What to Wear in India..Helpful Hints for Women

The fabric (at least of some models) is high-SPF, so they are made for tropical weather.

that is correct - check out the different materials
aishah - check out the first and the last hat... they're light, squishable, squeezable, scrumpable - good stuff.

mine was a khaki - akin to the last pic
oh well...



:brishti

Yes, I realize that Aishah, but I thought I needed a Tilley-type cap/hat to put the look together
A visor has not worked for me in the past I mean as a tout repellent, so I thought maybe a combo deal a la alouise would scare them off.

A parasol does come in handy (threatened many a tout with one) though hard to maneuver in crowded streets. Might have made me a tad more threatening had it not had Snoopy characters on it!

I think I will send my mum on an olive Tilley hunt back in Aus, I see they have a few i.e. SIX stockists there in the WHOLE country?!

You've got me hooked, Brishti - I do like the look of that last link you put! Now to find out how to get one...

[QUOTE=Nick-H;793136]You are right that the initial post was nearly four years old. You are also right that things have changed a great deal in many places in India, in that time.


I am a quite large Woman and I will be travelling with my 15 year old son for a few weeks in October. I am not very tall (153cm) and approx a size 22/24. Will I be able to have SK's made for me? Would they be comfortable for me? I am really hoping they will as they look so nice. Should I ask for 2X material or more do you think? I am a little sensitive about my size but not so much to stop me from travelling and backpacking and getting on with life. Will I attract a lot of attention in India? My son is blonde and blue eyed so I expect he may attract some anyway. Also what shoes are best with SK's and comfortable for lots of walking?

One of the ladies will be better able to answer your question than I am. I am certainly not able to translate womens' dress sizes into metres of fabric.

Tailor-made means that all things should be possible. The only restrictions I can imagine might be the kits where the neckline is already embroidered, and maybe patterns that might restrict the width across the shoulders --- but you would be able to see, just by holding it against you, whether it was going to work for you or not.

It's been said a good few times: not all Indian ladies are sylphs. They come in all shapes and sizes. You'll be just fine buying and wearing clothes here

It's been said a good few times: not all Indian ladies are sylphs. They come in all shapes and sizes. You'll be just fine buying and wearing clothes here [/QUOTE]

Thanks,,,,it makes me feel a whole lot better. Just can't wait. Searching the other threads to see where to go and what not to miss.

I have a friend here who is approx your size (maybe bigger) and she's a blue-eyed blonde. Add her black husband who is taller and bigger than her = a huge amount of staring and snaps -they all think they're famous and very rich!!

She finally had some salwar kameezes (plural? i don't know!!) made the other week, and they do look amazing. She had some half churidar style/half kameez pants style made for the bottoms, with some nice details on the end of the trousers. She also wears them with some leggings (maybe BYO from home), and I know she even had them lined, and didn't say she was hot nor uncomfortable. Plus she chose some amazingly bright fabrics that are just so divine and look awesome in photos. And very flattering

There are shops around that cater for larger woman, but as for how the sizings compare to Western sizes I'm not too sure....so I say...

Grab some gorgeous material and get thee to a tailor!!

It may be better for you to go to a shop that has material AND a tailor, so he can measure you up and give you material estimate? I could ask her how much material she used, but then it could end up being quite different to what you need?

Never commit all your beautiful fabrics (so yes, you went in for one, but couldn't resist making it six) to an unknown tailor. Try them out on one first. Really, some tailors are just awful!

Anyone have any recommendations on a really good tailor in Delhi, as well as the best fabric shops, or how to find them as a tourist? I'll be wanting some SK outfits made too, IN JUST A COUPLE OF WEEKS (I'm so jazzed), and like the idea of picking out the fabric and having a tailor make them. (Think I'll favor light blue, as I read here that the 'mossies' really avoid it...hai na?

The best place to shop for SK's is Central Market also known as Lajpat Nagar Market. Best fabrics and there are tailors there who can stitch an outfit for you in a few hours.

I'm large size too, and one thing of learnt from my travels in India is to bring what I need to wear rather than trust a tailor to get it right.

Perhaps you just had an unfortunate experience with one inept tailor? From all the posts here, there seem to be a lot of excellent ones in Delhi and elsewhere in India.

My wife has had many unfortunate experiences, with many inept tailors. The last one was supposed to be fancy and expensive. She was expensive... but bad. Maybe she only did good work for film stars.

There should be no problem with simple stuff, just a car of making sure they get the fit right, but anything more complex can be trouble.