What To Wear In India As A Female Tourist

India

Jun 14

As you may know India is more conservative than the west and it’s respectful to cover up more than we’re used to. But how do you do this when India is so hot and humid?? My thoughts exactly… But I am here to tell you, it can be done! I travelled around the very humid and tropical state of Kerala and I managed to stay modest, comfortable (most of the time) and not overpack my backpack.

I made a packing video on all the things I brought with me to India and now I have experienced backpacking for 2 weeks around Mumbai and Kerala, I feel that I have the insider knowledge and experience on what you really need and what are the best things to wear in India as a female.

Crop Tops or T-shirts

If I was wearing culottes or skirts that sit on the waist, then I would usually pair them with a crop top. You can wear T-shirts if you prefer, and sometimes I did wear them if I wanted to cover up more but a crop top will be fine! Personally, I prefer wearing crop tops than a tucked in T-shirt because they let a little sliver of skin breathe around your waist in the hot weather - showing a little bit of waist or stomach is ok. You will notice a lot of Indian women with a small section of their waist showing when they are wearing saris. The second best thing about them is that they are flattering too! I wore short sleeve tops that covered my shoulders, but any length sleeve would be fine as long as your shoulders are covered. I suggest something that is cotton and viscose, that way It will be breathable from the cotton and it won’t crease as much with the addition of viscose. If you are wearing more breathable clothing, it (hopefully) won’t get as smelly and you can wear it a few times before washing it.

Culottes & Maxi or Midi Skirts

As I have a pear shaped figure, I usually only go for jeans or culottes and because India is a hot sweaty country the last thing I am going to be wearing are a pair of jeans. Culottes are great because they are really flattering if you have a figure like mine. They are loose, airy and they cover your legs past your knees. Make sure you choose a pair that are cotton or viscose, anything polyester will make you just as sweaty as a pair of jeans. My advice would be to bring one plain pair and buy some colourful ones when you get to India. There are loads of markets with these styles of pants and they will be cheap!

Culottes & crop top I brought with me. My culottes from home were polyester and hot - don’t make this mistake! Bring or buy breathable culottes when you get to India!

If you are going to be doing a lot of backpacking and travelling around in India, I find culottes/pants/trousers to be more practical for that style of travel. That is why I think you should only buy skirts when you get to India. Like I mentioned with the pants, there are many beautiful and fun patterns to choose from (and I think the skirts are prettier than any of the pants I saw there) The reason why I say you don’t need to bring any of your own is because the skirts are very easy for most people to fit into. The waistband is elastic and they are loose and flowy all the way to your ankles. You shouldn’t have any problem finding a skirt or a few that you love!

Stretchy, cotton crop top from H&M and a maxi skirt I bought in a shop in India.

Maxi or Midi Dresses

Dresses are great because you don’t have to worry about pairing top and bottoms together, you can just chuck it on and go. I suggest taking one midi or maxi dress. Even though they have loads of great styles in India, I found half of the time they were three quarter sleeves (this could be fine for you, but too hot for me), they weren’t really my style and their main issue was most of the time they didn’t have change rooms to try them on. You could try and put them over your clothes, but that's the last thing I want to do when I am already hot and sweaty from the Indian heat!

Travel Day Clothes - A Loose Long Top and Workout Leggings

If you are backpacking around on trains and/or buses, you will want a pair of clothes that are comfortable and you don’t mind getting very sweaty in. We were moving around quite frequently as our trip was only 2 weeks. I ended up wearing these clothes the most and I didn’t have time in between to wash them. Yeah, pretty gross, I know! That's why I suggest taking 2 pairs of ‘travel clothes’ if you are doing a similar short trip to what I did. Obviously if you are going to be moving at a slower pace, you will probably have more time to wash them in between (everything dries quickly in India as well).

Sometimes leggings can be very revealing and tight. (I even feel self conscious in my own country in leggings) To keep up with the modesty and attract less attention, wear a loose shirt that covers your bum. You could even buy a pretty tunic or kurti like the Indian women wear!

