women's attire for day hikes

LindaK

I just finished reading a thread that said that athletic shoes look ridiculous with a salwar kameez.
I was planning to wear a salwar kameez for day hikes in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. For footwear I have trail runners which are a cross between a running shoe and a hiking boot. Does this make sense, or should I be wearing western clothing for hiking?

Merchant

The whole dress code thing in India is way overblown on the internet. You can wear anything you want. Hiking in a salwar seems a bit silly. You'll be more comfortable in hiking clothes.

torryquine

Hi Linda, western clothes are fine for trekking and yes, running shoes do look kind of daft with an SK but no-one will laugh at you if you decide on this option.

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traceyam

You can wear whatever you want in India - you'll be treated accordingly.

For hiking, wear loose-fitting hiking pants (not leggings) with a top that comes down over your hips, and your trailrunners. You'll be fine. Save the SK for when you're in town.

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TREKorDIE

Hi Lindak
even most of the Indian girls do not hike wearing salwar kamiz. Why do you want to do that? Western dresses are more comfortable during hiking.
ENJOY

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em2

I didn't find SK a problem for hiking...and the dupatta is good for sitting on when you take a break...

upendora

I agree ridiculous if you go to temples and people's homes, but I have seen many girls wearing shoes with salwar in cities. You will be considered athletic or just on a walking stroll. Again depends on the place!

phantom

The best answer to all these "what to wear" threads is there are two conditions ..
A) you are travelling alone
B) you are travelling in a group
If you are travelling in a group, you can wear anything you want, ANYTHING.
If you are travelling alone then maybe you should try not to show you knees or wear strapped tops.
Again there are places where you are going, which define what to wear or not wear
1) Holy places, temples, over crowded places (markets, buses, trains), villages
Try to cover as much as possible, A fitted jeans and sleeveless top is good anywhere.
2) Any other place.. follow Rule (A) and (B).

That's it.. nothing much and nothing less.. dont get confused or scared.. Everybody takes care of tourists much more than the localites.

Now for this specific thread.. you can wear a capris or half pants.. for the hiking.. nobody's gonna molest you for wearing that .. anyways, you wont be wearing micro minis or bikini while hiking/trekking.. So dont worry at all