Revamp Your Wardrobe
During the presidency of Hastings Banda (1966–94), odd sartorial restrictions were enacted, including a ban on flared trousers and a requirement that women only wear long skirts, never pants or shorts. Those days are long gone, and many urban Malawians have a fantastic fashion sense that blends Western street style with Afro elegance. In Malawi, fabric is both economical and gorgeous, and local tailors can rapidly reproduce your existing clothing or make clothes to your specifications.
In isolated communities, Malawian culture is different and more conservative, with women wearing a blouse, headscarf, and a length of chitenge cloth wrapped around their bodies. If you dress modestly, covering your chest and legs, you will be given a warm welcome, especially in predominantly Muslim towns. For rural visits, women tourists can bring chitenge cloth to wrap over their waist or chest. The cloth may be found at any market and makes a wonderful keepsake. This is one of the things about Malawi you should know before travelling.
When visiting rural areas, women should wear "modestly," which means no bare shoulders and legs covered to the knee. Use a "chitenje," a fabric wrap worn universally by women, especially in rural areas, and they make fantastic tablecloths and conversation starters at home. Shorts or trousers will suffice at other times.
At the beach, "typical" beach attire is entirely fine and even expected. Because the Southern Lakeshore area, where most of the lodges are located, is predominantly Muslim, a respectable level of modesty (but not stringent) applies outside of the lodges. In other words, no brief female shorts or off-the-shoulder blouses are permitted in Mangochi, but "length" shorts are acceptable. The days of women being prohibited from wearing shorts are long gone.
