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What
to Wear, Where -- Her 50 Fabulous Clothing Tips
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Evelyn Hannon
 Our
statistics show that on any given day, 1600
TO over 4,000 visits from JourneyWomen worldwide
are recorded at our website. Some come to do
their research for upcoming trips, others drop
in to become armchair travellers and still others
pop by to send us their latest travel tips.
In the past
little while we've collected over fifty different
points-of-view and bits of advice regarding
what to wear as you journey the world. Each
tip provides one more culturally-correct piece
of the travel puzzle.
Marsha from
Ohio (USA) cautions blondes to cover their heads
in Morocco, Meg in Melbourne (Australia) advises
that it is disrespectful to wear sleeveless
tops in Thailand, and Bloem writing from Huizen
(Netherlands) says, 'the Dutch are much the
same as the Canadians and Americans. Guys won't
stare at you because of what you are wearing
any more than they would at a Dutch girl.'
Thank you,
everybody! We are so very grateful for all these
clothing tips coming from "experienced"
travellers. They are invaluable for any female,
anywhere, who is getting ready for her next
journey.
If anybody
has additional information, please take a moment,
click
here and send it along. You'll be helping
another female somewhere in the world to pack
a comfortable and culturally-correct wardrobe.
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Teenagers
wear tight jeans in Syria...
I dressed pretty conservatively when I went to
Syria -- long-sleeved, loose shirts which button
to the collar and baggy pants. I kept my hair
tied back and had a scarf to cover my head when
I visited mosques. No flashy colours or jewelry.
Surprisingly, when I got there I saw women in
the large cities, dressed in all fashions. The
teenage girls were wearing the tight jeans and
latest in platform shoes. That said, my conservative
approach was fine and when visiting larger mosques,
they have cloaks for women to wear if they don't
have a headscarf. So no worries there. Happy travels,
everybody.
Francoise, Montreal, Canada
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Air
conditioning is fierce in Hong Kong...
Most women in Hong Kong are dressed modestly;
no short skirts or bare arms. Bring a light sweater
as the air conditioning in buildings can be very
cold! I found dark colored capris with an untucked
cotton blouse and simple sandals, to be quite
comfortable and fashionable. Don't wear shorts
and athletic shoes or you will be shouting "tourist."
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Mari,
San Francisco, USA
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Moroccan
men love to pinch bottoms...
Travel in a Moslem country is very different from
that in European countries. Fortunately, I was
with a tour group and we were told what and what
not to wear each day. No shorts ever, no jewelry,
a secure money belt and bum pack for other objects.
Moroccan men were very bold about touching and/or
pinching foreign women. They followed us with
their eyes wherever we went and so we had to appear
modest and unassuming in public. It pays to be
very careful and aware in Morocco. Children clung
to us and held our hands as soon as they saw us
-- maybe they were just friendly, but maybe not.
Betty, Vancouver,
Canada |
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Ed.
note: It pays to keep your eyes and
ears open wherever you travel. A female traveller
does best when she's not complacent.
During my month in Morocco, I wore long skirts
and long-sleeved button-up shirts and was free
from harassment (and sunburn!). Wearing more
conservative clothing made me feel more respectful
and less like a target. If you journey to the
dunes, bring along a scarf or piece of fabric
to tie around your face to keep out the blowing
sands. Enjoy!
Lindsay, Colorado Springs, USA
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It's
always humid in Indonesia...
Wear breathable clothes since it is always humid
in this destination. Tailored or fitted style
clothes are the best, especially in big cities
like Jakarta (people generally treat you better
if you dress up). I think it's okay to wear shorter
skirts (not too short), but I would recommend
covering your chest. Some Indonesian men think
that a cleavage is meant to be touched.
Katherine,
San Francisco, USA
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Sarong
'yes' -- bikini 'no' in Egypt...
Travelling to the Middle East? If you want a
lot less hassle, wear long sleeved tops and
long skirts/trousers. When you think that the
local women wear trousers and a dress and a
bhurka/jashmak - the men fall over themselves
when they see someone prancing around in a bikini.
Save yourself potential trouble -- being a foreigner
you'll get hassle anyway whatever you wear but
not as much when you're covered. You'll feel
a lot less exposed and people will stare less.
Sam, Southend, USA
I packed loose, long skirts and conservative
tops. Jeans and pants were OK for horseback
riding and hiking around and shopping. I saw
some Europeans in shorts and scant tops...bad
taste for sure. Locals wear black till summer
even though it is very hot before then.
Susan, Florida, USA
Take a sarong - it can double as a towel and
when its really hot (I was there in midsummer)
you can just wrap it around as a skirt and avoid
offending the locals. They are also thin enough
to dry overnight  saving
you from packing several different skirts (I
hate carrying too much weight when carrying
my own luggage).
Andrea, Wellington, New Zealand
Having spent the last three years living in
Cairo, I'd like to remind women to respect the
local dress code. ie. no shorts. If you do wear
shorts, you will be seen as wearing your underwear
on the street, and will get attention you probably
don't want. And even if you are French or German
and that is what you do at home, topless sunbathing
at hotels in Luxor is an absolute no-no. The
waiters and other employees around the pool
are generally Muslim and baring your breasts
is disrespectful. This leads these men to believe
that all foreign women are "Pretty Babies"
and will pursue you relentlessly.
Heather, Ottawa, Canada |
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