Both, men and women should cover their shoulders. Sandals are acceptable in some temples. Clothing shouldn't be too loose or too tight for it to be convenient for worshiping and meditation.
Sandals with straps are acceptable (again, no flip-flops). If you happen to forget, many temples also have unisex sarongs available for you to rent during your visit.
Shoes must always be simple to symbolise the humble life of a monk. In fact, wearing no shoes at all would be an even stronger sign of a modest life. Nevertheless, the Buddha permits the wearing of shoes, particularly inside the monastery.
Cover Yourself
Shoulders should be covered and long pants should be worn rather than shorts. Some temples in tourist places may be more lenient, but your modesty will be appreciated. Some, but not all temples, may provide a sarong or other cover-up for a small fee if the gatekeeper thinks you're not covered up enough.
Do not wear flip-flops to a temple; wear proper shoes with socks. When entering any temple building, shoes must come off. You can leave your socks on (a good thing because temple floors can get hot), so you might want to bring another pair.
For your feet, wear proper sandals or closed shoes. Some temples would ask you to take off your shoes and wear socks when entering their edifices. Remove your hats and sunglasses too. You may also want to remove flashy accessories and pieces of jewelry.
Also, any practicing Buddhists must remove their shoes before entering the temple. This is so the bringing in of outside dirt into the temple can be avoided. The temple must remain as clean and as pure as possible.
Dress Code - Every temple implements a dress code before you can enter. A good rule of thumb is to dress up that covers most areas of your body. Avoid wearing shorts, tank tops, or dresses that are above the knees. Upon entering any building on the temple grounds, you must remove your hats and shoes.
Dress modestly
Men and women should wear clothing that covers most or all of the body. Shirts should have sleeves, and pants should cover beyond the knees. Avoid tank-tops and short shorts.
Theravada nuns wear light pink or white robes. Typically only seen during morning almsgiving rituals, alms bowls are worn around the neck. In Bhutan and Nepal, both monks and nuns generally wear only maroon robes, with some variation of red. Both countries practice Buddhism that is closely-related to Tibetan Buddhism.
In the strict practice of classic times, a monk would have only 4 possessions: a bowl and three robes. So those monks were barefoot. However, a monk may wear sandals or shoes that are donated to him, or given to the monastery or residence where he dwells. This is very useful for monks in colder locations.
Appropriate footwear for Thai temples
It is customary to remove footwear when entering temples (and a Thai person's house). You can wear any footwear to a temple. The most common footwear in Thailand are sandals / flip flops. These are easy to slip on and off as you enter and exit buildings.
As such, in many mandirs and mosques, as well as in churches and synagogues of the Indian subcontinent and Middle East, it is customary for worshippers to remove their shoes before entering a house of worship, where they believe they are entering into the presence of the divine.
Flip flops are great for every-day casual wear, as long as you don't live in an environment that's cold more so than not. Otherwise, when heading out to the grocery store, shopping mall or plaza, or doing other daily errands, slide into your favorite pair of flip flops!
Flip flops are only acceptable for short-term use, if they have at least some arch support, a cushioned sole, and supportive straps. These type of flip flops are appropriate to wear at the beach, around swimming pools, in communal bathing facilities and locker rooms at the gym, or around the house.
They are good for short distances, such as going to the grocery store for a few items. Flip-flops are best on flat surfaces. Flip-flops are also great for public showers to avoid warts or fungus. In conclusion, for a normal foot, flip-flops are a reasonable shoe wear option in moderation.
During menstruation, women should not enter temples or shrines, being seen as polluted. In Sri Lankan Buddhism, this is also true for their husbands and other men, who have been in a home with menstruating women.
What do you wear to a Buddhist temple service? All white dresses that covers your body well except the head. It is disrespectful to cover head for men and women in Buddhist temples and if you have some sort of a cover it is best to remove it and enter.
They constitute the basic code of ethics to be respected by lay followers of Buddhism. The precepts are commitments to abstain from killing living beings, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying and intoxication.
Food is prepared as a spiritual exercise with attention to balance, harmony, and delicacy. Conscious eating is followed among all Buddhists. Buddha advised monks to avoid eating 10 kinds of meat for self-respect and protection: humans, elephants, horses, dogs, snakes, lions, tigers, boars and hyenas.
Take your shoes off
Removing one's shoes before entering someone's house, or a temple, mosque or gurdwara (Sikh temple) is essential. Wearing socks or stockings in these places is usually permissible.
These following clothes are strictly not allowed as outer garments for both ladies and gentlemen: Short shorts, mini-skirts, short skirts, torn jeans, see through, vests, tight fitting trousers or leggings.
To imagine that we could pray wearing our shoes may sound very surprising for many of us. The fact is that it is perfectly permissible. Someone may ask what if we have stepped over some dirt or impurity.
“If you have no pain in your feet and lower legs, and are comfortable wearing sandals, there is no reason not to wear them,” Dr. Pribut says. “But if you are having pain from plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendinitis, shin splints, or other conditions, sandals and flip-flops are not likely to be the best footwear.”
Sandals Are Fine in Certain Situations
Though some women will wear pantyhose with their sandals (yikes!), most women do not and being bare legged is not considered offensive. Men should not wear sandals anywhere other than the beach.