Shorts or Pants???

htid · Mar 23rd, 2008, 03:59

We'll be going to Kerala in May so I'm wondering what I should wear. I only own jeans, but I won't be wearing those! Shorts are pretty much out of the question because I'd like to keep the mozzie bites to a minimum so I was thinking of something like this.

Just white cotton trousers. I don't want to buy any here as I'll not use them again, but are you able to buy them over there? We'll be in Cochin first, are there any places there likely to sell them?

It's off topic a bit, but for top half I'd want to wear something like this.

Same applies, will I be able to get something like this?

the opoponax · Mar 23rd, 2008, 04:50

If it's something you know you won't wear at home, you could also experiment with salwar kameez, which is the traditional casual attire for many women in India (the outfit that's not a sari). This will probably be much easier to get at short notice directly off the plane than western style pants will be, unless you're staying in an area with a mall. And even then, in my experience jeans are the western-style pants du jour.

If there's a Fabindia in Cochin, head there ASAP!

Seeing that you're from the UK, you could probably find something exactly like that in H&M, Topshop, Forever 21, etc. Indian clothes are cheap, but they're not all that much cheaper than the clothes in those sorts of shops. Especially western clothes, which can be expensive off the tourist trail.

Those sorts of kurta tops are available EVERYWHERE. Especially in places popular with western tourists.

htid · Mar 23rd, 2008, 05:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by the opoponax

If it's something you know you won't wear at home, you could also experiment with salwar kameez, which is the traditional casual attire for many women in India (the outfit that's not a sari). This will probably be much easier to get at short notice directly off the plane than western style pants will be, unless you're staying in an area with a mall. And even then, in my experience jeans are the western-style pants du jour.

If there's a Fabindia in Cochin, head there ASAP!

Seeing that you're from the UK, you could probably find something exactly like that in H&M, Topshop, Forever 21, etc. Indian clothes are cheap, but they're not all that much cheaper than the clothes in those sorts of shops. Especially western clothes, which can be expensive off the tourist trail.

Firstly thanks

Secondly I'm male, so I think the salweer kameez would look a bit silly on me

If you seem to think that I could get those clothes here for only a bit more than there, I guess I'll do that, but even then I'll be spending £9 on some trousers or something - wouldn't have expected them to be so much over there! I wanted to buy them over there to save space in my suitcase and just throw away at the end of the journey.

the opoponax · Mar 23rd, 2008, 05:37

sorry, the link to the pants looked like a woman, to me, so I assumed you were female.

As a male it will be easier to find western style clothes, though you may not find what you're looking for -- while Indian men are less likely to wear traditional clothes, the men's western clothes are a little... ummm... 'disco'.

I also found that there was not as much availability of colors and sizes, which meant that I would often come away empty handed or have to look in 4 or 5 shops before I found something I liked. And keep in mind that what you're searching for will be a relatively rare item -- men's pants that aren't jeans, aren't polyester, aren't cut like something out of Saturday Night Fever, etc.

You'd spend an extra couple quid at home, but you'd be happy in the knowledge that you got what you wanted.

One good idea might be to buy only one pair and have it copied by a tailor.

kristinm · Mar 23rd, 2008, 05:51

You will definitely find the tops everywhere - FabiIndia had lovely men's kurtas and they were all over the street... I saw really cheap men's pants like that in Colaba Causeway in Mumbai... don't know about Cochin.

You could just go a Khadi and buy some kurta pyjama sets - the pants are really comfy drawstring and you can sometimes buy short kurta tops instead of the really long ones, you might feel a bit conspicuous in the long kurta tops - but you could mix and match.

Bear in mind the really cheap stuff off the street in India will likely not last the trip - the seams have a way of just dissolving - very embarrassing for a woman! There are also loads of cheap t-shirts everywhere.

the opoponax · Mar 23rd, 2008, 06:40

It will be much easier to get what you're after in any place that caters to the backpacker crowd. Don't know how that applies to Cochin, though.

Nick-H · Mar 23rd, 2008, 11:18

Indians wear trousers too! And they wear stuff that is light in the hot climate, and stuff that is trendy for the youngsters.

All sorts available; no problem

I don't wear them, so never bought any here but I'd think that £9 would be quite expensive for an Indian to spend on an item of clothing.

shashank.aggarwal · Mar 23rd, 2008, 11:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nick-H

I don't wear them, so never bought any here but I'd think that £9 would be quite expensive for an Indian to spend on an item of clothing.

