UK to Brazil Capsule Wardrobe- HELP!

I've lived in England (UK) all my life, but I've somehow ended up with a TEFL internship in São Paulo (Brazil)! I'll be there in May for around 6 months, & I will be teaching Business English to adults.

As a result, I'm not really sure what to pack (here are the guidelines):

As a 21 year old, I know I will have to make an extra effort to be taken seriously by my adult students- but at the same time, I want to look accessible. Do you think teaching have a formal dress code, even in Brazil's laidback culture?
My personal style is quite colourful (read: I like to colour block), with a little bohemian/ artsy twist. I also like to dress quite modestly (which means I regularly use layering in my UK looks). Any ideas how to stay true to my style, in Brazil's tropical weather?
I'd like to travel light- I know I can buy clothes out there, but as a university student (on a budget), I'd rather utilise the (many) clothes I already have (see my profile for examples). Any tips on what might be versatile (for both work & play)?

I realise this is a tough question, but any ideas would be really appreciated- not just on how to fulfil my age/ suitcase size/ budget/ style criteria, but also tips on what Brazilian culture is like (specifically Sorocaba), & what else to pack (non clothes-related)!

(EDIT: Sorry I didn't include these things earlier, but:

São Paulo is the state I'll be going to- the actual city is Sorocaba. About 2 hours from the beach, unfortuntely
I will be going this May for about 6 months (so until October), but I may stay longer (until December)- it depends.
The 'formality' question is more to gauge which end of the spectrum to be at, as a teacher (eg- is a cardigan over a top alright, or does it have to be a blazer over a shirt? Are slacks necessary?)

Thanks in advance, everyone!

-IA

12 years ago

Anonymous

I've not been to Brasil but wish you luck. What a fabulous opportunity!

Vivi

Active Member

Wow, IA! What a wonderful opportunity. Maybe you could start by looking at travel sites that specialize in packing. This is a great one: http://travelfashiongal.com/
There is a section called What To Pack and they have examples for different countries. I think there is even one on teaching abroad. The lovely people here can help you narrow it down.

Agnes

Are you going soon? will it be for winter and spring?I just looked its climate up and it looks like the winter temps are similar to Syndey when I live in jeans . Its never very cold ,the average mid winter minimum is 12 even at night, but try to find out if its windy, if you will need a light coat or not. the day temps looks nice around 22 C. If you google sao paulo fashion, you get a very sexy bunch of pics I must say! almost everything is bikinis! and thankfully a few light suits.

Zaeobi

(website)

Veteran

@Joy Thank you- I'm both nervous & excited at the same time!

@Vivi Thanks for the tip, but the website link you posted doesn't work

Wrong link. It's
http://travelfashiongirl.com/

@Agnes I'll be going next month in May (maybe early June, if visas are delayed) & staying until September/ October. Thanks for the heads up, I've updated my post to include the dates

Elizabeth P

I'm afraid I have no wisdom to share, just wanted to say WOW! What an opportunity!

Laurie

Hi! That is a very interesting opportunity. When I was in my 20's a long time ago, I spent 9 months in Brazil. You are in for an adventure, for sure. I hope you will have time to get out of SP as much as possible. There are many beautiful places to visit.

I recently returned to Sao Paulo for the first time in many years, and I will be going back in May. One notable thing is that SP is a very dirty city, so consider that when packing. Another thing is that you'll be headed into the fall/winter of Brazil, and I remember that it can be chilly in SP, and not many places have heat. So, even when it was in the 50's (F), it felt cold. Your layering style will serve you well in that regard. You'll be staying into the spring, and it was extremely hot when I was there in October, and humid, too.

Generally Brazilian women favor body con style, but I think pretty much anything goes. I had never heard of lycra in the mid-80's but Brazilian women were sporting bike shorts by then!! There is no such thing as a one-piece bathing suit, either - every body, every age wears a 2-piece. It is a country for colors, for sure. As for work, it is never a bad idea to dress professionally - blouses and slacks or skirts always projects a professional image. You are teaching to business professionals, so it would be appropriate to match their style.

Of course, you know about the crime, etc., so keep that in mind and leave your valuables at home. Be really aware of bags and purses you carry - keeping things closed, close and in front of you if possible is a good idea.

Finally, I found the cost of living breathtakingly high when I was recently there. Everything - food, cabs and certainly clothes -- are very expensive. I live in the DC area. I know London's prices have been trending high for the last several years as well, so can't comment on how you'll find the comparison. There are huge gleaming malls with every designer store, and I just don't know how the average middle class citizen can afford any of it. also, these malls are within 1 or 2 miles of favelas....last week's NYTimes magazine (3/31 I think) had a very interesting photo spread on Sao Paulo, you might be able to look it up.

I'll be so interested to hear about your travels! Hope some of this is helpful!

PS -- if you travel to Buenos Aires during your stay in Brazil, everything is much more reasonably priced right now. If you have dollars, you can get a great exchange rate.

@Laurie- thanks for your advice, it's very helpful!

I think I haven't been clear enough though- yes I'll be in the state of São Paulo, but my actual city will be Sorocaba. Meaning you probably won't bump into me in May- apologies! As far as I know, there are no actual favelas in Sorocaba, but I will still keep my wits about me regardless. I think Brazil as a whole is quite an expensive travel destination, but again Sorocaba may be cheaper. Thanks for the heads up though- it'll probably wiser to bring most of my things from the UK then. Any idea what practical items (eg- a 5 mile taxi ride, a week's worth of groceries) might cost me?

Thanks for the clothing tips too- good to know my layering will work well (but unfortunately that means having to pack more things)! Looking at weather forecasts, it also looks like it rains almost as much as England- is it warm/ tropic rain, though? Not sure I favour the bodycon/ bikini style, but I will be far enough from the beach to not have to worry about it (don't know how the women there cope with bodycon styles in the sweltering heat, though!)

(PS- How do I tell people about my travels? Can I post things here in the forum, or link to my blog?)

It doesn't matter now, because my suitcase (with my clothes in it) has been lost

DeclawedJaguar

Oh, no! What rotten luck! How long has it been lost? Don't lose hope. I had a bag lost for over a month that was miraculously discovered in a warehouse a month later and returned to me. Hope you can adjust to this mishap and still have fun.

Adelfa

Oh no! A nightmare come true. But I too have heard stories of suitcases being returned after 3 weeks or so. Are you going to buy anything? What are your retail options? Do you want any help with your brand-new capsule? We are here for you, just ask if you want our help with anything!

Suz

Oh, no!! After all that planning. What an annoyance!! What will you do? I hope you have at least enough to tide you over for a few days? Do let us know how we can help!

rachylou

Oh, that's a buggrit. Well, that's one way to find about the local shopping

Just a quick update to say I'm back in England now, & that thankfully my suitcase came through in the end!

Happy to report that I made full use of my colour-blocked layering style, by using scarves (I bought sooo many out there, especially on the beaches!) & blazers/ jackets (I went in the 'winter', so it got a little chilly at night- even though Brazilian winter is like South England's summer!) I did feel a lot more colourful than the locals though (although they do wear colour, it tends to be more one piece (like a tight dress) than flowy layers. Shops were stocking more 'winter' colours at the time, too).

The only downside about fashion in Brazil is that clothes are OUTRAGEOUSLY expensive (moreso than what I would pay in England!) due to heavy taxes on everything. So scarves (& some jewellery from market stalls) were just about all the 'clothing' that I bought out there Even my Brazilian friends would stock up on clothes shopping when visiting America!

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