Hi Linda (and all the other full-timing ladies out there!)
We're working out the details of going full-time. Starting to look feasible. We've taken several long trips with our current 5th wheel and feel like it's something we'd like to do more of. We've also spent a few months in it when Johnny had his ankle fused so we know we can even do longer.
So here's the burning question. Just what do you ladies have on board for clothing???
From my perspective the guys have it pretty easy... A pair of dark "dockers" and a pair of light ones, a couple pairs of jeans, some shorts, t-shirts and golf shirts and a dress shirt and sports jacket and their good to go pretty much anywhere!
Try as I might I can't seem to figure out the equivelant female wardrobe... It's always a question of what's the weather, what will we be doing, where are we going and then swapping out the trailer wardrobe pretty much every trip. And we won't even talk about shoes!!!
We're thinking we will be doing some workkamping and I'm working on some other business ideas for while we're on the road, if that helps any...
I appreciate any input, because I'm pretty sure the room size walkin closet from the house won't fit in any rv!
Carol
phyllen said
06:05 AM Aug 8, 2010
I have two good pairs of slacks, a couple of decent blouses, a dress, a good summer and a good winter skirt and blouse. For summer shorts and t shirts. For winter jeans and sweaters. Out of season clothes go in space bags under the bed.
Those everyday clothes include two good pair of jeans and 4 old stained ones. We have done one and plan on more projects for NOMADS where I would get paint, etc on them. I have FAR too many t-shirts. But a lot of them are stained too.
I suspect when I pull out winter clothes more of them will be dumped. I seem to wear the same ones over and over. Likewise my shorts, I wear the same three. I could easily get rid of the rest. But I figure the ones I wear a lot can be replaced with what I have once they get too nasty.
Shoes - two pair of tennis shoes (one good/one old pair). A pair of sandals. A pair of dress shoes. Two sets of casual shoes (loafer type). A pair of ankle boots and a pair of snow boots. Oh and flip flops for wearing in campground showers.
A raincoat, two blazers, a light windbreaker and a heavy winter coat plus two sweaters.
That's about it. I never was one who worried about clothes, jewelry, shoes, etc. So I do not miss having a full wardrobe. Even though I retired from Human Resources, my last 7 years were spent in a food processing company where the dress was casual - real casual. Jeans and tees were the norm. Therefore, I did not have a lot of "good" clothes to expel. Made life a little simpler.
Ckerr said
07:00 AM Aug 8, 2010
Thanks Phyllis! That's helpful.
I have a closet full of clothes from a career as a business consultant and then in real estate. If they were suits it would be an easy call to ditch them, but most fall in the category of "business casual" and so the call is much tougher.
I guess a good start would be to determine if we have a temperature limit about where we will travel!
nessiekatt said
08:50 AM Aug 8, 2010
Just a thought. At my work they recently had a charity drive requesting work clothes for a center that helps the currently homeless going through their work program. Most of them do not have the appropriate type of clothing for interviews etc.. There may be something like that near you that you can donate the things that you won't be keeping. Again just a thought.
Good luck in you're preparations.
Susan
whatsupwithsusanandcompany.blogspot.com/
Luvglass said
10:51 AM Aug 8, 2010
Unless you go to ritzy, class A only resorts, 98% of the people you are going to see in this lifestyle are dressed in jeans, dungarees or shorts, with Tee shirts or a shirt.
Relaxed is the order of the day, every day.
Ckerr said
11:14 AM Aug 8, 2010
Thanks Susan. There are several programs like that around Austin as well.
Casual is good Fred! Just never been much of a jeans girl. Need to find a good alternative I guess.
Paul and Jo said
11:39 AM Aug 8, 2010
I love this forum!
It seems as soon as I add something to my "To Do/ Think About" list of Fulltiming, I find an answer here. I was just making a list of clothing that would be needed/wanted to take with us.
TxYellowRose said
04:32 PM Aug 8, 2010
Let's see...I travel with what clothes would fit into the rig!
Right now winter clothes are in space bags. When it gets to winter, those things will trade places with the summer stuff that is now out.
Seriously, tho, the most dressy thing I have is a black denim-type skirt and a sleeveless turtleneck sweater with beading on it. Not necesssarily to be worn together.
