What to Wear in India..Helpful Hints for Women

Changed a lot in some ways, and not an iota in others. So no, not everywhere in India, just in some places.

Still rather traditional out our way - once you leave the metros and travel in rural areas this seems to be the case.

I found that I got a lot less hassle and jostling in Old Delhi when wearing salwar kameez than western clothes. When I worked in the slum clinics I was accepted by the locals a lot more too.

light trainers were great for winter wear and the state of the roads and pavements my feet were continually filthy in sandals just from the dust!!

I often found I was photographed by the locals I was told that they don't get to see many disabled westerners.

Another one of my western fashion faux pas (besides masseur sandals with socks)which has wowed most Indians I meet is the black synthetic, ultra-tacky Made in China golf visa, which comes with oh so chic fake Italian "PERRO Italy Golf" label. The visa brim extends so far out that it protects not only the forehead but also the face,chin, neck, upper body and even the toes from sunburn! It's like having your own head-attached parasol. As said, dreadful fashion faux-pas, but very groovy against those UV rays.

Fashion slaves, consider comfort as your liberation!

with a tiny detail missing here - with the anything everywhere logic...
locals [indian women] know them areas in the city where they wouldnt wear spaghetti tops -
tourists wouldnt be aware of the attention they'd draw to themselves in 'them' areas.
we know when to cover up - what to avoid - how to play it safe.
so... its safer for tourists to clad themselves in an 'acceptable' way in all areas, without having to wonder.



:brishti
and hey lousie - some of us have tilley's too

Hmm after a minute with my friend Mr. G. Oogle l see they're like a washable Akubra. I think I might put one on my wish list, my current chapeaux is getting a little ew

Thanks for the reminder -- I just went on amazon and ordered a wide-brimmed, cotton, adjustable visor with a zip off 'hat' top -- didn't even know there was such a thing on the market! (It even comes with sunscreen and a uv meter -- very curious about that!) - Getting excited, just a few weeks before I depart now for Bharat ~

You have Tilley hats, Brishti? My mother loved them, and had a fine collection in different colours. My inheritance!

Is a Tilley a round brim with a hole in the centre? It sounds perfect - I find sunhats too hot and end up most times carrying an umbrella so the air can cirulate above my head. This sort of hat would be so much easier for me and free up one of my hands when I'm shopping.

I thought, Alouise, you were talking about a brand-name document at first, until I twigged to 'visor'!!

I gave up 'fashion' years ago - living on the frontier no one even thinks about it except the younger ones who 'jazz' themselves up. I wear socks at all times no matter what the footwear - I started out without them, but found I was getting terrible feet problems from heat and sand abrasiveness. So no matter how hot it becomes I still wear the cotton socks.

Brishti - you are so correct about the spaghetti tops - I cringe when I see them worn here, and all the men with eyes on stalks following the wearer.

there're different styles aishah... mine was akin to this
someone whacked it
now i have a wannabe tilley's

asked a cousin who had gone for a conference to godknowswhere in north america to bring me back a tilley's
he got me a hat, the label read... willy's
i tellya, some families... ... ... ...




high tide i went to chennai - and whack someone's inheritance
your mom has a fan in me nick - thats for sure


:brishti

High tide?



Actually, they are astonishingly expensive so I sympathise with your cousin!

As to the spaghetti tops, ladies, wear them! My eyes have stalks too

chennai - sea - waves

i wasnt aware of the price - but knowing my brother, i dont think he was either. he'd have told me if he couldnt afford it.
i doubt he remembered the name... trust me... families!



nick, your eyes stalk. period. spaghetti macaroni whatever
:brishti

Yes, the Tilley looks comfy enough Brishti, although the brim is much narrower than the golf visor I was talking about. And there's no fabric on top to make things hot and sweaty, which was something Aishah pointed out.

What I like about my $15 AUD visor is I can wear my hair piled up in a top notch without struggling to fit a hat over it - if you've got really long hair, having it well up off the neck in a bun is a must when the weather's really hot and humid. Plenty of air circulation, plus having the top notch bun where the hole in the visor is avoids the risk of a sunburnt scalp as they're no exposed part. I usually throw in a couple of chopsticks too for holding the bun in place. So I probably look like a total idiot with visor and antennae, like some golfing ET. But hey, it works!!!! I mean, touts tend to give me a fairly wide berth.

Ah, finally --- a tout repellent! So one does exist after all
[makes mental note to buy a Tilley]
It sounds like just the ticket for me. Beats the heck out of carrying my daughter's parasol from a few yrs ago. If she is embarrassed by me now, just wait till I get a hold of this new look for my next India trip

It's not the Tilley which is the repellent it's the visor, namaste cat! Thanks for those links, Nick and Brishti - I didn't realize a tilley was a brand name - nice hats too, but I think too hot for me out here.


If you eyes are on stalks, and you stalk, does that make you a stalker, Nick? Enough! enough! won't go there again!!!