Dress
The clothing of the people of Afghanistan varies greatly from ethnic group to ethnic group, but there are many similarities as well. Nearly everyone in Afghanistan is Muslim and Islam has a number of religious dress restrictions that are closely followed by the people of Afghanistan. Since modesty is required, the dress tends to cover the arms and legs as well as the hair on women. However, in many of the valleys the weather can be quite hot so most of the clothes is light and tend to be loose-fitting, both to stay cool as well as to cover one's self. For women the dress was traditionally quite colorful, but today basic earth-toned colors are more common, which is also true for men. Most men also wear simple vests and a hat, of which there are numerous versions. Although some people in Afghanistan do wear western-styled clothing they are a minority.
Foreigners in Afghanistan should dress conservatively with both arms and legs covered; additionally, women should cover their hair whenever in public (although this is not a legal requirement). More importantly, due to the violence, it is recommended that you wear nothing that makes you stand out as a foreigner. Most visitors to Afghanistan today go with a larger organization, whether that is a military, a non-governmental organization, or another group, which is best suited to assist in what and how to dress.