I ditched the remaining suits/pantsuits I had left from my corporate days and basically the rest of my clothes.
What I kept are jeans, T-shirts, long-sleeved shirts, jacket sweaters, sleeveless tanks, etc. Kept things that will work together in combination...i.e. sleeveless tank under a long-sleeved shirt...
Kept my snow boots from MN days, Wellingtons for rainy days, leather bomber jacket (that will probably be buried with me, had it for years, and it is "the" jacket for Scotland), parka (three jackets in one) from MN days again...caps, etc.
Left behind the Christmas sweaters but chose to keep my holiday scarves and other ones...a scarf around the neck adds festiveness and can change the look of an outfit...besides, scarves are lightweight and don't take up much room!
Basically kept only casual wear...but a jacket or two to "dress up" jeans...shorts, etc. I am sooooo done with the corporate look. Been there, done that, had the suits to prove it.
Got rid of a LOT of jewelry, too. Heck, I wear basically the same things all the time.
I bet you'll find you will be amazed at what you do not need!
Paul and Jo said
04:37 PM Aug 8, 2010
Ckerr wrote:
Thanks Susan. There are several programs like that around Austin as well.
Casual is good Fred! Just never been much of a jeans girl. Need to find a good alternative I guess.
I understand what you are saying, I'm an old fashion "dress" girl. I own one pair of jeans for garden work.
Paul and Jo said
04:40 PM Aug 8, 2010
Ckerr wrote:So here's the burning question. Just what do you ladies have on board for clothing???
Jo would have to remain a lady and feminine. However, in some instances, practical clothes are a must! How can she empty the black water in heels! I realise that there's a compromise that has to be made sometimes.
OK ... I'll stand back and take the abuse. However, I was just joking!
Paul
DorisandDave said
06:31 AM Aug 9, 2010
Carol, I too had business and business casual clothes...got rid of them all. I am now back to t-shirts, sleeveless cotton shirts, a couple of jeans, lots of light cotton capris, couple of shorts. Only kept a few winter things, as we don't plan on being caught anywhere near freezing. So, a few sweatshirts, long sleeve shirts and one coat a piece. Although we have only been fulltiming for 4 months (and in one spot) I'm finding already that I don't need so many shirts. I'm getting ready to purge so that I only have enough clothes for 7 days plus 2 additional just in case. That includes underclothes and socks. I have a pair of crocs next to the door to slip on for quick trips outside, everyday sandels, 2 pairs of tennis shoes, one pair of boots for riding the cycles, and one pair of dress shoes. And of course the shower shoes. One skirt and nice shirt if I need to dress up. 3 sets of lounging/sleepwear. And that's it. I'm still in the less is more frame of mind.
The problem I'm having is that all my drawers, shelves and closets are still about 1/3rd empty...is this normal? I'm feeling like I have nothing else to add to them. Will I collect more as we travel?
Doris
Dreamers said
07:11 AM Aug 9, 2010
Phyllen, Me too! I retired from Human Resources and will be retiring a second time, from Human Resources, as soon as the S & B sells.
Also, I'm dealing with "onboard" clothes. The shoe situation is the hardest part for me, I think. We are actually living in the RV, so I guess we can be considered FT but still bring stuff from the house and everything is getting full. Guess we'll have to go thru the RV and purge again before actually hitting the road.
Judy
-- Edited by Dreamers on Monday 9th of August 2010 07:17:18 AM
Ckerr said
08:37 AM Aug 9, 2010
Paul, It is entirely possible to dump the black tank in heels and a dress, so tell Jo not to worry. I wish I had a picture to prove it, but I know I've done it. Not sure if I should be embarrassed or proud of that one!
Jo, see response to Paul above... I've just never found jeans to be that comfortable, so it's actually one of my concerns. Perhaps some more shopping is in order...
TxYellowRose, I think I've been living in shorts and dresses the past year. Must confess to showing real estate in shorts these days! It's a 100+ plus humidity -- let's be real here! I like the layering idea. Need to go through the closet with that in mind. Perhaps if I approach it like the 4 week round the world trip... Something for every occassion but as little as possible...
