No worries at all. Kazakh people are no longer wearing the traditional costumes in everyday life.
Here is Kazakh traditional costume, which is a dress with ornaments.
And Kazakh traditional man's costume, which is a chapan (a quilted dressing gown) with ornaments. The colors of the national costumes are different, they can be red, blue, black, yellow and green.
If you are keen to see what it looks like, you are welcome to any of the performances organized during national holidays on public squares (e.g. Nauryz on March 22), or Kazakh music concerts in concert halls.
These clothes are not worn any longer. For everyday life you will need smart and casual clothes. Everyone has his own style and they way he likes dressing. However, people in Kazakhstan usually do not mix different styles: if your business partner is wearing smart clothes (the trousers/skirt and the jacket are usually one color, and other accessories usually match the color of the suit), you will not spot any casual item like sporty bag or casual outerwear jacket. Don't be surprised to see the variety of outerwear clothes in winter, especially the fur coats and fur hats, which are not usually worn in Europe or America.
Before coming to Kazakhstan, it would be advised to check the weather forecast, however keep in mind that Kazakhstan has sharp continental climate.
Depending on the place and city you are going to visit, here are some tips:
(Temperatures are given here are in Celsius, please use the Temperature converter on the sidebar to covert it into Fahrenheit or Kelvin)
ALMATY
(humid, no wind, frequent showers):
The climate in Almaty is rather mild, but it has high level of humidity. So, even if the weather forecast says it is minus 10 C in January, it might same as minus 20 C in the Northern part of Kazakhstan, because of humidity. There is much snow in winter, but all offices continue working the same schedule. However, there might be more traffic jams on the road, so it's better to reserve some time for commuting. Suede shoes in winter in Almaty will be a disaster because snow melts quickly and your feet might get drenched very quickly! Spring has very changeable weather, it might be hot during the day but rather chilly in the evening. Summer is rather hot, and autumn is extremely beautiful, with temperature dropping gradually with practically no jumps in temperatures. It never rains but it pours in Almaty! Even if it is sunny, check the weather forecast, because it might shower all of a sudden and heavily!
ASTANA
(strong winds):
Many people do not like the idea of going to Astana because of its severe climate, especially in winter. Winter average temperature is -20-30 C, but it can drop below 40. Strong winds make it even worth. It's hard to move during the blizzard for a couple of meters! Because of the winds it feels it's colder than forecast. You will definitely need a hat in Astana. Besides winter months, it might snow in October, November, March and April. Permanent winds will make it freezing. Fall and spring are pretty chilly, and summer is not really hot, though sometimes the temperature reaches +30C. When it rains and when snow melts, it becomes dirty and muddy outside, and the mud is hard to remove because it's all clay.
If you are planning a business trip and care about adjustment to temperature, check the weather forecast to get prepared and make sure you are carrying enough clothes not to be cold.
