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Old Sep 2, 2008 | 6:39 pm
  #1  
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Dress Code-Shanghai

Will be in Shanghai for 3 days in mid September. Casual pants or shorts and a polo shirt going to be somewhat normal? Would like to pack light so hope shorts are acceptable most places.

Thanks for any input.

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Old Sep 2, 2008 | 10:03 pm
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Originally Posted by rtarbuck
Will be in Shanghai for 3 days in mid September. Casual pants or shorts and a polo shirt going to be somewhat normal? Would like to pack light so hope shorts are acceptable most places.

Thanks for any input.

The only clothes I have over there are polos, jeans and denim shorts.
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Old Sep 3, 2008 | 4:00 am
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Agree, and if you really like to travel light - only bring basic stuff, you can always buy clothes there once you got there.

I will be there with one of my colleagues same time as yours, my colleague just pop in and asked me the same question!

PS. I checked the 787 already in Boeing factory!
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Old Sep 3, 2008 | 7:42 am
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If you're 100% sightseeing, perfect.

If you plan to go out in evening to nice restaurant, bar, night club, etc (Bund), etc., keep in mind Shanghai is still fairly international city - slacks and shirt might be more appropriate. POV
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Old Sep 3, 2008 | 7:47 am
  #5  
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Thanks for all the tips. Looks like I can pack pretty normally.

Speaking of tips, what's normal? Cafes, Bars, Taxis?
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Old Sep 3, 2008 | 8:10 am
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Adult men wearing shorts are a very unusual sight in China. Almost 100% foreigners. Otherwise casual dress is perfectly normal in everyday situations.
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Old Sep 3, 2008 | 11:09 am
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Male wearing shorts in China= foreigner
with camera around neck = foreigner tourist
with protruding gut = American tourist^
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Old Sep 3, 2008 | 1:26 pm
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We were in Beijing July 2006 for six nights and I was actually surprised by the number of Chinese men wearing shorts. We stayed at the Hilton off the third ring road. I recall walking down the street to the Lufthansa Center (which had a nice market in the basement) and being surprised by the number of men in shorts. The vast majority had long pants, but more than a few in shorts. It was fairly warm, so maybe that accounts for it?

Didn't notice the same in Shanghai, but then I was there in December.

Originally Posted by anacapamalibu
Male wearing shorts in China= foreigner
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Old Sep 3, 2008 | 2:08 pm
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Originally Posted by rtarbuck
Speaking of tips, what's normal? Cafes, Bars, Taxis?
We've debated this in some fairly robust terms over the years! Tipping isn't a part of Chinese culture at all, but as China becomes more cosmopolitan the practice is, be it for better or for worse, creeping in. It's still very limited though.

What's normal is simply not to tip at all. The only people who really tip in China are those who come from a culture where tipping is pretty much obligatory and who believe that their own system is best and for export to the world (i.e. Americans) and/or those who come from a culture where tipping is normal practice and without giving much thought to the matter just carry on as normal when they are in China (mainly Americans, but quite a few others also).
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Old Sep 3, 2008 | 9:49 pm
  #10  
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Originally Posted by MP (Miles+Points)
Agree, and if you really like to travel light - only bring basic stuff, you can always buy clothes there once you got there.

I will be there with one of my colleagues same time as yours, my colleague just pop in and asked me the same question!

PS. I checked the 787 already in Boeing factory!
Be a bit cautious about this in places like China.

Some time ago I found myself needing some thermal underwear over there. That proved a bit problematic. It wasn't a matter of language--my wife is a native speaker. Here I wear a medium. Over there they (my wife talking to the clerk) finally found an XXXL.

Much longer ago I got an ingrown toenail because I had outgrown my shoes--new ones in my size simply weren't to be had. When we hit South Africa we fared a *LITTLE* better--I ended up buying the two biggest shoes in town. Those were 11's. Now I'm 13EEEE--getting shoes here isn't exactly easy.
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Old Sep 3, 2008 | 9:50 pm
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Originally Posted by rtarbuck
Thanks for all the tips. Looks like I can pack pretty normally.

Speaking of tips, what's normal? Cafes, Bars, Taxis?
Zero.
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Old Sep 3, 2008 | 10:31 pm
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Originally Posted by Loren Pechtel
Be a bit cautious about this in places like China.

Some time ago I found myself needing some thermal underwear over there. That proved a bit problematic. It wasn't a matter of language--my wife is a native speaker. Here I wear a medium. Over there they (my wife talking to the clerk) finally found an XXXL.

Much longer ago I got an ingrown toenail because I had outgrown my shoes--new ones in my size simply weren't to be had. When we hit South Africa we fared a *LITTLE* better--I ended up buying the two biggest shoes in town. Those were 11's. Now I'm 13EEEE--getting shoes here isn't exactly easy.
I don't think this should be a problem in a place like SH if you go to a big department store like Carrefour, say.
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Old Sep 3, 2008 | 11:56 pm
  #13  
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TIPS

Originally Posted by Loren Pechtel
Zero.
^^^


for suckers only

tipping went out the window when RMB to USD went below 7
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Old Sep 4, 2008 | 12:05 am
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Originally Posted by dtsm
If you're 100% sightseeing, perfect.

If you plan to go out in evening to nice restaurant, bar, night club, etc (Bund), etc., keep in mind Shanghai is still fairly international city - slacks and shirt might be more appropriate. POV
I never had problems with nice resteraunts wearing shorts+ polo.
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Old Sep 4, 2008 | 12:31 am
  #15  
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I never wear shorts in the evening in Asia, unless I'm at a beachside town. Etiquette is a bit different here. IMHO, in nicer hotels, and in bigger cities long pants are a must.
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