Doris, I don't think I can get down to 7 days, but maybe 2 weeks! And I'm pretty sure Johnny wants to stay far away from any place chilly...
Judy, I'm with you! Shoes!
Melstar said
08:47 AM Aug 9, 2010
I love the idea of space bags for under the bed storage! Never thought of that....I too was wondering how to bring different seasons of clothes.....I know when we visited in California last November it was warm in the day and cold at night. I do like clothes...love lots of choices...but am getting to the point of "hating" the dress up thing! Looking forward to the simpler way of life!!!
flyone said
11:44 AM Aug 9, 2010
Just go to one of those clothing optional RV parks and don't worry about it. I guess you would have to have some shoes, wouldn't want to walk around barefooted all day.
mcw50 said
07:20 PM Aug 9, 2010
What you'll need in clothes depends on what activities you get into and where you will be travelling. I can not honestly remember the last time my hubby wore long pants except for our annual trip to Michigan at Christmas...he wears shorts to church! Likewise I can't remember when I last wore long slacks or jeans...must have been in the winter also, but I do wear "capris" often..but mostly shorts. I don't currently own a dress or skirt and hubby has a suit burried somewhere under the bed. We each have "new" and "old" tennis shoes and I have some sandals. I have a few sleevelss, short sleeve and long sleeve tops and a couple sweaters and dressier jackets to layer. Our rain gear and winter jackets are in the back of the closet. What you need just depends on your lifestyle. I have a friend who, I swear, must use her whole bedroom as a walk-in closet...I've never seen so many stylish outfits come out of an RV. It's a personal thing that after some time on the road you'll work out for yourself...but hard to imagine before you get going. Good luck!
Melstar said
12:11 AM Aug 10, 2010
Ummmm clothing optional RV Park???? Are they listed in the Campground Books?? :)
Luvglass said
07:56 AM Aug 10, 2010
No, they are not. I think you can find them by going through a Google search for AANR.
There are more of them than you would think. We've been toying with the idea, but never seem to get around to it.
-- Edited by Luvglass on Tuesday 10th of August 2010 07:58:19 AM
TxYellowRose said
10:37 AM Aug 10, 2010
Having spent three months in Scotland and then short return trips since, I learned to do the layering thing and mix-and-match with jeans, blazers, tops. It does work!
RE: The clothing optional parks...would you believe we had two parks contact us within the last month with offers for workamping? The one in CT sounded nice and paid well. Told 'em I wouldn't have a problem with folks in their b-day suits (especially in summer!!) but the DH might....so we passed.
janieD said
09:12 PM Aug 10, 2010
We are just in this process too. You always need something for wedding and funerals and other formal events. What I did was kept a pair of black dress pants and a simple black dress. Then I added a couple jackets and tops to mix and match with those. Kept one pair open toe black shoes and one closed toe black pumps. After that it is whatever casual clothes fit your life - do you want to hike, bike, workout then need things appropriate for those activities. Otherwise just what you enjoy wearing everyday. I am amazed at how I have gotten down to so little and seem to be doing just fine. Good luck with your travels.
retread said
12:56 PM Aug 11, 2010
Carol,
You've had plenty of input here, but I wanted to encourage you along the lines of the 4 wk. thinking. You won't have a walk-in closet, but you'll have much more than a suitcase! While my preference is casual jeans and capris, it's driven by our activities. To make living in the RV work, it's important to make it fit your own preferences. So, if you like skirts and capri pants instead of jeans and shorts - go for it! You simply can't have as many on hand as your walk in closet provides. If you relocate frequently, no one will see you in the same outfit more than once or twice! Plan the best fit to the style you prefer and the activities you foresee. The absolute worst thing that can possibly happen is that you will have to shop somewhere along the way! Unlike a cruise ship, you likely will be within reasonable distance to shopping either at your destination or en route.
Best wishes in preparing for your journeys! Linda (a different one!)
Ckerr said
01:05 PM Aug 11, 2010
Just had a curve ball thrown at me. Friend (who knows something about these things) suggested I might get back into consulting -- this time in the nuclear field. Hmmm... That would mean keeping some "professional" clothes on hand -- but not more than a week at a time.
