While some places in India like Goa welcome bikinis and beachwear, other holy cities and sites require some level of modesty.
Dressing appropriately (culturally and climate-wise) will contribute to how comfortable you feel and therefore can influence your overall experience.
After living in India among locals for years, here are my top insights and recommendations about dressing wisely in India.
What to wear in India
Here are the 3 main things I recommend to consider while packing and dressing in India:
- Dress Modestly: The average dress code of locals in India is conservative. Some cultural centers require covering the upper legs, chest and shoulders (there will always be signs).
- Dress by season: Given the hot and humid climate in many parts of India, wearing natural and breathable fabrics like cotton and linen is extremely recommended. On the other extreme the north can get cold to snowy so make sure you pack to the right season.
- Dress comfortably: the journeys between destinations and sites may be long. Many destinations are explored by foot so bring comfortable clothes and shoes for moving around.
Appropriate temple wear.
Is dressing modestly mandatory in India?
Technically no, There are no legal modesty requirements for public spaces. Religious sites are the only places where a dress code will be mentioned publicly.
Foreign Tourists attract attention and will get stared at no matter what they wear, but in my personal experience showing less skin attracts less attention. I recommend dressing properly and adjusting our appearance according to the location.
What to wear in India at religious sites?
In most religious sites there are detailed signs that forbid entering without suitable coverage around the legs, shoulders, and chest.
Since many destinations revolve around visiting temples spontaneously, I recommend dressing in a neutral modist way that won’t restrict you from entering anywhere, in your daily touring.
A shall for your shoulders and light pants are a great staple for everyday adventures.
Set and setting make a difference
India varies widely in its level of liberalism between its 28 states.
while some popular destinations like Goa require minimum modesty adjusting, most destinations do.
The more the area is rural and inland, it is probably more conservative.
When I arrive at a new destination and I wonder what appearance is accepted there, i Always try to be mindful and look around you. What are the other tourists wearing? What are the Indians around you wearing?
Buying clothes in India
India has great shopping, so In case you need anything after arriving, in the big cities malls you can find many international brands.
In more rural areas you will find smaller shops with different styles of clothing, many handmade in the shop.
There are a few Indian brands I recommend specifically.
These brands have a nice mix between Indian traditional cloths and western style made With good-quality natural fabric. All of these are found in the big cities
Here are my personal favorites:
- Fab India
- Anokhi
- Go Colors
Wearing Indian clothes
I really recommend tourists to experiment with wearing local clothes, especially while traveling to villages and smaller, less developed places.
Some of the traditional items made a lot of sense to me once I tried traveling with them.
Kurta is the name of the main piece I wear often. It is a top that covers your hips, with side cuts for mobility. There are different lengths, I usually prefer shorter ones that come down till the upper thigh.
I didn’t start wearing Indian clothes or minding the dress code until my third trip to India, and it has improved my experience mainly since I started feeling more comfortable.
It is not considered cultural appropriation, rather respected in my personal experience.
A short video I made about what I wear in India:
Staying protected from the sun
Good quality Sunscreen, Hat and sunglasses are not common outside of the big cities so Bring enough with you or look for them in one of the cities like mumbai/delhi/bangalore.
What should men wear in India
There is no general dress code or modesty for men. Other than specific mentioned guidelines in religious cities, The overall recommendations is breathable natural fabrics for Indian summer and appropriate clothing for the colder north.
It’s not always hot in India
From a certain altitude that is found mostly in the northern parts of India, it can get cold so snow with temperatures dropping below zero celsius degrees.
There are many warm clothes shops in the colder destinations with surprisingly good quality knockoffs, but original specific gear may not be available outside the big cities.
Staying warm in North India
Does and don’ts conclusions:
The does:
- Wear Non tight, comfortable clothes.
- Choose breathable fabrics. Try to avoid synthetic clothes as it may get uncomfortable in the heat and humidity that is common in india.
- Carry a light shawl in your daily bag that will provide the flexibility of covering up for specific locations as usually guided in holy sites.
- Look at what others around you, both tourists and locals are wearing and read the room.
The don’ts:
- Avoid Overly Revealing items in public spaces as these may draw unwanted attention in some areas.
- Don’t wear shoes that take a long time to wear. When entering most holy places, you will need to remove them.
- don’t wear a bikini everywhere you swim. Be sensitive to specific locations and settings (for example don’t wear a bikini in the ganga river banks, but wear it in goa beaches.
- Minimize wearing flashy jewelry.
