appropriate clothing

baaronson

Are shorts appropriate for men to wear travelling and walking around cities like Delhi, Varanasi, Jaipur, Agra and Darjeeling?

cyberhippie

At the risk of starting a war here I would say these yes they are!! India is changing fast and wearing shorts no longer draws the kind of attention it once did.
But lets see what others have to say on the matter eh!

ddevadatta

I am of Indian decent and I did wear shorts while in Bangalore. My what a horrible sight to behold! I have real skinny legs and it must have been aweful.

I changed to pants so as not to attract attention though with my wife who is white that is hard not to do.

I think it is fine to wear shorts in any urban center in India for me (nopt women) and won't recommend it in villages and smaller towns.

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Theon

If you want to draw as little attention to yourself as possible, I'd say forget the shorts (my anti-tout/anti-attention strategy is to wear trousers and a collared shirt).

crvlvr

While in India, save your shorts for the beach.

machadinha

I was gonna not comment as Cyberhippie obviously has the more recent experience, but will you run into trouble? No probably not. Will you feel comfortable? No probably not. Most people anywhere in the world are quite fastidious about their clothing and displaying poor taste just won't gain you a lot of respect, it's only when you can afford to that underdressing becomes fashionable it seems, funnily enough. That doesn't mean they'll beat you up but don't complain about touts and stuff please. In the Caribbean where I grew up us kids liked to wear blue jeans and we put on a sweater when the temperature dropped below 24C, preferably designer stuff needless to say. Any red-nosed whitey in scant clothes was just like a moving target, you could sell them live starfish for a lot of money that would only go to rot a few hours later. I remember some topless female sunbathers who got kindly asked to put their tops back on because it stopped the construction work going on next door, it made the papers even.

So -- can you? Probably yes, why not. Will it make for a good experience? I doubt it.

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Karma Queen

aren't mens shorts considered to be only worn by boys? my travel partner got a few giggles because of his, but that was about it

Merchant

Yes, schoolboys and untouchables are the only ones who wear shorts in India.

cyberhippie

No it's not down to experience, that doesn't count for a lot on a live forum. Really I'm as confused as the next guy, experience tells me that I'll encounter few problems and what I see around me in tourist spots dotted all over India is Indians wearing shorts.
It's not the norm but it happens more and more.
So how do we apply a rule as foreign tourists that seems to be more and more irrevelant in modern Indian life.
Is it realistic to be affronted by the sight of bare leg in the face of MTV and the Fashion Channel.
Or do old cultural censorships dictate the day??
Sorry to the OP as this must be sending all sorts off confusing signals to a straigth forward question.
But the subject is worthy of discussion, are we to adopt the new India as tourists or should we be circumspect and adhere to a more tradtional way of life in India!!
I don't know but I'd value the opinions of our Indian members on this topic???

Merchant

If you see an adult man in India wearing shorts, chances are he's a laborer and really, really poor.

mcrors_calhoun

I have an old style hat, the ones that they wear in the gangster films, to keep the sun and rain off my head. will this draw much attention over there?

machadinha

Hmm CH it's interesting in that sometimes resident people will be easier to get away with the "modern" looks whereas as a visitor you might want to err on the safe side. Those residents will also be more acutely aware of where exactly to be so free-going.

Mind you I'm getting over as so conservative here sometimes that maybe it needs explaining that I have a tattoo and plenty of ear piercings and I went around India sporting a mohican (not the spiked affair mind you) in dreadlocks and met no undue trouble. That was just me though. I cherish the name of "babaji" by old ladies ever since, people mostly thought it was a religious thing.

Vagabond_

so if i wear shorts and people think im poor .. does it mean less touts will harrass me?
nice.
im a little confused about this as well .. what is the deal with short sleave shirts?
what about visible tattoos ? is it for criminals as they are here in brazil?
in morocco people were curious at my tattoos .. in a good way though.

concoran

Wearing shorts in cities and touristy spots is perfectly OK. No problems whatsoever.
However, you wouldn't be offending if you did that in rural, non-touristy area either, but it's prudent to wear full clothes.

machadinha

Not at all, people will know you're a tourist no matter what you do.

Bare shoulders are just considered improper. Then again I had mostly T-shirts with the shoulders cut away and it was no problem. People expect you to be a little daft anyway.