Wardrobe for India

[aj_del]

^^The Hindu god of auspicious beginning is Ganesha (the elephant god) Actual decoration at my house from last Diwali

 

[bellyhungry]

Hope the OP likes curry....

 

[aj_del]

^^ What exactly is curry ?

 

[AlmostFullBenefits]

Originally Posted by bellyhungry

Hope the OP likes curry....

Actually, I had some pretty good Chinese food when I was in Delhi last March. The only thing you won't find with great abundance is beef, for reasons which should be obvious.

It was also 40-42C...in March. And dusty as hell. Basically a moderately (but not tropical) more humid version of southern Texas. I would ask your company explicitly, and possibly make them put into writing depending on their response, if they are going to provide day to day transportation. Driving in India is terrible, as there are 5-10x more vehicles than the roads were designed for and no one, no one follows any semblance of rules, except for the big vehicle or the cow has the right of way. Yes, you will see animal life like cows (thankfully extremely few elephants) walking on the roads. It would be best if they provided you with an on-call driver or taxi service. Auto-Rickshaws are a convenient and cheap, but you will get sweaty and dirty if you use them.

I also found Delhi to be very dusty, and outside a few oases of modern shopping or business centers, very dirty on the streets. Leather soles are fine, but I wouldn't bring any pair that would you mind getting dirty or cleaning with whatever is available at the moment. This would also go for clothes. To be honest, I would look into getting most of your clothes there in India at moderate to cheap prices. Go to City Mall (near the center of the city) and just get a few cheaper items at first (I believe they have a Marks and Spencers there), and if you feel comfortable later, then look into getting some tailored clothing.

 

[Metlin]

Originally Posted by IronRock

Would you wear a Rolex in NYC? Same applies in New Dehli and other Asian cities. If you find yourself in an area that makes your ass contract then you need to hide the Rolex.

That would be an awkward "gold watch" moment.

 

[globetrotter]

what are you going to do? frankly, if you are going to be running a tech office, you can get by without any suits. if you will be dealing with CEOs, you will want suits. although, I would buy most of the stuff in india - you can get clothes made there at dirt cheap prices. I lived there 3 years, if you have some specific quesitons, let me know. and it will be hot, very hot. although in january the nights will be 50's or so

 

[rdaws]

Great info!

I'm a consultant (one of the big strat firms), so I'll bring one suit and buy more if I need them since most projects don't require them to be worn daily (C-Suite formal preez only). Will need a couple of really light sportcoats though - any recos for something appropriately disposable and appropriately styled?

Sounds like I need to go invest in some Chinos, and maybe I can use this as an excuse for the Barker dainite stormwelt wingtips I've had my eye on.

I will have a car/driver provided, so no worries there. Anything else I should check on before heading out?

 

[voxsartoria]

If I were in India, I would commute by horseback on a beautiful white horse.


- B

 

[LabelKing]

Silk suits.

 

[Viral]

Originally Posted by rdaws

Great info!

I'm a consultant (one of the big strat firms), so I'll bring one suit and buy more if I need them since most projects don't require them to be worn daily (C-Suite formal preez only). Will need a couple of really light sportcoats though - any recos for something appropriately disposable and appropriately styled?

Sounds like I need to go invest in some Chinos, and maybe I can use this as an excuse for the Barker dainite stormwelt wingtips I've had my eye on.

I will have a car/driver provided, so no worries there. Anything else I should check on before heading out?

get immunized.........get shots for TB, Typhoid, etc.

 

[aj_del]

Originally Posted by voxsartoria

If I were in India, I would commute by horseback on a beautiful white horse.


- B

Indians (Hindus) only do it at the time of getting married

 

[Holdfast]

Off-topic, but I would seriously hate to work in a job that could just transfer you to another country like that. Did you even get a choice in the matter? You make it sound like it just came in out of the blue. I was angry when my former employer insisted I work in another area that was just 30 miles further from home for a while a few years ago.

Anyway, enough of that. You've had some good advice already in this thread, but a more general point is that you will experience culture shock. India still works differently to the UK/USA. The logic of how things work is just different. Not wrong, exactly... annoying, perhaps... but somehow the right outcome usually happens... by a process that is often confusingly byzantine. Someone mentioned the roads upthread; this is a prime example of the different thought process in action. To my eyes, lane discipline and traffic management is close to non-existent... but somehow everyone gets to their destination. The same confusion applies to a lot of other things about how things work. Oh, and whoever said to stock up on handkerchiefs (of the mopping brow variety, not displaying in a pocket variety), and get used to frequent showers and multiple changes of clothing? Spot on. Nice offices, good cars, etc are all air-conditioned and fine (though personally I find A/C overly drying)... but if you end up walking around outside anywhere from Spring onwards, you will sweat buckets. Be grateful you're in New Delhi; the climate is much more pleasant than Mumbai, for instance.

 

[rdaws]

Originally Posted by IronRock

Would you wear a Rolex in NYC? Same applies in New Dehli and other Asian cities. If you find yourself in an area that makes your ass contract then you need to hide the Rolex.

Can I insure it against theft/loss? How much might a policy like that cost?

 

[rdaws]

Originally Posted by Holdfast

Off-topic, but I would seriously hate to work in a job that could just transfer you to another country like that. Did you even get a choice in the matter? You make it sound like it just came in out of the blue. I was angry when my former employer insisted I work in another area that was just 30 miles further from home for a while a few years ago.

Totally by choice. Applied for the transfer, and am quite grateful for the opportunity!

 

[Viral]

Originally Posted by rdaws

Totally by choice. Applied for the transfer, and am quite grateful for the opportunity!

good for you............congrats! Even though I'm of Indian descent and have been there many times, I was also thankful for the opportunity to live and work there for my 2 years. I wouldn't change a thing!

Your time in India will change you in certain ways...........all for the better. I've not met a single person who visited India and wasn't touched or moved by the experience.