Thank you all for the ideas and suggestions. It sounds like we just need to firm up some plans about what we'll be doing and go from there...
Racerguy said
02:05 PM Aug 11, 2010
I think the bottom line is to take clothing you are comfortable in.For me it is jeans/sweats and a t-shirt.That's as dressed up as I get
-- Edited by Racerguy on Wednesday 11th of August 2010 02:07:13 PM
Ivey said
08:04 PM Aug 15, 2010
Oh man!!! What clothing to take. I hadn't even thought of having to purge the clothing. I have been totally focused on kitchen, hobbies and other such stuff. Now I have something more to fret over. The hardest purge is going to be my purses. I LOVE purses. With some people it is shoes but not for me. Which of my hundred purses can I take?
Ivey
Happytrails said
09:58 PM Aug 15, 2010
The space bags work great!!
I have several colors of T-shirts, jeans, black travel pants (they don't wrinkle at all) shorts.
I have started to collect T-shirts from various places we travel. I have a pair of sandals, tennis shoes, hiking shoes. I also have a couple of dress up things...pants, blouse and a little nicer shoes. A couple of sweatshirts, sweaters and one coat.
I don't think I've forgotten anything. It is pretty simple stuff....no frills.
If you are like the rest of us you will bring too much and have to do a little purging once you begin full-timing. Good luck!!
Melstar said
10:52 PM Aug 15, 2010
I'm with you Ivey....I change purses with my outfits! I do love to dress....not always dress UP...but look cute casual......I'm also a shoe-a-holic....but in my later years I've been going comfortable vs. cute. All in all.....I'll have a plastic bin in the basement with my fetishes!
-- Edited by Melstar on Sunday 15th of August 2010 10:52:59 PM
-- Edited by Melstar on Sunday 15th of August 2010 10:54:17 PM
Rockinmotion said
08:29 AM Aug 16, 2010
As we're starting our really serious clothes purge, this has been a very useful thread. Thanks!
Yesterday I discovered an XL Zip-Lock cube bag I hadn't seen before at Publix. I see it also comes in an XXL which I'll now have to go in search of. It looks useful for T-shirts, towels, linens etc which we'll get into fairly frequently, vs the longer-term space-bag items.
We've been traveling so much that there are clothes in piles all over our stix and brix. Today I'm going to start purging clothes with the piles in the bedroom!
All your responses have been very helpful!
Still have some work to do with DH though. Yesterday we went through a basket of clothes he brought when he moved in that he's never used. He got rid of 5 t-shirts and 3 pair of shorts and about 11 pairs of old underwear. Funny part (or concerning depending on how you look at it) was he kept a 3 pack of black socks because they were brand new. Now here's the thing. For the last year he's been wearing those Dr. Scholl's diabetic socks exclusively. Those socks are never going to get worn! If he needs black ones for some reason, we'll go to Walmart and pick up a couple of those nice soft ones! Oh well, I guess they will just have to "disappear" in the next couple of months. Hmmm... hope he doesn't read this thread...
faerie said
04:12 PM Aug 16, 2010
i practically live in sundresses and sandals. when i work out i have gym clothes and sneakers. then i have jeans, tees, and boots for the motorcycle. my dresses can be dressed up or down with accesories. we make sure that we arent anywhere that a hoodie and jeans, or a leather jacket on the bike are needed. im glad so many people are happy with the space bags. i have tried them several times and they have never worked.
Ravenlotus said
06:40 AM Jan 9, 2013
Y'all have some great suggestions. I do know that for me I will also have to make room for my Belly dancing and Renaissance clothes. Just because we will be at festivals with our Boutique. I know that if you are a vendor at those places you have to dress in Renaissance garb.
Lucky Mike said
07:00 AM Jan 9, 2013
HHHmmmmmm.................I think the original post was for on-board clothing.....in my coach it is optional....of coarse clothing is necessary if you plan on going outside!!!1........LOL
WestWardHo said
09:17 PM Jan 9, 2013
Fun topic. In preparation to go full time we reduced our closet by 2/3 and sent all the warm stuff to Jesse's brother who teaches on a reservation in N. Dakota.
