Amman - Post Report Question and Answers

What is the typical dress code at work and in public places? Is formal dress ever required?

It's fine, for women I would avoid shorts and tank tops. Even walking/running I wear pants. - Aug 2023


People dress conservatively in public. You’ll get stared at/harassed if you don’t. - Aug 2023


Modest for both men and women. - Jul 2023


Business or business casual in the office. The annual Marine Ball and Black & White Gala are opportunities to wear your fancy clothes. I would guess that it's 50/50 Muslim and Christian population. Many women are covered, many wear open shoulders or dresses above the knees. Varied. - Mar 2023


Professional in work but not necessarily a suit every day or even a tie for men unless they are going to meetings. For women out and about, in Amman, it is fine to wear short-sleeves but I never wear shorts unless at a resort. My daughter does wear shorts at sports practices at school, but not for the school day. We have had things said to my daughter and I when in Aqaba in southern Jordan, but never in Amman. - Jul 2022


Dress in the workplace is quite formal due to the more conservative culture. I wore a full suit and tie every day to work. Outside of work, jeans and polo or t-shirts are fine. Shorts are usually not well-accepted except at the resorts or gyms. Women are generally expected to be more conservative. It is expected that shoulders should be covered, and tight clothes are not well-accepted. However, I will say that I saw many younger Jordanian women publicly flaunting these norms, so I believe the times are rapidly changing. Certainly there is no law against it. - Oct 2021


Business. - Feb 2021


It should be respectful. For special events, locals dress up more than you will. If your work is outward facing, you should wear smart business clothes. Unless you are completely comfortable being ogled at and are comfortable with the negative comments, leave the short shorts at home. Downtown and out of Amman are conservative places - dress accordingly by covering your legs and shoulders - Jan 2021


Business casual. - Dec 2020


Business attire. - Sep 2020


Don’t wear shorts, short skirts or deep v-necks as a woman and you’ll be fine in the expat bubble of Abdoun and surrounding area. Outside of this area, I would err on more conservative. - Sep 2018


Seems pretty Western. Most women steer away from short skirts and tank tops, though I comfortably wear short-sleeves. It's not a big deal. Save formal dress for the Marine Ball. - Sep 2018


Business dress at the office, business casual when you go out. You see some people wearing shorts on the streets but it is usually foreigners. Women are much more limited in what to wear, depending upon where you are going. - Mar 2017


Business. - Jul 2016


Professional. - Mar 2016


At work it's business attire--men in suits, women in pants or skirts. In public it's conservative. - Mar 2016


Business Dress at work, Modest for going around town. Kids can wear what they want. Teens and up should have shorts/skirts close to their knees and no tank tops. - Nov 2015


Men are fine in whatever. However, women need to wear skirts and pants at least to their knees and cover their shoulders. Women can get by wearing less modest attire, but it is considered very disrespectful. - May 2015


About the same as North America, although women are restricted in terms of how much skin can be showing (regardless of how hot it is). Anything above the knees is pretty risque, and shoulders (at minimum) need to be covered. I always keep a scarf in my bag. - Mar 2015


At work: business. Outside: typically business casual. Jordan is a conservative Muslim country so women are expected to dress accordingly... sleeved tops, no shorts, etc. - Jul 2014


Fairly conservative, though in Abdoun you see quite a range. As a woman, I wouldn't wear shorts and a tank top, but jeans and t-shirts are common. For work I tend to wear more professional attire. - Mar 2014


Dress code at work is like in Washington. In public, American women will need to dress slightly more conservatively than they would in the States. Keep a lightweight jacket or sweater handy for when you feel the need to cover up. - Dec 2013


Modest for women. Business casual in the Embassy. - Aug 2013


More conservative than in the U.S. for women, but in western Amman it's far less of an issue. The elite Jordanian women can (mostly) dress however they please, so it's fairly accepted that western women will also in those same expensive neighborhoods. - Jul 2013


Conservative, but a veil is not needed. - May 2013


Conservative. - Mar 2013


At the Embassy, work attire is business. Women should dress somewhat conservatively. I never wear shorts in public. Skirts should be knee length and longer. If you are wearing a shirt that is sleeveless, then I would wear a wrap of some sort until I got where I was going. I can dress in jeans and a short sleeved shirt to go shopping and have no problems. - Apr 2012


Standard embassy-type stuff at work. Out in public I'd recommend modesty. I get lots of looks if I have to run errands in shorts after I hit the gym, and my wife would never do that. Not worth the looks and the odd harassing comment. The weather is comfortable enough, even in summer jeans/long pants during the day aren't that big a deal. - Mar 2012


Somewhere between business casual and business attire. - Mar 2012


Suit and tie to work and pretty casual around town. Women tend to dress more conservatively than men do because of local customs. - Aug 2011


Women need to have their shoulders, chest and legs mostly covered. I wore skirts that were below the knee. Capris were fine, and short sleeve shirts were okay. Men generally wear pants and short-sleeve shirts - Aug 2011


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