Let me cut it short, I am visiting India in a month and my friends have suggested me not to wear western clothes in India due to some extreme conditions and issues they faced. I am hoping to get some good advice from you folks about the same to know what is the best dress code in India and is it OK if I wear skirts and jeans or I must wear traditional Indian clothes only. Zoey
Lots of females wear jeans and pants and skimpy tops but at public places your legs would get a bit of attention if you go around in a short skirt but its not like you would be doing anything illegal. Just use common sense that's all really. Long skirts are never a problem.. It is better then the Victorian England where even showing an ankle was forbidden Cities are fairly liberal in that sense and people don't stare as long as you aren't going over the top really.
I think much of your knowledge about India and your friends are coming from the British Raj (British Era) which really ended in year 1947 AD. Now it's 2014 and in India nobody cares what you are wearing till the time you are wearing something sensible so please use your common sense while picking up a dress and prefer not to wear something over exposing, that's all. You are not bound to wear anything specific or traditional; I think you are confusing India with Syria now, are you? Jeans and T-shirt, knee length skirts, tank tops, tube tops all are 100% acceptable but are you sure you want to wear that in 2°C freezing cold temperature, if you are OK with that then its alright, otherwise prefer carrying something warm.
