THE GIRLS' ROOM: Sooner or later, you have to play dress-up

[jeanontheroad]

No matter how casually we live, sooner or later there is a wedding or funeral or family gathering or business meeting or party or something to which we can't wear jeans and a t-shirt.

What do you carry for these occasions? The most minimal dress-up wardrobe I ever heard of that still fit all occasions is a woman who has had 1 navy blue Susan Graver swing dress for 4 years. That's it. She does freelance website work and has used it for all the occasions above. She keeps it rolled up with 1 pair of low heels in the box her husbands's boots came in. She will treat herself to a new scarf or belt or other accessory occasionally. That's it. One dress. Four years. Goes everywhere.

What do you carry?

 

[Stargazer]

A simple sleeveless dress, a shrug to cover in winter, heels. It's the weddin' 'n' funeral dress. We all have one, right? It's a soft knit so very packable and space saving.

 

[jeanontheroad]

Well, Stargazer, some us have that little wedding-and-funeral dress, and some of us haven't caught onto it, yet. When we left in out TT to fulltime the first time, I could have attended a black tie event in red silk if I had been invited. I'm not sure who I thought was going to invite me to such an event in a campground. Most of the stuff I brought lived under the bed in clear plastic bins and never got used. That was dumb. By the time they finally got pulled out, I couldn't even donate them. The fabric folds that had been exposed to the light in the clear bins had faded into stripes on the clothes. They werr ruined.

I have gotten smarter since then, but still wondered how other women plan for those occasions.

 

[mockturtle]

If I have to go to a wedding or a funeral, I'll just swing by a nearby thrift store and pick something up.

 

[WheelEstate USA]

If we had to play dress up we would buy clothes I guess.
I have 1 sundress that I wore maybe 3 times in the last 2 years. When my BFF got married last summer I borrowed from my sis. Its not worth storing something that might get ruined anyway and takes up space only to be used every 2 years. I have never worn makeup so do not have to store that junk either. Jay does not have a suit, just slacks and nice shirt. (He looks great in a suit though). He says, don't like the way I dress I won't show up.

 

[hippiechk]

Personally I wear sundresses most of the time when its nice out and I carry a fairly formal outfit for the just in case occasions. It takes no more room to store than a pile of jeans I'd rarely wear, thank goodness we don't get issued uniforms! I'm no princess but you will likely never lose me in the forest colour wise...maybe in a field of flowers *laugh*. I'm not into the make-up thing either, never was so I have similar non-storage issues with that junk.

 

[GypsySilver]

When we left in out TT to fulltime the first time, I could have attended a black tie event in red silk if I had been invited. I'm not sure who I thought was going to invite me to such an event in a campground. Most of the stuff I brought lived under the bed in clear plastic bins and never got used. That was dumb. By the time they finally got pulled out, I couldn't even donate them. The fabric folds that had been exposed to the light in the clear bins had faded into stripes on the clothes. They werr ruined.

I have gotten smarter since then, but still wondered how other women plan for those occasions.

Thank You for this - it is something that I am struggling with right now. My lease will be up next month and I am steadily cleaning out clothes. Some are easy, others not so much... heavy coats,light coats, sweaters, nice shoes, winter shoes, hiking boots, desert boots, sandals, flip flops (not to mention colors, lol) Then there is all the stuff I bought and never wore or will probably never wear again.

I am embarrassed to say how many bags of clothes have left so far, I'm sure Goodwill loves me, lol. It has been a good feeling though of letting go and amazing as I carry each bag out just how much the bags weigh and on a lot of different levels how much it has all weighed me down.

 

[gypsyvioleta]

Well, I haven't been able to wear heels for many years, don't own a dress, just a couple nice knit pant suits, which I've worn to funeral so those will have to do. Been going thru my summer clothes and have a pile ready for charity and need to go thru my winter clothes, next.

 

[gcal]

Reducing my clothes the easy way. I just lost nearly 30 pounds and I am still going down. Started exercising. Not much from last year fits, including underwear. Socks and shoes are still ok. It all went to the thrift shop, where I bought shorts, a skirt, a pr of khakis and 2 pr of jeans for under 20 bucks. By fall, I expect to be doing this all over, only buying what I need this minute from the thrift shops and dropping off what I just bought last week.

 

[Cammalu]

Good for you gcal!!!! I'm in the process of dropping weight also.


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[KatBalouE350]

I have a pair of black stretch slacks and a skirt. I can always stop at a thrift shop to buy tops and accessories as needed. I packed to much too, but have been earnestly sorting, and now have my clothes down to a small roar fitting in a medium size tub and three small drawers.

 

[decodancer]

Even though I'm in a larger rig (31 feet) than many of you, I have less than two feet of closet space. I have one dress that I bought at Kohls off the 60% off rack and wore for my sisters wedding six years ago. My niece is getting married in January so guess I need to start looking for another. It would look really bad if I was wearing the same dress as wedding pics usually end up on the wall for all to see. Funny thing is, I enjoy getting dressed up and looking girly once in a while but rarely go anywhere that requires it. Seems silly to take up precious storage just in case..

 

[dragonflyinthesky]

I wear dresses and skirts a lot, even when out camping alone. I also do the thrift store thing if necessary. I've noticed a lot of women out here wear dresses.

 

[Queen]

I haven't worn a skirt or dress in almost 40 years, never felt comfortable in them so I opted for a very dressy slacks and blouse combo instead. Wish I had some of the money back I blew on custom tailored Pendleton wool slacks and Liz Claiborne blouses. LOL!

Now I just have my two wedding/interview/funeral outfits made up of inexpensive but nice looking slacks in two colors, and two blouses that work with either pair. I think when we travel I'll skip bringing them along, been to enough weddings, not working anymore, and since I buried my mom I no longer have to go to funerals.

 

[Ms Linda]

Dress up for me is a pair of jeans without holes in 'em. I'm in the same boat as you, Queen. I don't plan on going to a job interview any time soon, and I haven't been to a wedding since 1988. All of my immediate family is gone. No need to dress me up when I pass. With any luck, I die at a nudist beach

 

[waldenbound]

Want me to dress up? Ok, I'll wear my best pair of convertible hiking pants and a clean t shirt.

 

[DuneElliot]

My one dress scrunches into a tiny square about the size of a softball. It is knit lycra-type material and never wrinkles. I have worn it to two or three weddings. Other weddings I have done to were more casual and a nice pair of skinny jeans and boots with a nice shirt. Since I am not in a van, and have a ridiculous amount of closet (and under bed and drawer) space I have the luxury of keeping more clothes than most.

 

[mayble]

I wear dresses and skirts a lot, even when out camping alone.  I also do the thrift store thing if necessary. I've noticed a lot of women out here wear dresses.

I've never been a "dress" gal, but I certainly see the appeal of a breezy dress or peasant skirt when one wants to squat and pee in the woods
It's really about as close as I can get to being naked without scaring small children or getting arrested.  I'm going to rethink my wardrobe.

 

[Ms Linda]

Breezy dresses are on my list to get, simply for the reason to pee as mentioned by mayble

 

[AD64]

I got rid of my last dressy outfit a couple of months ago. I had it in the closet and hadn't worn it in ten years. So it went to the consignment shop. Now, I mostly wear long skirts and loose yoga pants (or long skirts AND loose yoga pants) for air flow, comfort, and the ability to pee anywhere anytime. Even in public restrooms, my clothes don't touch the floor and my bum don't touch the seat. So, it's a kind of feminine freedom that I enjoy.