LoudyTourky

I am planning my first trip to Asia - we are going to China for two weeks in May. I have been to Europe three times and know that Europeans dress less casually than the average American. What is appropriate attire in China? I want to be comfortable and pack lightly, but I don't want to look like a slob or offend.

Relatedly, are there any sites that require more conservative dress, particularly for women (like visiting St. Peter's in Rome)?

My husband is Chinese - born and raised there until he was 8 - but he is no help.

rkkwan

China is totally casual. Of course, if you're going to a nightclub in Shanghai or a fancy restaurant at any 5* hotel, you want to dress accordingly - same anywhere in the world.

Temples, monasteries - don't matter. Unless it's a Tibetian buddhist monastery (not just in Tibet, but anywhere in China), or a mosque, or other worshiping places. They dress more conservatively. But regular Chinese monasteries and temples, no - as long as you pay the admission fees, they don't care.

DonJ1973

I was in Shanghai, Beijing, Suzhou and Hangzhou last summer and pretty much the entire trip I wore t-shirts and long shorts with hiking boots. Whenever I went out at night, I would sometimes wear casual pants and a shirt. It was really hot last August and I wore what I felt comfortable in. It was pretty obvious I was a tourist, so I didn't feel a need to dress a certain way to make me fit in better.

guenovnd

China could be very casual or very dressy. It is really up to you. If you are going to a fancy restaurant or bar, you will see many people dressed in latest fashion. But overall it is based on your own preferences. You can check my blog at http://travel.chinafinds.com for info on my experiences from living, working and traveling in China

baglady

I just returned last night from 3 weeks in China and my overall impression was it is very casual. I went to a lovely theater to see a performance by the Chinese Acrobats and everyone was very casual i.e., I wore black slacks and a sweater and was dressier than most. One thing I noted, however, the employees of hotels, museums, airlines, restaurants, department stores, ships, etc., are sharply dressed in uniforms and perfectly coiffed (unlike their American counterparts).

BettyInToronto

We did a 12-day tour of China last September and I was surprised at how casual it was. Most days I would wear those "convertible" pants so I could start with long pants; move to shorts when it got hot and then back to pants for dinner because the restaruants were always cold or it felt a bit more dressed up for the shows we attended. Some restaurants were quite nice even if they were for the tours but we never got to go back to the hotel to change so you just wore whatever you had on for the day.

chavala

I disagree with most of you. Yes, it is casual, but in a California sort of way. Nice jeans or pants and a shirt or sweater. You would never see a Chinese woman wearing shorts with hiking boots or convertible pants! Yes, it's obvious we're tourists, but I don't think it has to be glaringly so. Maybe I'm sensitive because I lived in NYC most of my life. I'd see these tourists wearing gym shorts and goofy T-shirts, and we (my fellow NYers and I), always thought they looked liked slobs (although that is putting it nicely for this forum!).

I'm in Beijing now -- everyone seems quite fashion conscience and I'm glad I packed accordingly.

nagiffag

I'd say China is pretty casual. To echo others, it depends on where you go. We wear jeans most of the time, but we'll wear something a little nicer if we're going to Jean George or somewhere like that. If it's hot, we're wearing shorts outside, but not usually in the evening. I'd say black slacks for the evening are appropriate wherever you go.

It's not unusual to see people in the street with pajamas on so I'd think it would be hard to offend. I was even walking down a street in the evening in Shanghai around the corner from HengShan Lu bar district and passed a man clad only in his tighty whities - and no, he wasn't drunk or even embarassed.

beijing_tour_guide

China now is open, nobody will mind what others wear. so you can wear any cloths you want.

SiobhanP

I am just back from Shanghai and Beijing. I work business clothes for work and what i normally wesr in Dublin afterhours. Just wear what is comfortable and pack somnething nice if you go to an event or a nice dinner out. Otherwise there are no rules for dressing.

dgg

Your Mao Jacket ,of course! I remember it being VERY casual. Jeans, polo shirts, simple skirts, khaki pants, sneakers, sandals.... You get the picture.