Last updated on October 19th, 2023.
We visited the Indonesia capital of Jakarta for the first time in 2016.
Though a short trip, it was one in which I quickly learned how to dress in Jakarta as a woman.
To provide some context to this post, we had stopped in Jakarta for a wedding before visiting Bali.
During this short 2-day trip, I learned plenty about the women’s dress code in Indonesia.
We struggled to shake off the jet-lag after a 14-hour flight from London, particularly in the uncomfortable heat and humidity.
The clothes we’d packed were suited for summer: shorts, t-shirts etc. I’d been to other countries in South-East Asia before and knew how to pack appropriately for the weather.
How to dress in Jakarta as a woman
Can women wear shorts in Jakarta?
While women can wear shorts in Jakarta, be prepared for the looks you may receive. My husband wore shorts during our visit and no-one battered an eyelid.
With one day in Jakarta, we’d planned to see the National Monument and the Istiqlal Mosque. The temperature around 10am was already in the early 30s (Celsius) and I remember perspiring with every step. I was wearing shorts (knee length), a loose vest top and sneakers.
The first time I’d noticed people staring at me was when we were walking around the city center. I paid little attention as I’d learned from previous travels that it was more to do with curiosity than anything else.
Judgemental staring
As we continued to explore the area — with few western tourists — I began to feel more self-conscious. The harmless glances had turn into fixated stares, some of which felt judgemental in nature. These were coming from men as well as from young women.
Trying hard to ignore it became increasingly difficult as my husband started noticing it too. He also treated it lightly at first but felt differently after we passed a group of men sitting by the mosque.
I felt their eyes looking me up and down — and it wasn’t out of admiration for my sneakers. We started hearing wolf whistling and some of the men even began following closely behind. Though my face didn’t show it, I felt very intimidated.
To make it clear, we’d no intention of entering the mosque, or any other place of worship dressed the way I was.
Overall, my experience in Jakarta wasn’t a comfortable one, especially in reference to the dress code for women.
Map of Indonesia
The right way to dress in Jakarta as a woman
There’s one word that best describes the style in which women should dress in Jakarta: conservative. Any type of clothing, including tight jeans, will draw attention. Even though you may see young Indonesian women wearing jeans, as a foreigner, the spotlight immediately shines upon you.
Items that I recommend female travelers should pack for Jakarta include:
- Long skirts, loose fitting
- Linen pants / loose culotte style trousers — to keep cool in the humidity and prevent bites
- A light shawl to cover your arms
- Loose tops or t-shirts
The list of clothing is similar to what I advise women to pack for Morocco. I also suggest bringing a sun hat when visiting Jakarta and Indonesia in general. It not only protects you from the strong sun, but it also covers your hair when outdoors.
Again, as a foreign non-Muslim woman, having my hair uncovered made me stand out more.
The religious factor
I’ve traveled alone before to many countries that are just as conservative in nature. However, Jakarta was the first place I’d ever been where I felt so uncomfortable, despite traveling with my husband.
The only difference between Jakarta and the other conservative places I’d been to was the religious factor. It was something I’d wrongly overlooked, and in my lack of planning, I didn’t consider packing more suitable clothing.
Unwritten women’s dress code in Indonesia – how to dress In Jakarta as a woman
While there are no legal laws regarding clothing, there does seem to be an unwritten women’s dress code in Indonesia.
As we were going to Bali straight after, I didn’t think too much about what clothes to pack for Jakarta. Lesson learned.
At the time, I didn’t think my choice of clothing was deserving of the looks and reactions I received. The humidity was so unbearable that the thought of covering up never even crossed my mind.
Having said that, I see myself as a conscientious traveler and respect the culture of any country I visit. I never thought of my outfit as inappropriate but a friend of mine didn’t feel the same way.
How to dress in a Muslim country
My friend, who is French and of Algerian and Moroccan descent, reacted differently to my story. As a practicing Muslim, she pulled me up on 2 points.
She asked whether I was aware of Indonesia being a strict Muslim country and whether I’d packed any ‘halal clothes’. I answered yes to the first question and raised an eyebrow at the second. I’d never heard the term before.
Halal clothes
She explained that she always packs ‘halal’ clothes whenever she travels. This is typically clothing that’s loose-fitting and covers up a woman’s modesty. My friend suggested that I should’ve worn something more ‘halal’ like a maxi dress and covered up.