That would be an average rate for a middle class trouser...nothing fancy about it...just decent quality...

Nick-H · Mar 23rd, 2008, 12:11

Wow. I'm glad I don't wear them!

the opoponax · Mar 23rd, 2008, 12:18

Yep, what Shashank said. I noticed going into Benetton and the like that prices for a pair of pants that would be 'trendy with the youngsters' back home are basically identical in price to what the same thing would cost back home.

The cheaper ones are more likely to be polyester and have a very different cut from what a westerner circa 2008 is used to.

Aishah · Mar 23rd, 2008, 13:28

You can get these really good brand name ones at discount prices towards the end of the season - I got an excellent pair for Mr K for around 550 rupees - I think it was 60% discount.

NeeliAankhen · Mar 23rd, 2008, 13:50

take a look at fabindia online and see if you want to order something OR if they have a style you'd buy when there.

FabIndia online delivers to anywhere in the world and I'd say they offer about 1/1000th of what you'd find in their shops all over India. But you can see the basic lines of pants

Looks to me as if you want a kurta and a pair of pyjama pants, drawstring light cotton. Seems doable to me.

Though I have not been to Cochin and am therefore fabricating this entirely - I would thnk in a beachy place you'd find pants just like that, I think that's a universal beach/surfer kind of easy style.

My tip, just watch out for the Joey Buttafucco look (unless it's what you'd be aiming for).

NeeliAankhen · Mar 23rd, 2008, 13:58

Here is what I thought you'd find at FabIndia, from their website:

http://www.fabindia.com/tableproduct...n(2).jpgbIndia.

It will be cheaper there. These white pyjama trousers for men are about usd 19. If they are online, they are really easy to find. Probably other colors available in shops, though you are thinking about white anyhow.

Store addresses in Kerala:

http://www.fabindia.com/storesfrontd...tores=19:Kochi

puchoo · Mar 23rd, 2008, 14:24

ONe can get them tailored as well in under 10 GBP which would cover the material + the tailoring cost as well....an option i tend to prefer sometimes over buying readymades....

Quote:

Originally Posted by shashank.aggarwal

That would be an average rate for a middle class trouser...nothing fancy about it...just decent quality...

NeeliAankhen · Mar 23rd, 2008, 15:55

Okay, now that I'm involved with your India wardrobe: I just ordered something from FabIndia (a churidar, a kind of trousers) and I see that the price for me, in the US, is more than twice what I paid for the same thing when I bought it in India. So - probably you can figure on that much of a difference if you wait and shop when you get there.

(In my case - even at a double price, it is still cheaper than flying back there to get what I need to complete my outfit!)

Mar 23rd, 2008, 11:18	#82
Nick-H Loud-mouthed, Noisy Bird Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chennai, India Posts: 28,368	Indians wear trousers too! And they wear stuff that is light in the hot climate, and stuff that is trendy for the youngsters. All sorts available; no problem I don't wear them, so never bought any here but I'd think that £9 would be quite expensive for an Indian to spend on an item of clothing. __________________ . Just one member of the IndiaMike Mod Team

Mar 23rd, 2008, 13:28	#86
Aishah She-who-must-be-obeyed! Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Jaisalmer Posts: 5,682	You can get these really good brand name ones at discount prices towards the end of the season - I got an excellent pair for Mr K for around 550 rupees - I think it was 60% discount. __________________ "Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards."

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Mar 23rd, 2008, 03:59	#76
htid Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Sheffield, England Posts: 129	We'll be going to Kerala in May so I'm wondering what I should wear. I only own jeans, but I won't be wearing those! Shorts are pretty much out of the question because I'd like to keep the mozzie bites to a minimum so I was thinking of something like this. Just white cotton trousers. I don't want to buy any here as I'll not use them again, but are you able to buy them over there? We'll be in Cochin first, are there any places there likely to sell them? It's off topic a bit, but for top half I'd want to wear something like this. Same applies, will I be able to get something like this?

Mar 23rd, 2008, 04:50	#77
the opoponax Maha Guru Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Brooklyn, via New Orleans Posts: 1,052	If it's something you know you won't wear at home, you could also experiment with salwar kameez, which is the traditional casual attire for many women in India (the outfit that's not a sari). This will probably be much easier to get at short notice directly off the plane than western style pants will be, unless you're staying in an area with a mall. And even then, in my experience jeans are the western-style pants du jour. If there's a Fabindia in Cochin, head there ASAP! Seeing that you're from the UK, you could probably find something exactly like that in H&M, Topshop, Forever 21, etc. Indian clothes are cheap, but they're not all that much cheaper than the clothes in those sorts of shops. Especially western clothes, which can be expensive off the tourist trail. Those sorts of kurta tops are available EVERYWHERE. Especially in places popular with western tourists.

