Moving to India: What to Wear

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When you move to India, you will likely have to adjust your wardrobe.
On hot days, women in the United States will often wear clothes that reveal a lot of their skin.
Although these clothes may not seem indiscreet to other Westerners, the culture in India is quite conservative.

Anytime you are visiting a place of worship, you should be fully clothed and make sure to remove your shoes upon entering the building.
In larger cities, you can probably get away with baring your shoulders and knees but be mindful that you will be picked out as a foreigner.
If you are visiting smaller cities, never wear revealing clothing, which includes shorts, tank tops and short skirts.

Clothes in India are inexpensive.
When you move to India, you can purchase a lot of clothes there that will help you blend in with the locals.
A salwar kameez is worn by both women and men and is a traditional dress worn in India and other parts of South Asia.  
The salwar are loose pants that are wide at the top and are tapered at the ankle.
The kameez is a tunic and side seems are left open beneath the waist-line.
A tailor will be able to make these for you, which might be a good option if you are unable to find your size.

The outfit is usually accompanied by a shawl that can help keep you warm and further increase the modesty of your clothing.
If you are going into a temple, women can also use the shawl as a headdress.

People in India are very neat and clean.
Cleanliness is one of the most important virtues, so don’t go into public with wrinkled or stained clothing.
Their clothes are always ironed and always clean.
You can even find people on the side of the road who will iron your clothes for a few rupees.

In some regions, you will want to avoid wearing leather.
Cows are considered sacred and having leather outfits or accessories can be very offensive.

Women
Even in larger cities, women should dress more conservatively than they would in the United States.
Women who dress more conservatively will be more respected.
A sari or a salwar kameez is acceptable attire and you will notice the difference in courtesy and treatment by the locals.

As a rule of thumb, clothes should be loose fitting and should not be show cleavage, shoulders or knees.
Avoid wearing shorts, short skirts or revealing tops.
Loose fitting pants, ankle length skirts and t-shirts are acceptable.
The colored drawstring skirts that are sold everywhere are petticoats that are worn under saris.
Don’t wear these as a skirt because it will be similar to you going outdoors in your underwear.
This may seem silly, but many Western women make this mistake.

Men
During the hot summer days, men can wear loose cotton shirts and baggy pants.
If you live in large metropolitan areas, men can get away with shorts but it is not advisable.
Urban Indian men wear Western type clothes.
You will be fit in just fine if you are dressed in long pants and a shirt.
The weather can be very hot and very humid, so try to wear as much cotton as possible.
The natural fibers allow the air to circulate, which will help keep you cool.
Synthetic blends will trap the heat and can be uncomfortable as well as increase the amount you sweat.