Ever wondered what to wear when travelling to conservative countries?
And how to still stay cool in the humid heat in South East Asia?
This blog post has you covered – literally!
I’m not a fashionista who curates their outfit for their Instagram picture, but you would also never find me dead in a pair of backpacker cargo pants that zip off into shorts.
I travel as light as possible, to make room for my camera gear, so I think very carefully about what to take.
I’ve always thought it’s important to respect the culture of local people so I cringe when I see Australians walking around half naked drinking beer on the street in SE Asian destinations.
When trying to dress a bit more conservatively, I often get comments from locals that they like my “long clothes” which is nice to hear.
My style of travel is public transport and local shops and eateries so I’m more comfortable when I’m dressed in line with local women.
So here’s my guide for how to cover up, stay cool and travel light in SE Asian countries.
Wear layers in hot conservative countries to stay cool
Layer up, baby!
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You may think adding layers would make it hotter but it’s actually the best because you can remove layers when in a private car or at a tourist haunt.
As a light traveller heading to various locations, you can pack fewer items and combine them to get enough skin coverage – think short dress with leggings or singlet dress with an open button shirt.
Bamboo leggings are my favourite. I wore black ones throughout my four months in SE Asia and never got too hot. They’re magic! I found some at a store in Byron Bay called Bodypeace but these ones from Boody look good too!
Stay cool with loose and natural material
Bamboo, cotton and merino wool are fab travel materials because they don’t hold in the heat.
Avoid synthetic materials like polyester. You don’t want to wear plastic in hot, humid weather – gross!
Long-sleeve merino wool tops, like this one, are a travel essential because they pack small, perfect to throw on in AC buses or planes. Good quality ones from outdoors shops are worth the money as they don’t pill or itch.
Buy local clothes when you’re there in cheap Asian countries
Don’t waste your money stocking up on clothes before you go.
I bought the prettiest outfits in Sri Lanka and India and spent about $3 AUD per item and nothing over $10!
Each country has its own culture so look to local women for cues, support local shops and come back with unique souvenirs you’ll definitely get complimented on when you wear at home!
Your sarong is your best friend
I wear my sarong as a neck tie, shawl, long skirt or even as a head scarf when I want to hide my blonde hair or avoid male attention when alone.
In a general backpacker’s kit, a sarong also doubles as a beach mat, towel, blanket!
How many sarongs can you spot in the below picture? :p
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COUNTRY BY COUNTRY GUIDE FOR CONSERVATIVE CLOTHING
What to wear in Sri Lanka
In Sri Lanka, they are all about the bright colours and saris! Several religions co-exist in Sri Lanka so you don’t need to wear a scarf over your head anywhere, but wearing modest knee-length clothes is recommended.
In beach tourist towns, you can wear shorter shorts and skirts, but it’s good to wrap a sarong around your legs when going into a local shop or market and obviously don’t wear your bathers on the street.
What to wear in India
India is all about embellishments – did someone say gold bangles?
Indian women wear long scarves over one shoulder or backwards around their neck. I bought a couple from the local markets. They felt so feminine!
As well as tunics, they wear kurtis which are a bit longer, kind of like a dress but with open sides so they need to be worn with leggings. The local women match their scarf and legging colour. You can pick these up cheap on the streets of India.
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It’s fine to wear jeans – there is a big Western-influenced middle class in India – but it’s pretty hot.
You don’t have to wear sleeves in India either and you can even reveal your mid-drift – think belly dancers. Just not your legs!
What to wear in Malaysia
In Malaysia, their style is quite modern, classic colours and cuts, just with sleeves and longer hems.
I bought a nice, brightly coloured scarf to pop around my head a couple of times on local transport and in smaller towns out of respect because they are mostly Muslim.
What to wear in Indonesia
Many people have travelled to the Indonesian island of Bali, which you can get away with wearing anything you like. The Hindu culture is very forgiving.
Once you move further afield to neighbouring islands like Lombok and beyond, you enter Muslim territory and some parts are very traditional so best to dress more conservatively.
Cambodia, Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand are not overly conservative in their dress
I travelled all over Cambodia in 2013 and bought several pairs of what I now call ‘Cambodia pants’, also known as harem pants or Aladdin pants, cinched at the waist and ankle.
Wearing these pants is like putting a tourist placard on your forehead but they are so comfortable! My best friend, Nicky, and I wore these pants with long sleeved shirts on our temple visit days and dressed normally on other days.
The Philippines is Catholic and their fashion sense is quite Western. You don’t have to worry about dressing conservatively, even in the local villages.
Vietnam and Thailand are also both relatively relaxed. I didn’t feel I had to cover up in any of the cities or islands I travelled to there.
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Wear longer clothes to be respectful
In most major cities and tourist destinations you can wear whatever you like.
But I found when I made an effort to dress in line with their local culture, I got warmer welcomes, connected with people more, avoided uncomfortable situations, and even got better deals when haggling.
Subscribe to my YouTube channel for travel related videos. I’ve been to plenty of South East Asian countries now!
