Wearing Shorts in India

[Elaine]

Is it okay for women to wear shorts in India? I don't mean really short ones, but knee-long for example. Did you have any issues with this?

 

[Arianne]

I think most busy places have gotten used to seeing tourists in shorts but out of respect for the older people in the country I would wear long pants. You can buy thin, breathable slacks that don't heat you up when you are walking. I believe to enter any of the temples or visit villages, your legs and shoulders should be covered.

 

[Travguy]

I don't see any problem why wearing shorts should be a problem. My girlfriend wore shorts when she was in Asia last year and she said that she got mosquito bites all over her legs. For that reason it may be better to cover your legs.

 

[Ritika Sharma]

In my opinion there is no problem in wearing shots for women in India.

 

[chunud]

I dont think its wrong in wearing shorts but you are kept names and you are socially not acceptable when a clan of elderly people are discussing or talking something.

 

[swalia]

There is no problem in wearing shorts in the cities. Even many Indian girls wear shorts. However, you should avoid wearing shorts in rural areas or small, conservative cities.

 

[tabby]

I've never been to India. But from blogs I've seen and read, most of them say that you can generally get away with not wearing conservative clothes in big cities such as Delhi, Bombay, and Bangalore. The same is true for spots with hoards of tourists such as Goa, Kerala, and Agra. A lot of tourists can get away with wearing off shoulders or shorts. However, they advise to dress more conservatively when going to rural areas, especially to small villages or holy sites that don't see much tourists.

 

[Vinaya]

You can wear shorts and sports bra, however, you must be aware at India is a conservative country and you will experience lewd expression from people if you are in revealing clothes. It can be ok in the cities but in towns and rural areas,you are required to cover your thighs and torso.

 

[jnorth88]

Unless you go into some really rural spots, people are quite aware of tourists and expect them to dress like tourists. I know shorts can be comfortable, and I wore them when I was there, but you may also want to wear pants. It can quite dirty, and walking around, the extra protection of some pants might keep you cleaner. If you can find some light and airy pants, so much the better.

 

[SosoK]

I'm from India, and most girls, on a hot day, do choose to wear shorts. There's absolutely nothing wrong in a tourist doing so either! However, I'd recommend simply wearing some breathable slacks or other long pants as the hot, humid weather in India attracts insects galore that may attack your uncovered skin.

 

[amelia88]

I wouldn't imagine it to be a problem, provided that you wouldn't wear that attire if you were visiting a religious site for instance. The reason I say that is that in other countries I have traveled to, I had been told that wearing shorts wasn't acceptable when visiting certain shrines and temples. I think that it's always important to be respectful when visiting places of worship especially. Plus, covering up gives me less chance of getting sunburnt!

 

[Prits]

Times have changed a lot and these days you would see a lot of girls in the cities wearing shorts, and short skirts, you can call it a somewhat norm now. Obviously, in small towns and villages, you would get the stares, as these kinds of places have not developed much or are not that used to the kind of city lifestyle. Regarding temples well its best to be properly covered up when going, sleeveless and short sleeves shirts are ok, but legs are best covered.

 

[Rachna4]

It's ok to wear shorts, short skirts, dresses in India these days. As @Prits has mentioned things have changed a lot. You can say it's a norm now. You may get the odd frown from some people, but in tourist places and large cities it's something which is perfectly normal.

 

[Kate Collins]

Shorts started to circulate the market in 1930s. This were considered as casual wear being worn by both men and women.
Today, we are living in the Generation Z, where everything and anything is being accepted by the society because norms do change every time.

 

[Neesa]

@Kate Collins its considered casual wear in foreign countries, but in India, it's only considered casual wear in large cities. It will take time for small towns/cities to get used to girls wearing short dresses/shorts etc and people not getting offended or out of the ordinary.

 

[Kate Collins]

I think India is really deep into their tradition that's why Sarees are widely worn. And they are beautifully made.

 

[Gayu]

Well actually saris are most commonly worn in the Southern part of India. In the North its salwar kameez. Saris in the North are sometimes worn on occasions or festivals.

These days it's a mixture of traditional wear and western wear.

 

[Kate Collins]

Well actually saris are most commonly worn in the Southern part of India. In the North its salwar kameez. Saris in the North are sometimes worn on occasions or festivals.

These days it's a mixture of traditional wear and western wear.

Have you tried wearing saris? Is this attire affordable?

 

[Admin]

Have you tried wearing saris? Is this attire affordable?

Saris come in all sorts of material and can cost from a few hundred rupees to a few hundred thousand. those saris that have manual embroidery work normally cost a lot but it also depends where you buy them from.

Saris are affordable but the problem is wearing them and keeping it on while outside. It takes some practice.

 

[Kate Collins]

Saris come in all sorts of material and can cost from a few hundred rupees to a few hundred thousand. those saris that have manual embroidery work normally cost a lot but it also depends where you buy them from.

Saris are affordable but the problem is wearing them and keeping it on while outside. It takes some practice.

So, does it mean its no longer practical to wear one while outside? I've been watching India movies lately and I assumed its comfortable to wear. The girls wearing saris in the movies are running fast and can even ride a bike.