Away With The Steiners

What to wear in India as a foreign traveller plus tips for packing.

Sarah Steiner

Likely one of the first questions you will have when thinking about packing for your trip is about what to wear in India as a tourist.  Given the different cultures and climates across the country, it can be difficult to know what to wear in India.  

Whether you are traveling to India for yoga, hiking, backpacking or on a once-in-a-lifetime family holiday trip there is still that looming question before packing.  But the reality is that packing, appropriate and practical dress and clothing for travel in India largely depends on where you are going and the trip you are about to embark on. 

I am one of those guilty of overpacking for my first trip to India.  

But fast forward to now and we’ve travelled six more times to India and spent literally months traveling all over the country backpacking, hosting Group Trips with other families and exploring from the desert to the hills and the far south.  

Now I feel confident and love everything about the vibrant colours, the styles and practicalities and the culture of dress in India.  

Here is everything we have learnt about how to dress in India for style and comfort and what to wear in India as a traveller. 

Is India conservative or modest? 

Modest?  Yes. Conservative?  No. 

In spite of the glamorously portrayed but more-than-borderline skimpy Bollywood outfits from the movies, India is still largely a traditional society.

Wearing modest clothing in India is a good idea as a traveller.  Most Indian’s favour and appreciate modest, traditional clothing and you will likely find you enjoy India more and are better received if you do too.

What is the dress code for travellers to wear in India? 

There isn’t officially a dress code for what to wear in India as a tourist.  

However, modest clothing is appreciated.  It’s physically comfortable for travel.  Plus it likely means you maaaay even get a few less stares, which (sorry, India) does happen. A. LOT.

There are places in India you might visit that require a visiting dress code with a standard of modest dress.  For example, places of worship like the fabulous Jama Masjid in Delhi or the Sikh Golden Temple in Amritsar require you to cover your hair and wear clothing that covers your shoulders and knees. We always found it strange there is no dress code for the Taj Mahal!

In urban areas and the mainstream tourist destinations, Western attire like jeans, tops, shirts and dresses is widely accepted.  

Though for travellers, it is respectful all around the country, for women tourists to India to consider modesty in their dress. 

Local women barefoot in colourful Saris during a parade in Pushkar what to wear in India.
Local women barefoot in colourful Saris during a parade in Pushkar.

How modest do tourists need to be? 

In Delhi, Mumbai and Goa, you can get away with modern Western clothing and you need to be comfortable in what you wear.  However, the main thing is to be considerate in your dress and not to wear anything to tight, skimpy or revealing.  

As a rule of thumb as far as what to wear in India that aligns with ‘modest’ dress, it means clothing that covers past your knees and loose-fitting tops that do not show off your chest.  

Foreigners visiting India will get stared at by Indian locals.  That is a fact and unfortunately India has a reputation for staring.  (Sorry, India but you do stare a lot). 

While it isn’t polite in the West to stare, it isn’t culturally considered rude in India.  For most part, while it is hard to get used to as a tourist, the staring is harmless, and locals are generally interested and curious.  

However, if you are wearing revealing or skimpy clothes this can easily give the wrong impression/idea, and you will get catcalls and potentially set yourself up for more than staring.  Hence modest clothing is advised to wear in India.  Giving the wrong impression as a female is not worth the risk as a traveller anywhere in the world. 

You will get a lot of photo requests no matter what you wear in India.
A crowd at Jama Masjid in Delhi despite – and including – modest dress to visit the mosque.

What do locals wear in India? 

Contrary to belief that local women are strolling the subcontinent entirely in Sari’s, there are a whole range of beautifully coloured traditional Indian outfits that vary from state to state and fit the differing environments aptly. 

During events like Diwali, Navratri, and weddings, people don their most exquisite traditional Indian dressesto honour their cultural heritage and express their identity.  Otherwise, day-to-day, the style of clothing around India is determined by culture, environment – and typically by the age of the wearer!

What do local women wear? 

In the larger cities like Delhi and Mumbai, young women often wear modest but trendy Western clothing.  

Across the states and from the north to the south of the country, rural women’s clothing changes a lot.  The different garments boast a unique aesthetic appeal and reflect the cultural variety and regional identity across India. 

The most common traditional women’s clothing in India (and clothing that you can wear in India too as a traveller) consists of Sari, Salwar Kameez, Kurta or Kurti and Dupatta. 

In India, local women mainly wear a Salwar suit and saree. 

Local women wearing beautifully coloured and patterned Shalwar Kameez and Kurt’s with Dupatta at the Golden Temple in Amritsar.

