| What Should I Wear? |
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Scotland Edinburgh's strong winds and heavy rain make warm clothes and sturdy umbrella a must at any time of the year. July is the warmest month, reaching an average high of 18 degrees C. or 65 degrees F. It seems that no one wears anything but dark pants, skirts and beautiful blouses.
The young people seem to be "really hip", but the woman dress nicely.
Don't wear expensive jewelry and leave your white tennis shoes at home.
You may as well wear a huge sign that says tourist if you wear white tennis
shoes
Senegal Cover your legs! The quickest way to attract lots of undesirable attention
is to wear short skirts or shorts, since legs are considered more erotic
than breasts. Slip-on shoes are essential-- it's culturally appropriate
to take off your shoes when stepping on any carpeted surface or mat. Pretty
much anything else is acceptable. In Dakar, the capital, people tend to
dress up more than in the US; older (30+) women in traditional clothes,
younger women like they're going clubbing. I didn't choose either of these
options; I just wore what was comfortable since I knew I would be easily
identifiable as American no matter how I dressed. But no shorts or short
skirts!
Singapore As a Singapore resident, I just want to emphasize that we are virtually an
island on the equator so every day is hot and humid. The only fabrics
that make sense here are cotton, linen and lightweight silk. This is not
a city for nylon. As a tourist, cotton capri pants and a lightweight blouse
with a short or capped sleeve (for Muslim mosques, etc.) will work everywhere.
Tank tops are fine if you're not visiting religious centres. A lightweight
sweater in your bag is a must, though, as the airconditioning can be fierce
in some places. No one wears raincoats; it would be like wearing a portable
sauna. Just tuck a small umbrella in your bag if you're visiting in Dec-Jan
or August-Sept. No stockings required even for the dressiest of events.
Singapore is a fashionable, but informal city. Use sunscreen every day. When travelling in Singapore the smartest piece of clothing advice that
I can recommend is to pack a pashmina. Watch out for the air conditioning.
The local transit system as well as any indoor building blasts cold air
onto your body, that has just become extremly hot from the permanent tropical
weather. This item of clothing can be worn over your arms in a very fashionable
manner, as well as around your waist to add a funky look to almost any
pant style. Another huge 'must' is an unbrella. You never know when the
rain is going to hit. I was sent to Singapore for a project, and ended up staying there for
more than a year. Singapore is very modern, but, dressing very sexily
will not be acceptable in certain places. Dressing less revealingly will
get you better bargains and less stares. The locals generally look down
on westerners if they're dressed inappropriately, therefore, dress wisely.
Happy shopping! When I travelled to Singapore I found that a light, longish cotton skirt
(not very full) and a light blouse (with capped sleeves to cover the upper
arms) was very appropriate. In one afternoon, I visited Hindu Shrines,
Buddhist Temples, the Moslem areas, the Bird Park, Botanical Gardens and
of course, the very English Raffles Hotel. I felt comfortable and correctly
dressed everywhere I stopped. P.S. It rained daily (in January) so don't
forget to pack your umbrella.
Slovenia Ljubljana has a "student" feel to it, whereas small towns are more conservative.
Plain, dark-colored casual clothes will take you almost anywhere. On a
fall trip, I wore twill pants rather than jeans, and a simple black cotton
knit jacket rather than a windbreaker, and (to judge from the number of
people who addressed me in Slovene) I blended right in! As for dressier
wear, many women have their "good" clothes tailor-made, so make sure that
whatever you bring is well-made and fits you perfectly. Laundromats are
few and far between, even in Ljubljana, and even laundries are rare. Some
hotels will do your laundry, but it's expensive. Thank goodness, I'd brought
nylon underwear, but next time I'll bring a hand-washable, quick-drying
nightgown and a few extra clothes to get me through the trip.
South Africa In South Africa the dress
code is generally casual (denims, t-shirts, skirts etc.) when you are
not working as the weather is mostly hot. When at work the dress code
is more formal eg. knee length skirt, blouse and on cool days a matching
jacket. Except for the upperclass restaurants, your casual wear will
be just fine in most restaurants. If you intend on going to a club,
you should dress hip as the youth are pretty fashion concious. Men are
required to wear a shirt (can be casual) with a collar to clubs and
for some silly reason many clubs don't allow 'takkies' (running shoes).
