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Hi,
I am moving at the beginning of February to Jakarta from the US. I am a young female professional and will be working at a non-profit organization, but will also be conducting interviews with other organizations. What do women typically wear in non-profit, government, and business circles in Jakarta? Standard dress for my jobs in the US has been suits, or a button-down shirt and slacks, but I am worried I'll be unbearably hot in those clothes in Jakarta.
Also, what do young women wear out socially during the day and in the evenings? I'd like to be fashionable while still being appropriate.
Thanks for the advice!
I wear this little number in karaoke bars.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e294/realindonesia/PIC_0319.jpg
Seriously. Casual dress here is about the same as many western countries. You tend to see round necks rather than deep Vs and legs tend to be covered but that's about it.
ha ha Mas Fred, nice top. Actually he gave really good advice. Fancy batik blouses with black tailored pant or skirt will always be acceptable especially for government sponsored events.
Jakarta folks are very well dressed, so make sure you have at least one fancy outfit for those business dinner events.
What to bring from US: fancy cocktail/summer dresses, nice scarves/wrap, fancy shoes & bags, and few suits made from lightweight fabric (suit jacket with 3/4 length sleeve is very useful), linen materials (great for hot humid weather and it's difficult to find here), and 1 versatile jacket for travelling. Buy your sports clothes here bcs it's much cheaper.
What to buy in Indonesia: For limited budget, go for local brands like Executive or Et Cetera (found in any big mall) or Batik Keris for batik blouses because they use lighter and more breatheable fabric. Sometimes I go to Singapore to shop because they have more option for my small budget. Bali is also a great place to shop but more expensive (unless you just want to buy typical beach wears). If you have big budget, then get your clothes tailor made (it's difficult to find reliable tailor and it can be expensive).
Dress code: It really depends on your company's policy. I'd go for conservative just to be on the safe side. I wear a lot of suit combination and layers (bcs it's hot outdoor and cold indoor). Most business meetings typically will be in A/C-ed building anyways. Low cut is not advisable even if there's no cleavage (yes I got a complaint from HR after wearing a "harmless" vneck shirt from US). Skirts should be okay but make sure it's modest (knee length).
Good luck.
waarmstrong
02-01-10, 11:27
You may tray checking out some of the Indonesian women's magazine's on-line editions -- Femina, or Dewi for example. Even if you don't read the language, the photos may give you a better feel for what passes for fashionable business dress here. I am not an aficionado, but typical Western summer business clothing seems to me to be very common in Jakarta. I am guessing, as well, that most likely your work places and travel modes will have AC making a lightweight business suit OK.
You may tray checking out some of the Indonesian women's magazine's on-line editions -- Femina, or Dewi for example. Even if you don't read the language, the photos may give you a better feel for what passes for fashionable business dress here.
Wise advise Waarm... Thumbs up. :thumb:
My wife usually wears a jacket, shirt and either ¾ length skirt (well below the knee) or pants and more often that not a scarf around her neck or a loose fitting tie. Similar to the business suits that you would wear in the west. At night if we are entertaining, she will wear pretty much anything, but if it’s an off the shoulder number she might wear a casual jacket or a shawl…it depends on the occasion and the time of year.
Hi,
I am moving at the beginning of February to Jakarta from the US. I am a young female professional and will be working at a non-profit organization, but will also be conducting interviews with other organizations. What do women typically wear in non-profit, government, and business circles in Jakarta? Standard dress for my jobs in the US has been suits, or a button-down shirt and slacks, but I am worried I'll be unbearably hot in those clothes in Jakarta.
Workwise, the same, or more formal, than you would wear at home. Indonesia is a conservative society. As for being hot, you'll be working in AC. In fact, you might find your cold. (unless you are working for an NGO saving orang utang out in the wilds of Borneo forests.
Wise advice indeed, but, perhaps somewhat revealing... :whistle: :lol:
drahman2in1
04-01-10, 00:56
.....orang utang ......
sorry KW, its orang utan...utang=debts
maybe just a typo...
for Jamie M,
looking at female magazines can be a good referrence for you...like Pak Waarmstrong had said...
Wise advice indeed, but, perhaps somewhat revealing... :whistle: :lol:
ups :shy:
I wear this little number in karaoke bars.
Mas Fred I see you're being very helpful lol...
Jamie, I do not work now but as I see in general offices and several business functions, quite a few women are dressed in short-sleeved blouses and knee-high skirts or long pants. The quality is not bad at all and fabrics are also suitable for hot summer. And you can easily get them here cheaply(around 20-50 USD) at local department stores. But in general, once you step into an office building or a shopping mall it's often very cool- sometimes even too cold that you might want a thin coat ready in your office. So my suggestion is, what you wear now in US is also suitable in Jakarta, except you might want to add some more light fabrics to feel more comfortable here.
For casual or social wear during the day, you'll be surprised to find on the street that some people seem to be immune to the heat and wear thick and long sleeve cardigan and pants. (I often wonder if their body reacts to the temperature differently from us) In some conservative areas they tend to stare at you more if you wear a skirt above the knee. But I'm sure you won't spend too much time outdoors since Jakarta is not pedestrian-friendly at all and it's simply too hot and humid. Summer dresses are completely fine, and although the society general has a more strict standard towards Muslim women in terms of dress code, western or Chinese Indonesian (as my Indonesian Chinese friend told me) are not as scrutinized, as long as you don't reveal cleavage. In my experience short pant and tank tops are fine in more urban areas and shopping malls.
But then again they stare at every westerner anyway no matter what you wear. Hope this helps.
Wow - thanks - this is all great! Last question then - do you think I will be able to find my size at stores there? I am about 5'8" (~170 cm), so I'm not sure if it will be hard for me to find clothes that fit me. Especially pants?
Thank you all - this is so helpful!
Hey Jamie M,
I wouldn't worry so much about it to be honest. For office clothes, knee length skirt and blouse is fine and not too hot. It's only in banks and certain places that expect their female staff to wear stockings with skirts, but you'll be fine at an NGO. Short sleeved or no sleeved blouses are great and you can still be fashionable at work with those. Beats a boring shirt...
Jakarta is a pretty hip city when it comes to fashion and in your spare time, anything goes. Lots of Indonesian 'milfs' go shopping in the malls with tiny mini skirts and high wedges so dont worry about covering up. Wear what you feel like. It's all good :)
I missed that last one, sorry! You won't have any problems finding clothes to fit you here.. and shopping is bountiful haha.. I find The Executive handy for smart clothes and not expensive. Nice blouses.
Wow - thanks - this is all great! Last question then - do you think I will be able to find my size at stores there? I am about 5'8" (~170 cm), so I'm not sure if it will be hard for me to find clothes that fit me. Especially pants?
Thank you all - this is so helpful!
As long as you wear clothes in common US sizes 4-10 or UK 6-16 you can easily get the clothes you want.
Local department stores such as Matahari or Metro sell inexpensive clothes and quality is not bad at all. Shopping malls offer more international fashion stores such as GAP, ESPRIT and ZARA, but the prices are similar to what you pay in other places in the world. Consider outlet stores such as D'brasco(spelling?) as well. They have some nice items too.
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