What do local men wear in India? 

For men, local traditional clothing also varies from state to state with the differing regional culture and identities.  

In the cities, most young men wear a long-sleeved shirt or polo shirt and trousers or jeans.  Older men wear more traditional clothing like a Kurta Pajama, Lungi, Jama or Dhoti. 

The traditional Rajasthani outfit for men is a Dhoti and an Angrakha Kurta, which is majorly white.  The Kurta is loose-fitting, providing relief from the hot weather conditions. 

Men also have a range of traditional headwear and turbans that you will see across Rajasthan and Punjab especially.

A local fisherman wearing a Lungi in Kochi, South India.
An auction at the fish market in Kochi with local men dressed in shirts and jeans.

What should I wear in India as a female traveller?

There is so much to unpack when talking about what to wear in India!  When in doubt, it’s better to be a bit cautious, especially if you’re a first-time traveller or in a new country.  India is not technically conservative, but it is a modest country.

For ladies, that means loose-fitting trousers and dresses that come below your knees and similarly loose-fitting or floaty tops that do not show off your chest and ideally cover your shoulders.  

A scarf is the ultimate addition to any outfit to wear in India.  I read that in South Asia the Dupatta (scarf) is a respectful nod to modesty and I love that.  Indian women make the brightly coloured scarfs look amazing with any style of dress; even working in the fields the women wear beautiful, flowing and colourful Dupatta. 

The Kurta (tunic), Pajama (trousers) and Dupatta sets are sold as ‘suits’ and make the ideal outfit for women travellers to wear in India.  It is comfortable, elegant and practical in the heat and cooler weather (and absolutely colourful).  

Locals wear that kind of outfit for a reason.  Plus, when in Rome do as the Romans right?  

Sometime after sunrise in my $4 NZD Kurta top on board the train to Jaipur…

What should I to wear in India as a male traveller?

Men travellers to India have it easier.  Things are more relaxed for males, and it is totally appropriate for men to wear western clothes.  

In the cities local men wear long sleeved shirts and short-sleeved, collared polo shirts with trousers.  

Shorts are still not common away from the beaches and touristy Goa region.  In theory, men travellers in India can wear shorts and you won’t be frowned at (much).  But you likely will be the only one around wearing shorts and you won’t be allowed into religious sites with anything shorter than trousers on. 

Tank tops aren’t common either and are usually worn only in the home.   

Friendly local men in Jaisalmer dressed in long sleeve cotton shirts, jeans and a scarf.

Tips for blending in and dressing for India as a tourist

Aside from modesty, one of the best tips for what to wear in India as a tourist, is to dress with some efforts to blending in.  Albeit we don’t exactly blend in anonymously as a travelling New Zealand family with two blonde kids.  But the point is more about dressing with confidence that gives touts and locals the impression this isn’t your first rodeo.

There are touts in India.  Lots, in fact.  And Indians do stare a lot.  

The chances are you aren’t going to blend in as a local lugging a huge suitcase around and dressed in fast fashion from the west.  But dressing with a nod to modesty and donning some parts of India’s outfits for traditional fashion gives a completely different outward impression.  

Blending in means you don’t stand out like a complete newbie and someone who can be taken advantage of.  

If you are dressed in a Kurta (tunic) or wearing a modest outfit with a Dupatta (scarf) it might look more like you live there.  Or at least that you’ve been around the block in Delhi a few times and know what is what and are an experienced traveller.  

Claiming myself blending in even with a backpack in my Kurta and bright orange Dupatta in Varanasi.

Is it OK for a foreign woman to wear a Sari in India?

Yes.  I admit this was a question I wondered about before my first trip to India with regards to what is appropriate versus what is appropriation.  We talk about that a LOT these days on social media.    

But the way I see it now after months travelling in India is that the flowing, loose and cotton clothing that is typical and traditional in India is cool and comfortable, it shows cultural respect and it suits the need for modesty.

Saris are more for formal occasions in India.  You will absolutely see some under-boob and big, ol’ round bellies under the tiny blouses inside the saris.  They aren’t technically as modest as we would describe modest dressing in the west.  But it’s not the young women who wear Sari’s in India day-to-day.  

Contrary to those Bollywood movies depicting otherwise, it is the older women and grandma’s that keep that tradition alive! 

A Sari is less practical for travel in India but you can try on a ready-made Sari at Cha Cha Saree Bazar. 

Where do you buy traditional clothes to wear in India? 

Oh yeah.  I love this question!  

