vanny

Hello,
We are going to India in May. And while I hear it is going to be hotter than I can imagine, I also understand that long pants and shirts with sleeves are a must. (I do not want to wear a salwar every day.) Do capri pants count as long pants? What about sleeveless blouses?

Thanks.

welltraveledbrit

Vanny,
I find long loose trousers in a very light linen or cotton are the best thing for me in very hot weather. I always find it cooler to keep my legs covered in hot sun.

A hat and of course water are a must!

Similarly I find loose tops with or without sleeve are much cooler than t shirts which are often made from a thicker material.

You won't have any problem with capris and there's no need to wear a salwar or kurta unless you'd prefer it...

hobbes

Pl consider your sins sensitivity to the sun also. Intensity of the sun rays in India is anyway high and May is, as u know, a very hot month. If you are prone ot getting burnt wearing tops with some sleeves might be an idea. Capris are fine. Sleeveless is fine from the perspective of being acceptable, not causing startes - just may not be wisest from sun persp.

hobbes

Sorry - that 4th word should be skin of course!

ranju

Best to wear white (or very light coloured) cotton garments be it salwar khameez or capri and sleeveless blouses or thin teeshirts. Try and avoid wearing black if you can as you will find this will make you feel very hot during the day and at night will attract mosquetos. They like 'perching' in dark areas!

vineetha

hi vinny

you have not specified where all in india you plan to visit. though month of may is the peak of summer, some places are considerably hotter than others. for instance delhi will be scorching in comparison to say mumbai. rajasthan will also be extremely hot but being a desert the nights will be almost cold. the hill stations like simla, kulu, or even ooty, conoor or kodai will be considerably cooler. down south, chennai will be HOT whereas bangalore is far more pleasant. so dress accordingly. black is wise to do without. loose cotton thin trousers and tops is advisable. you will be surprised how cool salwars with a loose kameez and a thin dupatta over your head (serving the purpose of a cap) can be! specially in very hot places.and with dark subglasses
you will look cool!avoid closed shoes unless trekking wherein you will have to have your walking shoes. closed learther shoes are no practical.and yes keep sipping water and beat the heat!
enjoy!

Cicerone

I find Indians quite relaxed about dress for the most part, esp for foreigners. Capris are fine. Sleeveless tops are OK, it is skimpy tank tops where you may have a problem (and then only with stares); however if you have a sleeveless top I would bring a large scarf to put over your shoulders (and of course your head in any case no matter what you are wearing) if your itinerary for the day includes a mosque.

Don't rule out skirts or even dresses, they can be coolest of all. A mid-calf billowy cotton skirt can be really comfortable and cool.

Bare feet are required in many places e.g. the Taj Mahal and most temples and mosques, so have shoes that slip on and off easily if you can. It might be good to wear or bring a thin pair of socks or cotton sweat socks because the marble in the sun could be quite hot.

A hat is very helpful, an umbrella even more so as it will give you a little pool of cool. You will feel stupid for about the first minute you put it up in the bright sun, then after that you will just love it.