Some parts of India might at first sight appear like Ibiza (especially Goa) and if you travel in the bigger cities you’ll see lots of women in Western-style clothes. Outside the tourist areas and the big cities, however, most women wear traditional Indian clothing (a sari or a salwar kameez), or maybe a kurta top (a shirt with long or short sleeves) with jeans or a long skirt.
Women in Sari in the Taj Mahal (Meutia Chaerani - Indradi Soemardjan)
What to Wear in India?
What you wear affects how you get treated, and it can increase or decrease the possibility of sexual harassment. Take a look at what local women wear and copy them. This does not mean that everyone has to wear a sari. Loose-fitting t-shirts, jeans, long skirts, salwar kameez, kurta tops with long trousers are all ok.
Don’t Go Topless. Just Don’t.
Topless sunbathing is simply not acceptable in India and just because some women go topless in Goa does not mean that you should. It is also forbidden by law. If you want to sunbathe topless, there are lots of places in the world for it: India is not one of them.
Should You Wear a Sari?
Many guidebooks tell you to dress like locals do and buy a sari or a salwar kameez. A sari is that traditional Indian dress that consists of a choli (the blouse), an underskirt and a minimum of five metres of fabric that you need to wrap around you in a graceful and stylish way. If you have never worn a sari before, get a local woman to help you in the wrapping process. If you don’t know what you’re doing and you half-heartedly wrap a sari around you, it will look just that: a badly wrapped sari, and Indian ladies will publicly comment on your sari wrapping skills.
The Salwar Kameez
Ladies in Salwar Kameez in Puducherry, India (Bernard Gagnon)
The salwar kameez is a much easier option for everyday travel. It consists of a long pyjama-style pants, a loose-fitting shirt, and a scarf called dupatta. It is also acceptable in most situations.
If you do get an invitation to, say, a wedding in South India, and you simply have to wear a sari, get some help when shopping for one and when trying to get into one. A sari is also incredibly difficult to walk in gracefully: Indian women know how to do it because they have been doing it all their lives, but most Western women look very clumsy until they get some serious sari practice.
I’ve done it twice. It wasn’t easy.
Photos:
1. Women in Puducherry wearing salwar kameez: by Bernard Gagnon
2. Three women in a sari in the Taj Mahal (Meutia Chaerani – Indradi Soemardjan)
Awesome writing …….. keep it up………………..
Thanks & Regards
India Trip
Planing to attend an Indian wedding in Delhi this December – thanks for the tips!
Indian wedding – major party! Get someone to help you with sari shopping or to get a salwar, and to get bangles and henna and all that stuff. I wore a sari twice in my three years in India and I had professional help in getting into it (= my cleaning lady did the wrapping and the pleating, did my hair and approved my bangles). I loved the look but it’s so hard to walk around gracefully, so I mainly stood still and smiled.
Awesome blog posting……. keep it up……
I agree…topless in India is absolutely out of question
I loved the first image…superb angle!
Siddhartha Joshi recently posted..The beauty never ends…more women from Tarnetar…
Awesome blog. I have had the opportunity to know more about the Indian wear and now wish to attend one of the Indian weddings and see how this is brought about from their dressing.
Asian Dress will be a great gift to my young sister this summer.I know she will definitely love it.
Hi guys my 13 yr old daughter is travelling to Mumbai,Bangalore,Calcutta and deli next month she is fair skinned & red haired , what should I pack for her to wear and do you have any other advice for me thanks
Hi Anne,
next month will be pretty hot in India, so light comfortable modest cotton clothing: shirts that cover at least the upper arm, or long-sleeved loose cotton shirts that also help to protect from sunburn. (T-shirts are fine to wear, but long sleeved tunic-style tops are especially good for us fair-skinned people who burn fast in the sun) Long skirts or trousers. Cotton is a good material for the heat, doesn’t get sweaty, loose (= not skin-tight) clothing feels more comfortable in the heat. Lots of high SPF sunblock – the sun will be scorching in April. A hat/scarf to wear on the head for sun protection! Flip-flops/sandals that are easy to take off when visiting people’s houses, shops, temples etc. You can also buy a lot of this stuff in India. Tunic-style tops and long skirts, and scarves, are easy to find in India. I’m assuming she’s going with someone or in a group and there will be time for shopping…
Satu, thank you for your reply, she is travelling with her dance troup and her dad,so there will be time for shopping, oncevagain thank you:)
Hi… We are planning to go indi Delhi this end of this month. I’m here in Singapore now. Bought some Indian dress it’s very cool and I love it coz it’s colorful. We are planning to go taj mahal and go up to the highest mountain. I’m so excited. Aim from Philippines. I will travel w/ my boyfriend.
Do any one whos that Philippines passport required visa to go India or they give visa when you arrived at the airport?