Salwar kameez

Hey thanks, #9 I'll check out that site.

I've got planty of loose draw-string waisted travel pants with hidden pockets, in materials that dry quick and don't need ironing so I reckon a kurta with those will be good. They've done fine service for me in Africa and the Middle East where I had to be even more modestly dressed. S'pose I better get a skirt too, to make it easier to deal with the squat toilets, although I'm really not big on skirts.

Which raises another matter: stillettos don't look so good with this outfit.

I wonder how successful are the usual traveller footwear of teva style shoes. What else would be a good choice? I can't imagine that runners would be much better than stilettos for aesthetics.

speedy, you will feel much more lovely in a SK + D providing you can get some decent fabric to start with. There is lots of synthetic used in India but you should be able to find cotton.

haha, i've actually been asking myself that same question! what is the best shoe to go with a salwar kameez? obviously the traditionalists will say "chappals" or other indian shoes and sandals. but i see plenty of women in SK without traditional shoes -- every bollywood movie i've ever seen, for starters, almost every south asian woman wearing SK in the west, not to mention actual photos from other people's indian vacations. you clearly DO NOT have to wear classically indian shoes with your SK.

but what looks best? the bollywood girls tend to go with heels. that would be "no", for me in india (or ever, really). i've seen a lot of flat sandals, which look nice, but what happens when i'm in Leh, and it starts snowing? i feel like you could find the right kind of sneakers or other comfy and functional shoe. i'm tempted to just stick with my Chuck Taylors, fashion be damned. it could look quite hip, with those slim churidar pants i've seen...

hm. after some thorough research via searching "salwar kameez" in flickr, it seems like sandals, sport, heeled, strappy, functional, or otherwise, are the way to go. though i did see some sneakers, some more attractive than others. slim-lined and minimalist seems to be the rule if you're trying to do a close toed shoe with SK...

When are you going to be in ladakh with the snow? Are you going in the winter? It is unlikely to snow in summer. Its a hot place in summer.

Those churidars, I like the look of them. I reckon I'll get a few to take home. I think they'd work OK with a nice jewelled thong or sandal. Something with a bit of bling but still casual.

In Leh, in snow, for me it's trekking boots and zip leg pants. Period. And thermals underneath.

i'm going at the very tail end of the season, in sept-oct, when it could happen. will it? i don't know. certainly the average lows at that time of year are the kind of temps i'd want close toed shoes for.

It depends on where you're going in India.

Mumbai and Goa are more liberal and I always wear my knee length skirts and a tank, but most other places, even Delhi, are a little more conservative. But don't feel like you HAVE to wear a salwaar kameez. You can wear jeans/trousers/capris with a sleeveless kurta top, or t-shirt and that'll be fine.

People have this total misconception that Indian women must stay covered up from head to toe - or face the consequences! That simply is not true and you might be getting mistaken with Muslim women who wear their burkhas, which often cover everything but there eyes! But that is not the Indian way! Don't forget that we Indian women wear saris, which reveal our midriff, and, depending on how you wear it, our legs! Plus our sari blouses are most often sleeveless and reveal a large portion of our bare backs, depending on the style!

Just don't wear tight clothes and don't show cleavage. Fab India does have a good selection, but just pop into any mall and go into the department store and you'll find a good choice of suits (another word for salwaar kameez). Don't feel pressured to stock up on them before going there though - there's no point in paying all that shipping/handling! Just wear pants or capris with shirts or t-shirts.

The only time you really should be covered, including your head, is when you're visiting a temple.

Please don't typecast us!

yeah that's something I've always wondered at.....especially when I was in Nepal. Having your upper arms uncovered was considered revealing, but having your midriff exposed wasn't?

It's funny, because when I was growing up in Australia in the 70's and 80's, bare midriffs were a big no-no. Lots of swimming pools (the posh ones, not the council ones) and roller skating rinks reserved the right to refuse you entry if you had an exposed midriff.

Capris with a sleeveless kurta is a nice look for hotter weather.

Puja, please tell me, what do Indian women wear churidar with? (on the top half)

speedyturtle- which part of oz did YOU grow up in? I never heard of such things in my neck of the woods. And bikinis was the beach thing in all the fashion magazines, except in the 80s when the maillot was the fashion, but that's fashion not modesty. So are you sure you mean australia?

opopen it ;-) i was in leh in late september. The nights are indeed, quite cool, if not cold, and it rained. It could well snow in Leh in October. I would have clothes more in the line of #15 says above. You will probably not be comfortable in a SK in those conditions. The days were fine but not hot. The weather during september seems to change rapidly from very hot to cool/cold.