By NASA MARIA ENTABAN

MANY of us will be visiting relatives and friends for the Hari Raya celebrations this week.

While the ideal choice of women’s attire for the festivities would be a baju kurung or baju kebaya, not everyone has one in their closet, and many of us wouldn’t have had time to head to a tailor to have something sewn together.

Not to worry, though, because as long as you know how to style yourself for the occasion, you can look just as good in regular clothes as the next girl in a baju kurung.

This week, we have some ideas for festive wear that will hopefully help you dress for the second, third and fourth days of visiting.

If you’re going to visit a lot of open houses and aren’t sure about what to expect from each different place, like if it’s going to be air-conditioned, whether there’ll be an outdoor canopy or if it will be packed with people, then my advice to you is simple: Come prepared.

Bring a thin cardigan, jacket or shawl just in case it rains and you get cold, or if you’re visiting a more conservative relative’s house and need to cover up.

Layer up this Raya

Speaking of being conservative, remember that while you may be comfortable wearing whatever you like, you should always be respectful to your hosts.

We know the weather is hot and you’ll quite possibily be sweating buckets throughout the day, but there are many ways to keep your outfit decent while remaining cool.

With sheer material, wear a thin tank top or tube top for more coverage, and be mindful of necklines – the mandarin collar is always a good idea to give your outfit that sophisticated touch.

Dressing conservatively is the way to go

Wearing something with sleeves is always a good choice – even if the sleeves barely cover your shoulders.

With regards to skirt length, don’t go any shorter than above the knee, and slits are probably a bad idea if you’re going to be sitting on someone’s couch, or worse, on the floor.

However, with leggings and tights, all those little problems are solved. You can always make a short outfit look more decent by pairing them with leggings, but do bear in mind that they could make you feel sweaty and grimy after several hours of being in them.

Avoid outfits that are too radical. For example, dresses with cutouts, shredded hemlines and so on aren’t that flattering at open houses.

Experiment with colours, though. Bright colours and colour-blocking are still in so where you are limited by length, go all out with colours.

Don't be afraid to experiment with colours

Lastly, go easy on the makeup. Put on something that will be easy to touch up and carry your compact with you. Try to avoid dark eyeshadow as this will probably run, along with eyeliner and thick mascara.

Instead, use light colours like pastels or earthy tones, and sheer lipstick or gloss since you’ll probably be doing a lot of eating throughout the day.

Happy dressing up, and have a great holiday!