What to Wear in Spring in Lahore, Pakistan

Spring, like autumn in the Punjab, is a fleeting month or so of pleasant weather between the cool season and the hot season. It's usually between mid-February and mid-March. Punjabis celebrate the spring season with the annual kite-flying festival of Basant, which unfortunately in recent years has been a bit of a controversy. Multiple decapitations of motorbike riders, who ride head into metal and glass kite strings, have caused the government to ban the festival and put a damper on the season. Nevertheless, spring has still prevailed as a season for utilizing a variety of materials and bright colors in local fashion.

Most men shed their sweater vests and jackets, and they may start wearing short-sleeve button-down shirts to work. Open-toed sandals are worn for casual wear, although traditional dress shoes are still worn to work. Businessmen or those working offices still wear business attire or business casual during this season, so for men it's not as exciting as for women.

For ladies, spring is a time for bright colors and buying new open-toed sandals. The traditional color of Basant is bright yellow, and bright shades of pink, green and orange as also popular during this season. In general, younger ladies wear brighter colors, and colors like brown, cream, and mauve are reserved for older ladies. Women stop wearing their thick winter clothing and sweaters, and start wearing lighter materials like cotton, georgette, silk, chiffon, or crinkle. In spring it's still cool enough to wear synthetic materials, but in summer most ladies stick with 100% cotton lawn.

You can start wearing lawn in spring, but since you'll be wearing it from mid-March to mid-October, most ladies take advantage of wearing other materials during this season. It gives some variety to your wardrobe. You may still want to bring a warm shawl with you in case the nights are cooler, but as summer draws nearer you won't have much need of one.

Pakistani ladies love their footwear, and it's best to have a set of shoes that matches each suit. Rubber-soled shoes are generally reserved for the bathroom, so make sure you observe what local ladies wear outside the home. They take great care of their feet, and since you're shedding your socks in spring it might be time to get a good pedicure. You can get one done in most parlors for between 200 and 500 rupees.