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What Should I Wear? |
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Venezuela This country is not a modest country. Everyone is trying to accentuate
their best features. Put on some lipstick and a pair of heels if you
want to fit in on a night out. In this country, people really prize
the beauty culture. Wearing baggy jeans or clothes are frowned upon.
Better to try and look your best while you are in the city. Don't worry--there
will be hundreds of local girls dressed less conservatively than you. I am working and living in Venezuela where it is very hot all year
round. The women here dress very well but you will only catch the foreigners
in shorts. Shorts get rude stares and comments, and make you a target
for trouble. Ironically, any length of skirt seems to be okay, and tight
pants are common, too. In Viet Nam, women can get away with dressing quite liberally (tank
tops, skirts, etc), without much trouble. However, as a foreigner, men
will assume you are 'easy', due to the fact that most condom advertisements
and foreign pornography feature western women. Usually this is not a
problem, as men are quite respectful of strangers (whatever their personal
assumptions) -- but if you are taking a taxi late at night, or a motorcycle
ride, you are more likely to get unwanted advances and groping if you
are wearing a skirt or a sleeveless shirt. You will also be treated
by local Vietnamese as a tourist. You will be treated better if you
dress as 'respectable' Vietnamese women do -- in a collared shirt that
has sleeves, and in pants or at least a knee-length skirt. Ao dai's
and pajama suits are also good to wear -- but it's pretty unusual that
foreigners wear them, so expect to get lots of compliments on your apparel
from locals. You can have beautiful clothes made almost anywhere quite
cheaply within 2-3 days, but you'll have bad luck buying underwear,
bras, or any pre-made clothes in the market, as Vietnamese women are
tiny and a "Large" in Viet Nam is often equivelent to a 'X
Small' in the West. My advice is to bring with you a long, wrapping skirt, like a sarong.
You look nice wearing it, it is comfortable when the weather is hot,
you can use it as a towel or as a cover for sleeping -- in short: It
is very handy, and very respectable. It is small and easy to take with
you, and when you wash it, it dries in a very short time. Enjoy your
journey. According to The Treasures and Pleasures of Vietnam and Cambodia, 'Given
Vietnam's tropical climate and informal lifestyle, plan to pack as if
you were visiting New Orleans or Atlanta -- lightweight cotton clothing
is especially important for hot and humid days. If you're visiting the
north and central highlands in Vietnam during the winter months, plan
to pack a sweater and jacket: it can get cool. You need not pack formal
attire since even the best restaurants do not require dresses, suits,
coats or ties. Smart casual is the best you'll ever have to dress'. |
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General Clothing advice? Click here.. Want to add your own advice, click here |
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