What to Wear in India

What to Wear in India?

You are all set and ready but deep down are you wondering if you have packed the right type of clothes to wear in India? Fine, you are not alone. Any tourist visiting India may have this concern about what to wear in India. Here we go.

Why is it Important to Know What to Wear While Travelling in India?

Right from cultural identities to languages spoken, celebration of festivals to traditional dresses and other types of dresses worn, everything is specific to each region making India a land of diversity. A traditional North Indian dress may look out of place in South India and vice versa. So, how odd it would be to wear an outfit that you wear in Europe to a remote Indian village? However, thanks to the changing times, some types of dresses are now commonly worn in all parts, at least, in the Indian metros. 

While there isn’t anything called a strict dress code in India except in certain places of worship, a tourist may look odd in his or her casual clothes in India. Hence, it is important to know what dress is appropriate to wear in India while on travel. 

Three Important Factors to Consider While Choosing What to Wear in India as a Tourist

From being totally conservative, India is now more and more modern as the clothing culture of Indians is more influenced by comfort and fashion. Traditional dresses are now reserved for festivals and special occasions. This gives you the opportunity of choosing dresses that are fashionable yet will have an element of regionalized touch to help you move about and mingle more easily with the local people. 

Here are the three most important factors you need to consider while choosing the appropriate dress to wear during your Indian tour.

1) Tourist Destination: Your choice of dress needs to be basically determined by your tourist destination; whether it is a metropolitan city or a remote village where wearing modern dresses may not go well with the people as you may receive odd stares. You need to consider the tourist attraction you are visiting. Visiting forts, palaces and beaches is different from visiting places of worship and places of cultural significance

2) Weather: Your choice of dress to wear in India should also be based on the weather condition that prevails at the time of travel. 

3) Comfort: While the saying, ‘Be a Roman when you are in Rome’ holds good while on tour, take into account your comfort as well. Just because you are in India does not mean you have to choose a traditional wear over your comfort clothing everywhere. 

A Detailed Guide to What to Wear in India

Before we go into detail on what to wear in India, let’s have a look at the clothes that you can avoid on your tour of India.

Dresses to Avoid in India

• Short skirts, short tops and short shorts that may be revealing 
• Tops that expose your cleavage
• Strapless dresses
• Form-hugging attire
• Swimsuit in certain beaches

Should You Wear the Traditional Dress of India?

One of the most common questions we come across from tourists visiting India from abroad is if they have to wear Indian dress while travelling India.

So, let’s get this clear.

Traditional dresses vary across India. Even saree, which is a traditional dress of women in many parts of the country, vary a lot in terms of materials and designs and is also worn in different styles as is their custom. 

While there is absolutely no need to wear the traditional dress of any state that you visit, wearing them would be a good choice. When you wear the traditional dress of a region that you visit, it shows you love experiencing their culture and you will be loved for it. Moreover, it is also the spirit of travel; experiencing the culture and tradition of local people. 

What Are the Appropriate Dresses to Wear in India?

Here are some of the best dresses you can wear in India for a comfortable trip while respecting the culture of the land.

• Loose tops and trousers
• T – shirts
• Knee-length skirts and shorts
• Long tops with loose or tight pants

Other than the above, you can wear kurtis and salwar kameez, which are typical Indian dresses and make you feel comfortable.

To put it simply,

• Avoid wearing clothes that are revealing and by any chance disrespectful of the culture of the land.
• Wear clothes that cover your cleavage and are not form-fitting and revealing

How to Choose Appropriate Dress for Indian Tourist Destinations?

As we proceed with what would be the right choice of dress to wear in India, let’s do some quick classification on the types of tourist attractions in India. 

• Natural places like forests, mountains, hill stations, waterfalls and national parks
• Places of historical importance and cultural significance including ancient monuments, heritage sites, palaces and monuments of colonial era
• Places of worship
• Beaches

Now, let’s move on to what to wear on an Indian tour.

What to wear in India while on nature experiences?

Visiting places for nature experiences can be a great opportunity to experience more freedom in your clothes, as you need to be comfortable in what you wear while trekking a hill or exploring the forest. However, do consider the dresses to avoid mentioned above. 

While trekking the mountains or travelling to hill stations, temperatures may be low and hence you may need layering clothes. 

Depending on the weather conditions, forests may be hot or cold. Carry breathable fabrics like cotton to manage the heat and feel comfortable as you explore the forests.

If you are wearing a bikini to a waterfall, wear some loose top over your bikini so you don’t attract others’ attention. 

What to Wear in India While Visiting Places of Historical Importance and Cultural Significance?

Places of historical importance and cultural significance are representative of the spirit of a land. While visiting such places it would be best to wear:

• Knee-length or even lengthier dresses
• Loose pants and tops
• Tight pants may be worn but with long tops
• Any Indian traditional dress

What to Wear in India While Visiting Places of Worship?

Certain places of worship have certain norms to follow; Gurudwaras and mosques may require visitors to cover their heads. In all other places of worship, it is best to wear dresses that do not expose your cleavage, cover your shoulders and most of the body. We would recommend:

• Kurti and loose pants
• Salwar kameez
• Full length skirt and shawl to cover your shoulders if they are exposed.

What to Wear in Indian Beaches?

You can wear modest shorts and T-shirts or long tops on beaches. In Goa beaches, which attract global tourists, you can wear your swimsuit to swim in the sea and sunbathe in your bikini. 

On beaches in conservative cities, you can swim in your T.shirt and shorts. Except for beaches in Goa, where it is quite common to find swimmers in bikini sunbathing, it is best not to move around in your swimsuit. You can wear beach dresses like sarong over your swimwear when you walk away from the beach.

To sum up:

You can wear: 

• Loose fitting tops, long tops, t.shirts 
• Loose pants, trousers
• Tight pants with long tops
• Jeans 
• Modest shorts
• Full-length dresses
• Swimwear while swimming

You need to avoid wearing:

• Form-hugging dress
• Revealing dresses including shoulders and thighs
• Tight pants with short tops

Quick tip

• Before visiting a tourist destination, know if the local people are conservative or modern. It will help you wear appropriately and avoid strange looks.