Blondes- to dye or not to dye? & women's wear, women's safety etc

Nick-H

Yes, very much so. Actually (depending on where you live) perfectly acceptable for a trip to the shop --- but nothing further. But, honestly, it was a very smart nightie(not one of those horrible frilly things), and I doubt anybody but a local would have thought twice about it. Trouble is, the locals would have been sniggering...

Thing is, what you said about Western dress is true, and that covers most of it.

We did go into some detail in one thread. Of course I don't remember which! But I recall one of our Northern members filling me on stuff that is Northern, rather than Southern.

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bndancer108

About the profile pic Nick: lovely, very smart indeed...That´s exactly what I was talking about: classic south indian elegance

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Nick-H

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sylvester

kurtas goes with pajamas but collage guys wear jeans instead.
but wearing a kurta with formal trouser is funny (don't ask me why)
sarees have skirt like garment to support the saree (its very fine fabric)

if u want to experiment with garments better ask somebdy rather than be the centre of attraction
in india dressing sense differs with different religions, communities etc.
just don't go about mixing them all

Nick-H

Sari fabric can be very fine --- or very heavy, or anything in betweenThe mind boggles... Burka and miniskirt, maybe?

Aishah

LOL, Nick! Not a bad idea really for extreme heat - I rather fancy a bikini and burkha - that would be a cool combination - you'd just have to make sure your burkha is non see-through but cool to wear i.e. not full polyester.

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kristinm

I wouldn't be surprised to find bikinis under lots of burkhas having seen what some burkha wearing women buy at expensive shops. That's the nice thing I guess, you can wear what you want underneath.

the opoponax

Saw lots of men in kurtas and jeans around universities and in more upscale/intellectual circles (when I was lucky enough to hang out in that crowd, of course). Some, too, in full traditional outfits, which, because I'm a girl, I don't know the name of.

It seems like, as a guy, you could do the same thing we women do. Pop int a store with good quality readymade clothes and try things on until you find your comfort zone. It's easy to find short and long kurtas, as well as western-style shirts in Indian fabrics. Khadi is probably a safe bet, and Chikan kurtas from Lucknow might work well too.

Uck. "Polyester Burqa" is probably the absolute worst combination of clothing words I can come up with. I tried one on at a halloween party once (long story), and they are HOT, let me tell you. And you can't see very well. Also, impossible to dance in. Adding polyester to the mix would be even more horrid. By the way, in terms of bizarre religious/cultural combinations, under the burqa I was dressed up as Che Guevara.

Nick-H

And yes, of course... us guys also mix and match.

machadinha

Some good thoughts on men's wear above. Yes, to pop into a shop or tailor's and just look and ask around would be the way to go of course, however to have some idea of what to look for will surely help. Kind of the like the way you ladies like to enquire about your SK's

I reckon I'll just ask an IM member to take me shopping next time. Since Mumbai is the destined port of entry, I guess Brishti might want to do the honors of getting me dressed up And to look for some music events!

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sannna

Somehow that doesn't surprise me

I still want to buy a burqa in Lucknow, just to feel for a few hours what the difference would be in how the city feels. (Won''t be riding on my cycle those few hours I guess ) Any tips on Burqua shopping apart from avoiding polyester?

karuna

At the airport in Bahrain there was this absolutely stunning woman, in an abaya with diamante trimming. Only her face was visible, and she had heavy eye make up which looked fabulous. Turned a few heads.

So I figured that's what I'm doing wrong. I need a hooded sequinny abaya and half a ton of eyeliner. It helped of course that she was beautiful, slim and elegant, but I've got to start somewhere!

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Aishah

It's interesting Karuna - there are also all sorts of fashions in burqas here too - some have frilly little hat type things on the top (face is not covered in India usually) also beautiful embroideries. The same with veils - huge variations in decorations here.

wonderwomanusa

I asked about them in Kolkata (at the New Market) and they were quite expensive, though I do not recall the exact price.

Nick-H

There is a community living in the Parry's area in Chennai that wear full-length dresses with a head-and-shoulders piece (oh dear, dreadful description) in very pretty colours and with some embroidery. Muslim dress does not have to be dire and black!

Many people in that part of Chennai come from Northern India. Aishah, do you have a clue what I'm talking about?