This holiday was probably my most planned for because of all the stories I had heard about dress code in Dubai, the modesty police and the need to be mindful of ones dressing.

I read several posts and blogs to get ideas and guidance. They were great but what non of the posts told me was that I was going to get stares regardless of whether I was butt naked or dressed in a fur jacket in the desert heat; simply because of my height.

Anyway, I decided not to take anything too short. By that I mean nothing above half my thigh length…(hope that’s makes sense💭💭).
As a tally things always look short on my long legs so I figured this would be a safe bet. I soon found that people wore short shorts in the tourist areas and in the malls but I guess you can get away with more at 5ft something.

Can I warn you now. Dubai is extremely hot. I found that loose clothing were better.  Hence why my wide leg palazzo outfit was great.  You are probably wondering how I could wear sleeves in the Dubai heat but because the weather is so hot and the sun is pretty intense I found that I needed to keep my skin covered to protect my skin from the intense sun.  My duster coat was very handy for keeping me warm in malls because the air con were on FULL blast.

Shoes glorious shoes.
A must have while in Dubai are a pair of rubber flip flops. These are vital for walking around on the beach because the sun is scorching hot. Also I found that while visiting the sand dunes these would have been sooo handy. The sand just goes everywhere.

Advance warning… if you decide to use the metro to got to the Dubai mall,it about a 15 -20 minutes walk from the train platform to the mall. Also once you get to the mall there are no benches or seats around unless you go to the food court.
The mall is HUGE so there is a lot of walking around so make sure you have comfortable shoes.

Above you can see my outfit to the mall. As you can see I had to pin the neckline of this dress to reduce the plunge but I managed to get away with the cheeky slit.

Nightlife dressing
Dubai nightlife reminds me so much of the ‘western world’. They have great bars and clubs so you will be sure to find a place that is to your liking. The music is varied and the people in Dubai sure know how to ‘turn up’. I got the impression that people work hard during the week so they totally relax and rock out on the weekend.
You can wear whatever you would wear to a night club or bar in the UK  to a bar or nightclub in Dubai.
In my view the modesty dress code was totally out of the window.

On the beach…
Bikini’s and swimwear are allowed on the beach.  I even saw a few smoking hot topless men roaming around.😍.
However, you are advised to keep all beach wear on the beach.  Ofcourse if your hotel has a swimming pool you can wear your swim wear at the pool side etc.

Finally… the views above are mine and are based on my experience. You do not have to agree with it all or any of it for that matter. Like most things in life there is no hard and fast rule.  There will be people who break the rules and norms and those who meticulously abide to them. You have to find your balance and enjoy your holiday.
Stay tuned for my next insert on money in Dubai.  Having a great and fabulous time on a budget or without raiding your bank account.

Stay tuned for my next insert on how to visit Dubai on a budget. Trust me you will be amazed .!

Let’s be friends. Connect with me on instagram @ijaykheavens

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