Dress
For the local Tajik, the dress can indicate where a person is from, plus additional information about the individual. However, for the tourist these subtle differences will likely be missed. There are many commonalities across the people though as most women wear a loose-fitting dress and pants while men tend to wear loose-fitting shirts and pants with boots. Both men and women also tend to wear various styles of hats. Beyond these generalities, the specifics move in numerous directions as colors and styles vary.
Today the traditional dress is still worn in many villages and at many important events and celebrations, but many young people and city-dwellers have turned away from this traditional dress in favor of more western-styled clothing. Although western-styled clothing is now the norm in many places, the people generally still cover up as the people are primarily Muslim and many people cover their elbows and knees.
Despite this somewhat conservative dress, for many people it is due to social norms and weather, not religion. Due to a long period under Soviet rule and their banning of religion, most rules and restrictions dictated by Islam have fallen into the past, although some are still followed quite closely, especially by more conservative Muslims. So wearing shorts and short-sleeved shirts is acceptable, although you may get some strange looks. However, if in Mosques long pants must be worn, women must cover their hair, and everyone should have their shoulders and knees covered. Elsewhere, only the most devout Muslims feel required to cover their hair, although in some areas there is a small religious resurgence.