I still managed to break down the closet rod on our first month long trip on the road. I could go anywhere on a plane with a weeks worth of clothes in a carry on, but guess my closet is my security blanket. I love being a girly girl but do jeans easily now.
Some of my favorites are Skorts from Sahalie.com and in fact ordered a new one from Athletica yesterday. Our S&B is in AZ and I live in Skorts for about six months a year. I can do anything in them and dress them up or down. I have one pair of zip off (leg to shorts) hiking pants. Fleece zip up cardigans in different weights. A variety of jackets & sweaters & knit swing tops because I am always cold and can layer. A couple of white t-shirts to wear alone or layer under long sleeve T's when cold. One pair of fleece stretch pants for cold days. Flip flops for easy in & out. Haven't tried clogs but people say they are comfortable. Warm cozy robe & slippers as we sleep in cold unit. A couple of pair of low heeled sling shoes. A couple of dresses and several knit skirts. Good tops to wear when out. Microfiber (thin/warm) gloves and a warm neck scarf. This by far isn't all (remember the closet rod) but hopefully some ideas for others and thanks for all yours.
We're working out the details of going full-time. Starting to look feasible. We've taken several long trips with our current 5th wheel and feel like it's something we'd like to do more of. We've also spent a few months in it when Johnny had his ankle fused so we know we can even do longer.
So here's the burning question. Just what do you ladies have on board for clothing???
From my perspective the guys have it pretty easy... A pair of dark "dockers" and a pair of light ones, a couple pairs of jeans, some shorts, t-shirts and golf shirts and a dress shirt and sports jacket and their good to go pretty much anywhere!
Try as I might I can't seem to figure out the equivelant female wardrobe... It's always a question of what's the weather, what will we be doing, where are we going and then swapping out the trailer wardrobe pretty much every trip. And we won't even talk about shoes!!!
We're thinking we will be doing some workkamping and I'm working on some other business ideas for while we're on the road, if that helps any...
I appreciate any input, because I'm pretty sure the room size walkin closet from the house won't fit in any rv!
Carol
It seems as soon as I add something to my "To Do/ Think About" list of Fulltiming, I find an answer here. I was just making a list of clothing that would be needed/wanted to take with us.
Let's see...I travel with what clothes would fit into the rig!
Right now winter clothes are in space bags. When it gets to winter, those things will trade places with the summer stuff that is now out.
Seriously, tho, the most dressy thing I have is a black denim-type skirt and a sleeveless turtleneck sweater with beading on it. Not necesssarily to be worn together.
I ditched the remaining suits/pantsuits I had left from my corporate days and basically the rest of my clothes.
What I kept are jeans, T-shirts, long-sleeved shirts, jacket sweaters, sleeveless tanks, etc. Kept things that will work together in combination...i.e. sleeveless tank under a long-sleeved shirt...
Kept my snow boots from MN days, Wellingtons for rainy days, leather bomber jacket (that will probably be buried with me, had it for years, and it is "the" jacket for Scotland), parka (three jackets in one) from MN days again...caps, etc.
Left behind the Christmas sweaters but chose to keep my holiday scarves and other ones...a scarf around the neck adds festiveness and can change the look of an outfit...besides, scarves are lightweight and don't take up much room!
Basically kept only casual wear...but a jacket or two to "dress up" jeans...shorts, etc. I am sooooo done with the corporate look. Been there, done that, had the suits to prove it.
Got rid of a LOT of jewelry, too. Heck, I wear basically the same things all the time.
I bet you'll find you will be amazed at what you do not need!
I understand what you are saying, I'm an old fashion "dress" girl. I own one pair of jeans for garden work.
OK ... I'll stand back and take the abuse. However, I was just joking!
Paul
I too had business and business casual clothes...got rid of them all. I am now back to t-shirts, sleeveless cotton shirts, a couple of jeans, lots of light cotton capris, couple of shorts. Only kept a few winter things, as we don't plan on being caught anywhere near freezing. So, a few sweatshirts, long sleeve shirts and one coat a piece.
Although we have only been fulltiming for 4 months (and in one spot) I'm finding already that I don't need so many shirts. I'm getting ready to purge so that I only have enough clothes for 7 days plus 2 additional just in case. That includes underclothes and socks.