When on the beach, most women wear one or two piece bathing suits. You
can ditch the top if you don't mind the initial mexican wave by the
men. Dressing too revealing in any situation though is generally frowned
upon as the majority of South Africans are pretty conservative. A last
thought - many people believe SA to be a dangerous place to visit, this
is only true if you try and 'do your own thing'. As with any country/city
it has it's hot spots that you can stumble into if you don't know the
area. Always travel with a recognised tour guide, they know where to
take you and where not to. Do not over dress. Avoid wearing jewelry, expensive watches etc. Be very
wary where you go. Most women who live in South Africa do not wear expensive
clothing in public, but the majority wear skirts. I seldom saw a woman
of any race wearing pants or jeans. I never saw a woman 'of color' wearing
pants. Wearing skirts are part of a cultural tradition for Black women.
I will return to South Africa, but everyone must be very careful when
travelling in that part of the world. South Africa is a little like countries in Europe - very fashionable.
When I visit, I wear Jeans, but always with fashionable boots/shoes or
sandals and tailored shirts, or whatever blouses are currently in fashion.
Most of the young girls wear jeans, and depending on the season, the older
ladies (40s & 50s) wear capris or jeans, but generally, never sneakers.
Summer and spring, mostly sandals are worn. Also, for safety, know where
you are going. I was born in South Africa, so that is not much of an issue
for me. It's a beautiful country, especially the beaches, and the hotels,
food and shopping are excellent! And the exchange rate (US dollars) makes
it really worth visiting right now.
If you're headed to the highlands around La Paz, think layers. You will experience all four seasons in one day. Fleece is nice, but you can purchase wonderfully warm alpaca sweaters there (called: "chompas"). In the lowlands, in Santa Cruz city, young women dress very stylishly. Short skirts, sleeveless tops, etc. But be aware, you will draw a lot of attention as non-Bolivian. Think hot and humid from Sept-April, then cool and humid the rest of the year. Again, layers are good, also clothing that dries quickly. While in the more remote areas of South America I made the mistake of wearing t-shirts with embroidery and writing across the chest. The embroidery seemed an invitation to touch and the writing had many men (shorter than I) reading my chest. I would have been better off and less conspicuous by wearing clothes more in line with what the local women were wearing. I also found that wearing shorts anywhere (even though people say that shorts at the beach are fine) really was more an invitation than I realized--especially in very religious countries where the only women who wore suggestive clothing got paid for their time. I traveled in Central and South America. In these countries--think
conservative. In most Central and South American countries, short skirts, shorts and bare arms and shoulders are seen as very provocative, even offensive to local and indigenous populations. You will certainly attract leering glances at the least. Please note that this applies away from the typical "US-like" beach resorts where you can get away with more. Also on the Brazilian beaches and surrounds - you will feel overdressed if you're in shorts and T-shirt! But, in more isolated areas, have some respect for the locals and stick to longer skirts or loose pants and at least short sleeves rather than sleeveless ones. This what I learned from traveling in Peru and Bolivia. Take khaki pants.
Layer your clothing. If you travel to the Amazon, take a lightweight,
long sleeved white shirt (like a man's dress shirt) to keep both the sun
and the bugs off you. Leave jeans and other denim clothing at home. They're
too hard to wash (or rather get dry). Hiking boots are really a life saver.
Don't wear form fitting clothing. Women in Peru and Bolivia dress modestly. In some places in Buenos Aires it's safer for a woman not to wear skirts.
They're considered to be provocative and men (mostly low class men) could
tease us, say embarrassing things when we pass by. Argentine women, in business situations, dress in a way that would be
considered too provocative in the US. However, as a US business woman
working in that country, I want to appear professionally "nun-like."
Here are my two personal basic rules of dress. Stick with tailored suits
with above-the-knee skirts or pant suits. Add one more accessory than
you normally would in the US. For example, in the US you might only wear
a pin on a blazer. In Argentina wear a pin and a necklace. Argentina is as varied as the United States when it comes to climate
and landscape. However, when you visit Buenos Aires, you will soon realize
it's nothing like the rest of the country. The standard attire is neat,
fitted clothing, black leather coats, smart boots with heels, small jewelry.
You will feel out of place wearing baggy jeans and flannel. Solid, sober
colors and earthtones fit in better than bright flashy prints. The key
is to be neat and sleek. Outside of Buenos Aires, stick to jeans, khakis,
more casual (but conservative in color and cut) clothing, especially if
traveling with women only. When traveling the countryside, wear comfortable
clothing, layer when possible. Avoid the miniskirt/short shorts, although
you will see it occasionally. For dressier occasions, stick to the Buenos
Aires look.
South Korea see Korea |
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