appropriate clothing- advice?

Hi all,

I%26#39;m heading off shortly for two weeks in India ( a Delhi Varanasi loop) and then pretty much all over China in a month.

I had planned on bringing two light cargo type roll-up-able pants and a knee length skirt, then shorts and a shorter skirt for China,

a long with my normal fairly fitted but not like ';bet on'; t-shirts...

and flip flops and a pair of light pumps and runners

I%26#39;m just a bit concerned about whether these clothes will be appropriate in India particularly? I don%26#39;t want to be disrespectful or attracting unnecessary attention either.

I%26#39;ve read alot of contradictory stuff on this in other forums..

I%26#39;d certainly appreciate any feedback.

appropriate clothing- advice?

Any type of pants, trousers, jeans etc. are ok all over India. The skirt is ok too. I think it would be ok to wear shorts and the shorter skirt in Delhi (but probably you could avoid these in smaller towns). Rest is all fine too.

appropriate clothing- advice?

Avoid shorts and short skirts in Delhi Varanasi if you want to avoid unwanted attention.

The weather is already warm and will be worse very soon; in North India it can be extremely dry and furnace like, so covering up in loose non knit cotton / linen is usually more comfortable. Dont forget a hat and sun block.

The reason you get different kinds of responses is because the issue is complex and there is no one-size-fits-all solution.

The other reason you get different kinds of response is because Indian women themselves have differing views on the subject and dress at different ends of the spectrum. For example, I am personally comfortable with low-neck-cleavage-on-show outfits for a party, but would hesitate to wear it on the street. This is certainly not true for many other Indian women, who would never dream of displaying even a teeny-weeny amount of cleavage. My daughter is ok with ';bet on'; T-shirts, I am not.

This kind of thing is true no matter what country you visit or live in. Women everywhere define their own bodies and how they wish to project it, based on how comfortable they are with their own sexuality and the social expectations around them.

In a country of arranged marriages like India, there is not really as much a need to go out there and find a mate as in other places. That, combined with the fact that the highest thing valued in the marriage market is chastity, makes for a whole different approach to clothing. Clothing communicates! And the traditional message in India that women wish to convey is of purity and chastity. We also wish to be thought of as attractive, which explains the jewellery and the kohl and the anklets and bracelets. But traditionally, skin display is not part of the communication.

When you dress differently from this approach, it carries with it an INTERPRETATION in the minds of the viewers. That is a very important point to understand. You really have to decide for yourself how you wish to handle that interpretation. Wearing modest clothing creates one kind of impression, wearing clothing that puts the body on display creates another kind of impression. You can%26#39;t control the interpretations except by managing what you feed into it as input.

I always tell women, when you are on the streets, dress conservatively. Modest just means no spaghetti straps, no plunging necklines, no tight clothing, no short skirts.

Basically, whether you like it or not, if you%26#39;re in India, especially if you%26#39;re travelling alone, you have to stop your clothes being INTERPRETED as a ';I%26#39;m here and I%26#39;m hot'; statement. This is extremely frustrating for me as a woman. Because I hate being told to be responsible for the dirt that is going on in someone else%26#39;s mind. But the world is not a perfect place! Creeps exist.

Some practical advice - trousers are ok, so are regular T-shirts, shirts, etc. You will attract a lot of stares just by being different, but when you dress modestly, at least you stop it from becoming downright lecherous.

- Deepa

Well said Deepa.

I think there are many peeping Toms in India. Many men will try anything to get a glimpse of the skin that is covered on Indian women. They feel that if you show your body, they are entitled to look/stare, touch and more in some unfortunate occasions.

This is the cultural part.

Practical part IMO : you should cover your body to protect it from heat, sun, mosquitoes and other insects. Loose light cottons are best for traveling and flip flop for walking, visiting temples, getting your feet wet etc.

thanks for the reassurance!

I%26#39;m well aware I%26#39;ll attract attention of a sort anyway- believe me- I%26#39;m as pale as you possibly can be! practically reflective- so I avoid alot of stuff that involves loads of suncream and hassle!

thanks again!

I%26#39;ve been to india 6 times and support the comments about dressing modestly - i always where longer skirts or trousers. I%26#39;d advise against shorts and friends who have worn knee length skirts have said they felt unconfortable. increasingly now when i go i take very little and pick up a couple of shalwar kameez when i%26#39;m there - they are practical and collish - they wash and dry quickly.