I received my first comment on this blog and thought it was definitely worthy of an entire post in response. Here was the question:
The number one thing for an expat lady to realize is that you WILL be stared at no matter what you wear!
Does a woman need to cover up from shoulders to elbows? No. Many Indian tops are sleeveless so that's no issue. In public, I would stay away from strappy tops/camis etc. As for sundresses...I'd wear them out to brunch, lunch, or someplace where there are other expats/foreigners, but probably not out to the grocery store.
Skirts and pants are best at knee length or below. Capri pants are fine. Shorts, I only wear at home, in my own neighborhood, or on the golf course. That's it. Funny story...When my husband and I came to Hyderabad on our "Look & See" trip, I decided to wear shorts on our first day out. I figured that if I was going to have a faux pas, I might as well do it on the first day. We decided to do touristy things and went to Charminar. Charminar is located in the heart of the Old City, where it is VERY Muslim, and VERY conservative. I walked around; Blonde, blue-eyed, pale, and wearing shorts! I received a shocking amount of attention, stares, "hello"s and was asked my many many people (mainly young teenage-to-twentysomething boys) to have my photo taken with them. The lesson I learned was to NEVER wear shorts or even a short-ish skirt to the Old City again. The comfort you feel in your own clothes will be offset by the discomfort you feel by being the recipient of constant stares and attention.
Lesson learned. If I go to the Old city, Charminar, General Bazaar in Secunderabad , or anywhere where I will be among lots of locals, I will wear long pants/jeans, or an Indian outfit (Salwar or Churidar for pants, and a long Indian top/tunic). It makes for a more pleasant experience.
I've read that in Hyderabad a woman must cover herself more, from the shoulders to elbows and skirts or pants past the knee, around mid calf. Is this true? ThanksWhat to wear? What to wear? I admit this was a big question for me as well before I moved here. I was predominantly concerned about the heat, but upon further investigation, became increasingly more concerned about dressing "modestly" so as not to offend the locals.
The number one thing for an expat lady to realize is that you WILL be stared at no matter what you wear!
Does a woman need to cover up from shoulders to elbows? No. Many Indian tops are sleeveless so that's no issue. In public, I would stay away from strappy tops/camis etc. As for sundresses...I'd wear them out to brunch, lunch, or someplace where there are other expats/foreigners, but probably not out to the grocery store.
Skirts and pants are best at knee length or below. Capri pants are fine. Shorts, I only wear at home, in my own neighborhood, or on the golf course. That's it. Funny story...When my husband and I came to Hyderabad on our "Look & See" trip, I decided to wear shorts on our first day out. I figured that if I was going to have a faux pas, I might as well do it on the first day. We decided to do touristy things and went to Charminar. Charminar is located in the heart of the Old City, where it is VERY Muslim, and VERY conservative. I walked around; Blonde, blue-eyed, pale, and wearing shorts! I received a shocking amount of attention, stares, "hello"s and was asked my many many people (mainly young teenage-to-twentysomething boys) to have my photo taken with them. The lesson I learned was to NEVER wear shorts or even a short-ish skirt to the Old City again. The comfort you feel in your own clothes will be offset by the discomfort you feel by being the recipient of constant stares and attention.
Lesson learned. If I go to the Old city, Charminar, General Bazaar in Secunderabad , or anywhere where I will be among lots of locals, I will wear long pants/jeans, or an Indian outfit (Salwar or Churidar for pants, and a long Indian top/tunic). It makes for a more pleasant experience.
