, the same low-cut or
see-through-style blouses are off-limits to the rest of
the population, and this means travelers, too.
Indian women take great pride in their beauty and take
special care in choosing their attire. They’ll be
noticed for what they are wearing and you will be, too.
Seasonal packing:
Indian summers are very hot. So, if you are planning to
go in the period of March to June, pack light cotton
clothes. Do not wear synthetic as you may develop some
skin allergy or heat burns. Buy mosquito cream out there
– you will need plenty. For men loose cotton shirts or
T-shirts and long linen trousers work well. Long - to
avoid being bitten at night. Winters (October to
February) in India are quite cold, especially North
India. So, pack some warmer layers. Also, pack some
thermal underwear, especially if you are planning to
roam around. During Monsoon (July to September), there
is a high level of humidity in India. So don't wear
synthetic stuff. In this case natural fibres are the
best.
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