What to wear in Nepal depends on the region & the season you’re traveling in. The younger generation with the increasing interaction with foreigners & global culture prefer wearing the latest outfits. The outfits in urban places are no different than those from Western people.

You’ll find people in the high Himalayas wearing the warm traditional Tibetan looking Bakkhus all year round. The men in mountain people traditionally wear a suit called Daura Suruwal without any button or hook on them. In the hot plains of Terai, most people wear dhoti-kurta or lungi similar to Indian traditional outfit. Hindu & Muslim women in the mountains & Terai wear sari covering all their body parts. Most of the women in Terai cover their face with sari out of shyness while speaking with men.

There has been considerable debate over the language, outfits, and ethnicity in the recent years. The terai people or Madhesis have strongly objected to the discriminations by the state owing to their similarity with Indian costumes and rituals. Similarly, although Nepal’s first President & Vice-President are both Madhesis, the President wears the national dress the daura suruwal, but his deputy avoids wearing the national outfit accusing of “internal colonization”.

However, Nepalis everywhere are generally open-minded toward western outfits, as long long one refrains from exposing the body parts, especially those suggestive of sexuality.