Every VISIONS program has a dress code, and it is worth understanding why before you start packing.
VISIONS participants are not tourists. You are a guest in someone’s community, working alongside elders, indigenous community members, nonprofit professionals, and families whose cultural and religious norms around dress tend to be conservative. Service days are, in many ways, like going to work—and what you wear signals how seriously you take that.
This is not about limiting self-expression for its own sake. It is about showing up in a way that reflects well on you and on the relationships VISIONS has spent decades building. The communities we work with have welcomed us back year after year. Dressing with awareness of their norms is one of the ways we honor that.
The photos throughout this page give you a good sense of what daily dress actually looks like in each location. Take a look before you pack.
Clothing not permitted on VISIONS programs:
- Short-shorts or short skirts (must be at least mid-thigh)
- Crop tops (shirts must cover the midriff)
- Spaghetti straps and low-cut shirts
- Clothing that reveals undergarments
- See-through clothing
- Spandex or yoga pants (leggings worn under shorts are permitted)
- Bikinis or Brazil-cut bathing suits (tankinis are fine)
- Low-riding pants that show undergarments
Even when it’s hot outside, it’s modest.
VISIONS participants and local partners in Peru.