Mar 23rd, 2008, 05:37	#79
the opoponax Maha Guru Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Brooklyn, via New Orleans Posts: 1,052	sorry, the link to the pants looked like a woman, to me, so I assumed you were female. As a male it will be easier to find western style clothes, though you may not find what you're looking for -- while Indian men are less likely to wear traditional clothes, the men's western clothes are a little... ummm... 'disco'. I also found that there was not as much availability of colors and sizes, which meant that I would often come away empty handed or have to look in 4 or 5 shops before I found something I liked. And keep in mind that what you're searching for will be a relatively rare item -- men's pants that aren't jeans, aren't polyester, aren't cut like something out of Saturday Night Fever, etc. You'd spend an extra couple quid at home, but you'd be happy in the knowledge that you got what you wanted. One good idea might be to buy only one pair and have it copied by a tailor.

Mar 23rd, 2008, 05:51	#80
kristinm Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Beautiful Bondi (not Bundi!) Posts: 1,547	You will definitely find the tops everywhere - FabiIndia had lovely men's kurtas and they were all over the street... I saw really cheap men's pants like that in Colaba Causeway in Mumbai... don't know about Cochin. You could just go a Khadi and buy some kurta pyjama sets - the pants are really comfy drawstring and you can sometimes buy short kurta tops instead of the really long ones, you might feel a bit conspicuous in the long kurta tops - but you could mix and match. Bear in mind the really cheap stuff off the street in India will likely not last the trip - the seams have a way of just dissolving - very embarrassing for a woman! There are also loads of cheap t-shirts everywhere.

Mar 23rd, 2008, 06:40	#81
the opoponax Maha Guru Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Brooklyn, via New Orleans Posts: 1,052	It will be much easier to get what you're after in any place that caters to the backpacker crowd. Don't know how that applies to Cochin, though.

Mar 23rd, 2008, 12:11	#84
Nick-H Loud-mouthed, Noisy Bird Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chennai, India Posts: 28,368	Wow. I'm glad I don't wear them!

Mar 23rd, 2008, 12:18	#85
the opoponax Maha Guru Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Brooklyn, via New Orleans Posts: 1,052	Yep, what Shashank said. I noticed going into Benetton and the like that prices for a pair of pants that would be 'trendy with the youngsters' back home are basically identical in price to what the same thing would cost back home. The cheaper ones are more likely to be polyester and have a very different cut from what a westerner circa 2008 is used to.

Mar 23rd, 2008, 13:50	#87
NeeliAankhen Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: New York, NY USA Posts: 275	take a look at fabindia online and see if you want to order something OR if they have a style you'd buy when there. FabIndia online delivers to anywhere in the world and I'd say they offer about 1/1000th of what you'd find in their shops all over India. But you can see the basic lines of pants Looks to me as if you want a kurta and a pair of pyjama pants, drawstring light cotton. Seems doable to me. Though I have not been to Cochin and am therefore fabricating this entirely - I would thnk in a beachy place you'd find pants just like that, I think that's a universal beach/surfer kind of easy style. My tip, just watch out for the Joey Buttafucco look (unless it's what you'd be aiming for).

Mar 23rd, 2008, 13:58	#88
NeeliAankhen Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: New York, NY USA Posts: 275	Here is what I thought you'd find at FabIndia, from their website: http://www.fabindia.com/tableproduct...n(2).jpgbIndia. It will be cheaper there. These white pyjama trousers for men are about usd 19. If they are online, they are really easy to find. Probably other colors available in shops, though you are thinking about white anyhow. Store addresses in Kerala: http://www.fabindia.com/storesfrontd...tores=19:Kochi

Mar 23rd, 2008, 15:55	#90
NeeliAankhen Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: New York, NY USA Posts: 275	Okay, now that I'm involved with your India wardrobe: I just ordered something from FabIndia (a churidar, a kind of trousers) and I see that the price for me, in the US, is more than twice what I paid for the same thing when I bought it in India. So - probably you can figure on that much of a difference if you wait and shop when you get there. (In my case - even at a double price, it is still cheaper than flying back there to get what I need to complete my outfit!)

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