Gymshark crop leggings, Nike longline t-shirt and worn black Nike trainers.

Thin Hoodie/Jumper & Lightweight Packable Rain Jacket

The only time I wore my zipped hoodie was on the plane to India. I never needed it in air conned trains or buses, but that's because I never took a journey longer than 4 hours and I never had time to get cold. It’s always good to take a thin jacket with you, because you never know when It could get a little windy or the air con will make you too cold! But you're probably thinking you don’t want to take a jacket because they take up too much space and can be bulky. That is why I made sure I found a thin but warm jacket. I bought this Puma sport zipped hoodie from ASOS and it was perfect. Because it is technically a ‘sport’ jacket, it does a great job of insulating the heat.

TIP: If my bag was too full, I would strap the jacket to the outside of my bag.

I didn’t take my Uniqlo packable rain jacket because It was March, which is the beginning of the hot season and we were travelling around Kerala which is closer to the equator. Depending on what time of the year it is, and if you are travelling up North, especially in the mountains, you will probably need a jacket like this. The one I have is really great because It packs up into a small bag and will not take up loads of room in your backpack.

Jacket strapped to the outside of my bag because it wouldn’t fit inside (I bought too many gifts for people in India, the shopping is so good!!)

Packable lightweight rain jacket from Uniqlo

Trainers, sandals & flip flops

I suggest dark trainers and maybe a pair that are well worn because it is very dusty in India. I usually always wear white converse as my trainer of choice, but I realised they would probably get very dirty in India and they aren’t as comfortable as your typical ‘running trainer’. The great thing nowadays is that these sort of trainers are a lot more fashionable then they have ever been! Most of the time I was wearing culottes or leggings with my trainers. They are great for travel days, walking long distances and hiking.

The other 2 pairs of shoes I suggest are sandals and a pair of thongs (or flip flops depending on what part of the world you are from) Now, you may ask, do you really need both? And I would say yes, definitely. I took a pair of cheap simple sandals that I didn’t mind getting dirty. (You can also buy sandals in India but I have very broad feet so I didn’t risk it) Sandals are great for when you are exploring a town, going out for food, wearing a nice skirt and just any time you want to look a little more put together then wearing flip flops or trainers.

You’ve got 2 pairs of shoes, one open and one closed, do we really need another pair? Yes we do, because flip flops are great to just chuck on when you are popping outside quickly, casual occasions, going to the beach and/or using a hostel shower. A pair of flip flops are a necessity for me!

Scarf

A scarf is great for many different things. Covering your shoulders if you are visiting a religious site, keeping you warm on an air conned train or covering your head to protect yourself from sunburn.. The list goes on! I will be honest with you and say I never bought or needed one on my trip. I knew I wasn’t going anywhere where I would need to cover up. But If you need one, you will be able find yourself a beautiful scarf in one of the many shops or markets.

Shorter Dresses and Swimming Outfits

In hot weather I am always in a summery short dress but this won’t be appropriate in most parts of India. For example; if you are going to a touristy beach area, like Goa or Varkala, wearing a short dress or a bikini on the beach will be acceptable. Even in certain areas of cities like Mumbai where there are tourists and expats, it is acceptable to wear shorter dresses. (My friend Shreya who is from Mumbai confirmed this) Even though I say this, the only time I wore a short dress was in Varkala, by the beach. I always prefer to cover up in the cities and anywhere else to avoid more stares then I am already getting by being a female and a foreigner.

I wouldn't suggest these items fall into the category of ‘dressing modestly in India’ But as this is a guide on how to pack for backpacking India, I have to mention them, as they are important pieces you will need if you are going to somewhere near the beach and/or lucky enough to have a pool at your accommodation.

Before I went to India I wasn’t sure what sort of clothes I would be able to buy there and I packed extra, just in case. But trust me, there is an abundance of beautiful colourful items you can buy and wear in India! Beautiful, bright, flowy fabrics suit India’s aesthetic more then our ‘trendy’ items from home!

I hope this has helped you with your packing and it has given you some ideas on modest outfits you can wear in India!