I have a pair of crocs next to the door to slip on for quick trips outside, everyday sandels, 2 pairs of tennis shoes, one pair of boots for riding the cycles, and one pair of dress shoes. And of course the shower shoes. One skirt and nice shirt if I need to dress up.
3 sets of lounging/sleepwear.
And that's it. I'm still in the less is more frame of mind.
The problem I'm having is that all my drawers, shelves and closets are still about 1/3rd empty...is this normal? I'm feeling like I have nothing else to add to them. Will I collect more as we travel?
Doris
Also, I'm dealing with "onboard" clothes. The shoe situation is the hardest part for me, I think. We are actually living in the RV, so I guess we can be considered FT but still bring stuff from the house and everything is getting full. Guess we'll have to go thru the RV and purge again before actually hitting the road.
Judy
-- Edited by Dreamers on Monday 9th of August 2010 07:17:18 AM
Paul, It is entirely possible to dump the black tank in heels and a dress, so tell Jo not to worry. I wish I had a picture to prove it, but I know I've done it. Not sure if I should be embarrassed or proud of that one!
I've just never found jeans to be that comfortable, so it's actually one of my concerns. Perhaps some more shopping is in order... 
Jo, see response to Paul above...
TxYellowRose, I think I've been living in shorts and dresses the past year. Must confess to showing real estate in shorts these days! It's a 100+ plus humidity -- let's be real here! I like the layering idea. Need to go through the closet with that in mind. Perhaps if I approach it like the 4 week round the world trip... Something for every occassion but as little as possible...
Doris, I don't think I can get down to 7 days, but maybe 2 weeks! And I'm pretty sure Johnny wants to stay far away from any place chilly...
Judy, I'm with you! Shoes!
There are more of them than you would think. We've been toying with the idea, but never seem to get around to it.
-- Edited by Luvglass on Tuesday 10th of August 2010 07:58:19 AM
Having spent three months in Scotland and then short return trips since, I learned to do the layering thing and mix-and-match with jeans, blazers, tops. It does work!
RE: The clothing optional parks...would you believe we had two parks contact us within the last month with offers for workamping? The one in CT sounded nice and paid well. Told 'em I wouldn't have a problem with folks in their b-day suits (especially in summer!!) but the DH might....so we passed.
-- Edited by Racerguy on Wednesday 11th of August 2010 02:07:13 PM
All in all.....I'll have a plastic bin in the basement with my fetishes!
-- Edited by Melstar on Sunday 15th of August 2010 10:52:59 PM
-- Edited by Melstar on Sunday 15th of August 2010 10:54:17 PM
Yesterday I discovered an XL Zip-Lock cube bag I hadn't seen before at Publix. I see it also comes in an XXL which I'll now have to go in search of. It looks useful for T-shirts, towels, linens etc which we'll get into fairly frequently, vs the longer-term space-bag items.
http://www.ziploc.com/Products/Pages/FlexibleTotes.aspx?SizeName=XXL
Deb
I still managed to break down the closet rod on our first month long trip on the road. I could go anywhere on a plane with a weeks worth of clothes in a carry on, but guess my closet is my security blanket. I love being a girly girl but do jeans easily now.
Some of my favorites are Skorts from Sahalie.com and in fact ordered a new one from Athletica yesterday. Our S&B is in AZ and I live in Skorts for about six months a year. I can do anything in them and dress them up or down. I have one pair of zip off (leg to shorts) hiking pants.
Fleece zip up cardigans in different weights. A variety of jackets & sweaters & knit swing tops because I am always cold and can layer.
A couple of white t-shirts to wear alone or layer under long sleeve T's when cold. One pair of fleece stretch pants for cold days.
Flip flops for easy in & out. Haven't tried clogs but people say they are comfortable.
Warm cozy robe & slippers as we sleep in cold unit.
A couple of pair of low heeled sling shoes. A couple of dresses and several knit skirts.
Good tops to wear when out.
Microfiber (thin/warm) gloves and a warm neck scarf.
This by far isn't all (remember the closet rod) but hopefully some ideas for others and thanks for all yours.