The truth is, I thought the clothing that I’d packed was loose-fitting. Aside from swimwear and underwear, the shorts/vest tops and dresses in my suitcase were not tight-fitting.
I do however hold my hands up to not having done better research. I should’ve been better prepared, especially as a frequent traveler, and more so as a writer. It doesn’t matter whether you’ve visiting for 2 days or 2 weeks: cultural norms are cultural norms.
Where do you stand?
I’m usually the first to comment on respecting other cultures when traveling, but on this occasion I feel a bit divided. I took my friend’s points on board 100%, and have learned better for the future.
I’ve witnessed many occasions when tourists didn’t respect the cultural norms and practices of the country they were visiting. Take a trip I made years ago to Bangkok.
I’ll never forget the Russian female tourists who refused to cover their arms before entering a Buddhist temple. Despite being provided beautiful sarongs to cover up for a short time, they outright refused.
My views have nothing to do with religion either. I dress appropriately whether I’m in Belgium or Bahrain and will continue to do so. As for Jakarta, I can’t see myself visiting again anytime soon — but if I do, I’ll be sure to prepare a set of ‘halal’ clothes.
What do you think of this post on how to dress in Jakarta as a woman? Do you have an opinion on the topic? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below, please keep them civil.
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Welcome to my site. I'm Lisa, an Italy-based travel and lifestyle blogger behind Following the Rivera. Find out more about me and my story.
Hello, I’m an Indonesian girl who grew up in Jakarta and had moved out of the city since. I think your experience is kinda skewed and there’s some misinformation in what your friend conveyed as well. First thing first, it’s not a strict Muslim country – law is secular and there are no regulations surrounding headscarves, dress codes etc. it’s completely personal choice (I’m not a Muslim myself).
Although I agree that the overall dressing undertone is more conservative vs the west, it’s still a range – if you go to the CBD, people are dressed in office or workwear; if you go to the malls, they may be dressed up or down, but tank tops and shorts are commonplace. If it’s an occasion or an event, people may be dressed to the nines with gowns and cocktail dresses. If you go to a bar or a club then your typical night-out outfits are common. So your experience, while not isolated, may not be fully representative either.
I wear denim shorts a lot when outdoors in Jakarta. I think what made you stand out was the fact that you’re a foreigner and yes, many people in Jakarta are still not used to foreign tourist presence given that the city is also full of non-Jakartans aka people who migrate there from nearby provinces or other far-flung towns or cities. And sadly, yes, catcalling still happens – that’s on them and sorry that it happened.
In summary, know where you are going exactly within the city and dress for the place and occasion. It’s false to generalize that “loose fitting” clothing is the norm and “halal” clothing is to be worn across Indonesia, lest Jakarta. That’s just an opinion, based on what little you knew and concluded – in reality, a sizeable no of us don’t dress like that.
Hi Jennifer thank you for your feedback. It was my first time in Jakarta, not Indonesia, so I wasn’t aware of the other cultural norms you’re referring to. I appreciate you offering your side and providing a local’s perspective
I recently move to Jakarta because of my husband, he is not a Muslim. And I was here a lot of times before I moved. And from the beginning I never wore short clothes that I would wear in Europe, because I did my research.y clothes were loose or tight. People only sometimes looked (not starred) at me because I’m obviously different. But it’s ok I don’t mind.
For what the women wear here, it’s not completely true that they all dress “halal”. There are so many natives who wear shorts like short shorts, tank tops. So you see a lot of skin. And I didn’t see the guys behave weird. I think in depa da an the people and where exactly you are in the city. Because what I see daily is a mix of what people wear.
Even though I still will not expose to much skin, because I don’t want to cause I’m not a native and because of the sun. When it burns it burn, so I like my skin to be coverd.
Thank you for sharing your perspective, it’s good to read other opinions
Lisa I actually think you should respect the cultural norms of that country. I agree with your French friend. People in cultures shouldn’t adapt themselves to what tourists think is OK or right in terms of how they dress. For example my best friend went to Europe and said that he went to into a hotel sauna with his wife and said Men and women were in their nude and they were the only ones that had bathing suits on.. He thought it was a little strange and weird. But in that culture that’s just what they do he said. They never went nude and never would but that in that culture It’s not a big deal.
It was a lesson learned, thank you for your comment