What To Wear in India: A Woman's Guide To Feeling Fashionable and Comfortable

What To Wear In India

If you’re heading to India soon, women are often left wondering what to wear. Well, if I had to pick 3 words to describe your ideal wardrobe in India, it would be lightweight, modest and COLORFUL! India is all about the vibrant colors. The markets are full of the deepest reds, brightest blues and most shocking pinks! The locals truly hit every color of the rainbow with their saree selection- not a one of them dull!

And it will be HOT. Most likely, VERY hot. So while you will want dresses and scarves- make sure they are lightweight, allowing you to stay cool. And finally, to be respectful of the culture, you will want to dress more modestly than you do at home. This is not a country for short shorts and low cut tops. You can still look fashionable and trendy without feeling out of place (or disrespectful!) in India.

Just click the pictures and have fun shopping!

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Maxi Dresses

Ahhh your best friend and saving grace for comfortability, modesty and fashion. So simple to toss on a maxi dress and go.

Flowy Skirts

You’ll want comfortable, non-restrictive skirts for when you are inevitably climbing into rickshaws, hiking up the steep hills to Amber Fort or wandering through the crowded markets. Fuller, lightweight skirts won’t trap the heat and added bonus, they photograph really well!

Scarves

I always stress the benefit of traveling with scarves in conservative countries. If you start to feel you are gathering some unwanted attention, you can always pull a scarf out of your bag to cover your shoulders, chest or hair. Plus in India, you have the added bonus of using your scarf to block out the dust while riding in rickshaws. And in the spice markets, the smell is so overwhelming, you’ll want to a scarf to help block out the smell. I was coughing and my eyes were watering until I pulled out my scarf!

Lightweight Tops

For tops, you ideally want something that covers your shoulders but also breathes.

Lightweight Pants

There’s no such thing as “too colorful” in India! Have fun shopping with bright colors so long as it’s lightweight! These were my go-to pants for long drive days!

Saree

If you’re going to wear a saree in India, I recommend buying one locally! But it doesn’t hurt to come prepared. They are stunning aren’t they? I thought I would feel self-conscious wearing one when I did- but local women were thrilled to see us wearing them. Ladies would come up and compliment them, thank us for wearing the traditional clothing and frequently helped us re-wrap them. Because in case you didn’t realize, sarees are pretty challenging to wrap well if you’ve never done it before!

Comfortable Shoes

You will do a lot of walking in India, it’s a unavoidable. With crowded markets and huge forts to explore, you’ll definitely wrack up some steps! The streets are (very) dirty so plan on having your shoes take a hit. This is definitely not the place to break in your brand new white sneakers. Keep in mind cows, pigs and stray dogs roam the streets so you might be dodging the occasional mess from them.

A Fan

I listed a fan on my Complete Packing Guide for India because when we had them, we genuinely used them a lot. I’ve said it a hundred times but India is HOT. Anything that helps to keep you cool is definitely your friend.

Accessories: Headdress & Chains

You can find a lot of unique, amazing accessories for sale in the market places. But I came to India with a few of my favorite head pieces. I always love how they make an outfit pop and even the local Indian women were asking me where I got them!

Day Bag with Zipper

Let me be clear: there is no shortage of cute bags for sale in India! If you want to buy something local, colorful and perhaps more vibrant than you would normally carry at home- there will be plenty of options! However if you want to arrive with a day bag ready to go, there are plenty of great options online that don’t break the bank.

More on India? Keep reading:

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