Sunday, October 14, 2012

Some information about dress code and weather in Almaty




Appropriate dress code and weather in Almaty-Kazakhstan

There is no real appropriate dress per se for women in Almaty, although it is a Muslim country, the people see themselves as modern Muslims and women dress however they want. If you come from the Middle East this concept might be a shock to you but women mostly dress western-like although you will see the occasional headscarf.  Here young women like the super minis and super high heels... sometimes even dressing very inappropriately for work and more for an evening at the a night club, but that is how it is here. 

How you dress during the winter in Almaty will also be affected by how you commute... are you running from apartment to a heated car and then to the office... then court shoes and stockings will be fine with a nice thick coat for the first part of the winter... if you are depended on getting taxis or busses then you could end up waiting a few minutes by the road and might feel the cold settling in.

If you are a foreigner like me that comes from a warmer region, you might be quite afraid of the winter, but I can assure you Almaty has a moderate winter compared to other regions of Kazakhstan. Some people think that everything you wear has to be wool during the winter ...but I don’t think so.... the basic idea is to add layers, thick socks and a thick jacket. If you are here during January and February then I would suggest buying boots here that have a fluffy lining inside and you even get insoles that are made from wool at most shoe shops or at the market (bazaar), just to insulate you feet even more, especially if you will be standing in the cold waiting for transport. 

Of course the weather can be unpredictable so the winter could be very warm or very cold. A couple of years ago the winter was the coldest in like 50 years according to locals and we ended up buying all this really thick and wool-lined items which we never wore again.

As I mentioned before, I come from a very mild climatic area and did not experience much snow or ice before I came to Almaty. But, according to my Canadian friends they do not remove the snow as successful or efficiently as in other countries, so keep in mind that once it has snowed the sidewalks will be covered in ice...and the city is like a big ice skating rink and flat shoes or low heels might be best.

If you are planning on being here throughout the winter it might be best to just get the jacket from shops here in Kazakhstan, rather than bringing something that is not sufficient for this weather... If you are not too worried about designer labels, the jackets at the market / bazaars are great and you get a wide variety...or buy a fur coat if you have the money : )

The summers can be really hot in Almaty with mild humidity and air-conditioning is a must. So check you apartment or house for ACs before signing the contract as you will be needing them during July and August.

A nice weather website for local weather is http://www.wunderground.com and just search for Almaty.



I hope you have enjoyed this and please leave comments and suggestions if you have other topics that you would like to have covered. 

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