One of the highlights of our Group Trips and (ha!) a real highlight for me traveling in India is the chance to wear some of the beautifully vibrant and brightly coloured clothes that locals wear in India with such elegance. 

Before our Group Trips start in Delhi, we spend the first morning on a visit to Sarojini Market to shop for Kurtas, Pajamas (trousers) and Dupatta (scarves). 

My favourite new purchase blue and white Kurta and matching white trousers from Cha Cha Saree Bazar. 

What about the shopping malls for clothes to wear in India? 

You could also go to one of the many modern shopping malls in the city to get outfits for India.  There is a massive range of popular fashion stores in India selling beautiful, modern and elegant Indian wear and an abundance of flashy shopping malls in the big cities.  

For mall-shopping to find traditional outfits to wear in India try: 

Some of the department stores like Max and Shoppers stop also have Kurta and Salwar Kameez sets for between 1000 – 2000 INR. 

Dresses and other Indian outfits at Sabhyata.

What to wear in India in the winter? 

As surprising as it might sound from afar, it does get cold in India in the winter.  Obviously, the north of India has the Himalayas and a cold winter in the mountains is less surprising.  But it does get cold in Rajasthan and the mid-north of India too. 

If you are planning to visit Jaisalmer and go on a camel safari in the Thar Desert (you should, by the way) it gets very cold overnight.  

What to wear in India in the summer? 

It gets super, duper hot in much of India during the summer months of April, May and June.  Pretty much anywhere in central, mid-north and south gets the heat of summer at this time of year. 

The best thing to wear in India during summer is to dress as the locals do and wear flowing, loose-fitting clothes.  Lightweight, breathable fabrics like cotton and linen are perfect for the summertime and the loose, airy clothing helps you to stay cool(er) in the heat. 

What about packing for the rainy season or monsoon in India? 

Eek.  Hopefully you aren’t travelling too much in India during the monsoon season from June to September.  This time of year, can be tricky with heavy rains especially in the coastal regions.  The monsoon weather can be unpredictable and often the downpours start heavily without warning. 

Waterproof footwear and a sturdy umbrella are worth adding to the packing list if you know you have places to be during the rainy months. And be sure to cover up with long-sleeves and long trousers to protect against mosquitos and mosquito-borne viruses that are notorious in India during the monsoon season. 

The rainy season in India means flooded roads and sodden paths even in Pushkar, Rajasthan.

What footwear is best? 

In India your feet can feel very vulnerable with the crowds, lack of pavements, rubbish and rubble – plus the addition of cow dung all around.  You need sturdy footwear for India. 

As New Zealanders, we love our Jandals (you call them flip-flops).  I do take a pair of Jandals (flip-flops) to wear inside accommodation and in case of a shared or questionably clean bathroom.  But out and about sturdy sandals or covered sneakers are best. 

A few FAQ about what to wear in India

There is lots to unpack when talking about what to wear in India.  Here are a few of the most asked questions about packing and dressing for travel in India. 

Can ladies wear leggings or tights in India? 

Yes. Leggings are everywhere in India and come in all bright colours of the rainbow! 

Looser trousers are the norm, but many women in India wear leggings under a long Kurta or dress.  Just make sure the top covers your bottom! 

Can men wear shorts in India? 

For our Group Trips this was the second most-asked question after the initial ‘what to wear in India’ cue!   

Shorts are still not common in India, but men travellers can wear shorts outside of religious sites. 

What is appropriate to wear for yoga in India? 

On a yoga retreat or in a yoga class in India it is normal to wear gym gear.  However, it is more acceptable (and culturally appropriate) to wear loose yoga clothing than tight spandex on your Indian yoga retreat!

Can you wear a bikini in India? 

On the tourist beaches in Goa or Kerala, bikinis are fine.  

You might (almost certainly) get some looks from domestic Indian tourists on holiday who aren’t used to seeing that much skin.  But it is becoming more the norm for tourists on the tourist beaches in the south of India to wear western swimwear.  

Buying stuff if you’ve forgotten anything 

Honestly, don’t stress too much about packing for India.  The truth is that the cities are modern and have all the amenities and shopping malls in case you forget anything.  Plus, there are markets galore and secondary and fake travel items come into a world of their own in India.  You can pick up any forgotten clothes, shoes, underwear, bags or anything you need for travel in the subcontinent.  And it will likely be much cheaper than anywhere else too! 

I hope that helps with planning what to wear in India as a traveller as well as giving a boost of confidence to the incredible colourful and loveable country that is India. 

Clothing for tourists on sale in Main Bazar, Delhi.

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