In southern Malaysia, the traditional dress is a long tunic over an ankle-length skirt, which is pleated on one side like the Indian sari. In Vietnam, as in China, older men and women prefer shirts with the mandarin collar and pants with wide legs. In Vietnam, many people walk around with the wide, conical straw hat, while in the Philippines, most people dress in typical western clothes. Whether it's an elaborately designed brooch, or a fresh floral print, the people here always look well put together. And the hip crowd is even more fly.
Business attire includes slits up the side and backs of close-fitting skirts.
Silver jewelry and bell-bottom pants are also big. But not everything is palatable to these American taste buds. I can't stand many Asian desserts. Delicacies, like the fish lip soup I wrote about recently, were hard to swallow. Still, I did try new things, like native fruits and vegetables and juices, as well chicken cooked in a zillion different ways.