Remember this hint. Skirts are so much easier than pants if you have to use squatting Indian toilets!

Megan, Vancouver, USA

Buy a ‘Salwar Kameez’. It’s a dress-with-pants-and-shawl type of thing, worn by Muslim women, but also by Hindu women. The shawl can be draped around you shoulders and across your chest, saves you some stares, or used as a headdress if you go into temples or mosques. As almost all women in India wear either a Saree or a Salwar Kameez you will be regarded well as you are dressing appropriately. Wearing jeans and a shirt is okay for travelling, but only for that. You can buy a Salwar almost anywhere but the best way to have one that suits you is to buy some cloth at a store and then go to a tailor and have it made for you.

Bloem, Huizen, Netherlands

Wear black because no matter how posh your accommodation, you will get covered in dust. Wearing black requires fewer trips to the laundromat. I’d recommend a long skirt …ankle or calf length in a cool fabric with a loose fitting long-sleeved top… that seems to please everyone. Not very exciting but certainly handy. I also found a long piece of dark viscose fabric very helpful – this was wound around my head and shoulders. Even where it’s not necessary to do this for cultural reasons, it really is one of the best ways of keeping the sun off.

Katelyn, Auckland, New Zealand

When you’re in India, please don’t wear shorts. Wear ankle length skirts and cotton blouses that can be washed out and quickly dried. No tight tee shirts — they are trashy and dry slowly. Wear sandals that you can slip out of easily when visiting temples. If you are trekking, a blue jean skirt and camp shirt is ideal. Bring running shoes for around camp at night or in case you get a blister from your boots. While in India carry a large scarf to make your own hood and personal space while in crowds or on buses.

Margaret, Evanston, USA

Be culturally correct and know what you’re wearing. Many western women wear sari petticoats and blouses without the sari. This is the equivalent to walking on the street with your underwear on and is considered in very poor taste.

Anita, Toronto, Canada

One nice thing about travelling in India is that you don’t have to worry about looking ultra-fashionable. In fact, the only way to fit in with fashion in India is to wear a sari or a punjabi suit. My favorite travelling item was a long, olive green skirt made from a polyester micro-fiber. It looked like silk and wore like steel. It also dried in about 1 hour in the sun, and did not need ironing. Also good for travelling in India are very loose fitting light cotton pants. If you are going to India, you need very few clothes because if you need something along the way, a tailor can make it for you in a few hours. Also make sure you take clothes that hide the dirt well, it is very dusty there.

Krista, Vancouver, Canada

Blondes and Red Heads take note!
Indian men love to stare. As an Indian woman I find that foreign travellers can lessen curious on-lookers by avoiding shorts, short skirts and sleeveless shirts.

Archana, Seattle, USA

Blondes and Red Heads take note!
In India, if you have a fair complexion and have blonde or red hair, you will be an object of great curiosity regardless of what you wear (especially if you travel outside of the major cities where tourists are a more familiar sight). Simply ignore the stares and go about your business. Also travel as lightly as possible–both clothing and laundry service are very inexpensive in India

Teresa, Annapolis, USA

I have found the Kurta or Salwarkameez — a pair of baggy pants and a long top to be the best dress for women traveling in India. It’s cool, it’s comfortable to wear, and fits with Indian standards of modesty and western ideas of modern design. You can buy them ready made, or have them custom designed. Next to the Hotel Imperial in Delhi there is a shop to get you started, or try along the tourist streets and markets. Also, if you have a favorite dress at home, Indian materials are beautiful, their tailors superb and inexpensive. Bring your dress along, and see how many ways you can adapt your favorite pattern!

Dr. Antonia Neubauer, Myths and Mountains, California

Dress conservatively in India. Foreign women who dress in a sari seem to experience less harassment. Tempting as it is to defy custom and to dress in sleeveless shirts and shorts, it’s not worth the hassle. I found a T-shirt (with sleeves) and light, cotton pants kept me cool and respected Indian custom.

Also, avoid eye contact, because in their culture, contact signals to Indian men that you are both available and approachable. A useful Indian phrase to add to your armory is chale jao, pronounced chelo, which means “go away”. Match this with a cool, sharp look and you’ve got yourself a lethal weapon. I also began to allude to a husband who was close by or who I was meeting shortly. (One woman I met even wore a fake wedding ring to keep men at bay). In India, the fact that you are connected to a man commands respect for a woman.

Mei-Yin Teo, Toronto, Canada

I went bike riding in India recently. I packed some loose fitting (mens actually!) zip off trousers. When zipped off, they came to about my knees. While bike riding, I got a bit warm so I risked taking the bottom part off and revealing my knees. BAD MOVE. We were riding through rural villages that don’t get to see white folk too often (about 2 or 3 times a year I was told) let alone white female knees. I had cars driving really close to me, almost knocking me off, just to cop an eyeful of my lily white legs!!! I found it better to be a little warm than risk being knocked over! I found as soon as I had them full length again, they left me alone.

Annie, Adelaide, Australia