Wardrobe reduction

[RunningBum]

I'm an engineer, so I don't dress up for work.
I might be in minority here, but I don't anticipate any wardrobe reduction in retirement.
It's even possible, that my wardrobe would expand slightly with more decent "dancing" clothes, as I would have more time to go dancing with DW.

Pretty much my case. I only dressed up if going onsite to a customer where that was expected, and that was pretty rare. Nearly every day it was jeans or shorts and quite often t-shirts at work. Now where I golf a collared shirt is required, and jeans are not allowed. I had to upgrade a bit. I also retired to a ski resort so I spend a decent amount on cold weather gear. Then there's the technical running gear. Heck, now that I think about it I was spending a lot less on clothes when my time was taken up at a job where I could dress down and didn't have so much time for these hobbies. I laugh at those finance gurus who say you can budget less for clothing in retirement as if it's a given for everyone.

 

[EastWest Gal]

When I retired, I went to Walmart and bought 2 pairs of blue jean shorts and a couple of nice T shirts. That's my everyday wardrobe.

I now have 2 pairs of khaki pants, a bunch of golf shirts and about 4 nice pairs of shorts. For winter, I have 3 pairs of jeans. For those "formal" nights, I have 2 sport coats and a few pairs of wool pants (from the working years.)

I probably don't spend $200 a year on clothes. If I died tomorrow, my wife would have to go out and buy a suit coat (separates) and a current width tie to bury me in.

Some funeral directors keep used or donated suitcoats for just that situation, actually. So your wife won't need to burdened with that task.


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[braumeister]

Due to spending more time on fitness activities, I buy shoes a little more frequently than I did while working.

DW has really noticed that and is still getting used to it. Since she changed from couch potato to doing a half marathon every month (walking, not running), she has been amazed at how quickly a pair of athletic shoes can wear out and need replacement.

For me, I got rid of all my suits. I have two nice sport coats, a couple of dress shirts, two pair of nice slacks and one pair of good shoes. That's it, and it still seems like overkill since I so rarely wear any of it.

 

[martyp]

Basically the wardrobe issue of people our age is, for men: suit or no suit.

I was an engineer in the San Francisco Bay Area. Work was casual dress. Non-work is essentially all casual. Maybe there are a few very expensive restaurants that ask that you have a coat and tie but they won't bar you from the table if you don't have one. I haven't owned a suit in over a decade and I've found that I have no need for one in ER either.

I've not had to attend a funeral or wedding either. I think at this point, 4 yrs into ER, I would dress business casual for both a funeral or wedding.

I've occasionally felt like I should wear khaki's and an nice(ish) shirt for some restaurants and other occasions. Other than that, I am totally casual in jeans and/or shorts.

It really is a personal choice; depends on your age and social/business status/experience as to what you feel comfortable in. The good news is that you don't have to prepare for retirement. You just go into it and see what works. I think most people's experience is that there is bunch of clothes that don't get used and they get rid of them within a few years.

 

[ampeep]

My workplace was pretty casual, golf or aloha shirts & long pants. A few years back, I needed a suit jacket for meetings in D.C. - found a nice one @ Goodwill for $5. Since retiring almost a month ago, the only time I wore shoes was to play golf.

 

[freebird5825]

I donated all my dress slacks, skirts, and blazers to a group of young women completing their LPN program. Most were in a lower income or "just starting out in life" status. My former housecleaner was one of the students. We loaded up her car with the whole lot. She told me afterwards that the ladies went crazy, picking out what they needed for upcoming j*b interviews. Lots of smiles and no tug o' war incidents.

I have a few dress coats that I have not worn since I FIREd. They might go away too.

Post FIRE, I invested in a lot of stretch leggings, spandex/cotton blend jeans and pretty summer dresses. I never wore tight fitting slacks or feminine dresses to w*rk. My business casual tops were kept. I had to invest in a few pairs of summer wedge sandals to go with the dresses.

 

[Jackanory]

I always found it too cold to wear shorts to work, so that's changed.


But I'm feeling inspired; my his'n'her's closet has devolved into a his'n'his closet ... I still have one of my old school ties! I shall do some winnowing -- after the weekend.

 

[Bestwifeever]

I just weeded out all the high heels of any height except the two pairs I wore for my kids' weddings, which are exceedingly comfortable. My toes are never going to suffer those foot vises again.

Kudos to our ladies who need smaller (both in number of items and more importantly, sizewise!) wardrobes in retirement!

DD works at home so anything goes, but DS works for "clients" so he must dress up a little. Even in a suit, he rarely wears a tie, though. That's a nice development in the world o' work.

Clothes that have to drycleaned are like cars with engines that require premium gas.

 

[redduck]

...Clothes that have to drycleaned are like cars with engines that require premium gas.

Great analogy.

But, that's not why we are here today, although, maybe it is. Sometimes these bigger questions overwhelm me. (duck, is there a question here?). Maybe, maybe not, but let's get started:

After reading about wardrobe reductions and then wrestling the majority of the night (and most of the next morning) wondering whether dress socks can be considered as "wardrobe" I decided take a risk and present this:

It seems that over many years I've accumulated 42 pairs of dark dress socks (black, brown, dark olive, grey, navy). They all fit (sort of tightly) in one dresser drawer and they seem to get along well. They are all in good shape (the bad shaped ones would get tossed along the way). I used to wear them to work (one pair at a time). I am no longer working, so I only wear dark socks very occasionally. The question is (so, here's where you put the question, duck) do I keep them all because I have a place for them or do I toss some (how many?) because I don't have a need for 42 pairs of dress socks?

 

[Birdie Num Nums]

I had the same questions a year ago, when I was downsizing and decluttering in preparation for my move to this smaller home.

 

[mickeyd]

asked that women be allowed to sunbathe nude on the beach

Just women?

 

[athena53]

The question is (so, here's where you put the question, duck) do I keep them all because I have a place for them or do I toss some (how many?) because I don't have a need for 42 pairs of dress socks?

I think I'd use as many as I might use in my lifetime and donate/pitch the rest. Ah, Craigslist. Put the excess out at the end of your driveway, list it under Free Stuff and it will be gone.

I have at least 3 dozen T-shirts with logos- athletic events, company promotions, all sorts of advertising. I can't bear to throw them out and I wear at least one T-shirt a day (sometimes a second if I work out and get the first sweaty). I may, however, give away those with the logo of my last employer and hope that it ends up clearly visible in the security camera when someone robs a bank.

 

[redduck]

... I wear at least one T-shirt a day (sometimes a second if I work out and get the first sweaty).

Athena53...
I'd be willing to trade you half my sock collection (all from Nordstrom) for a couple of your sweaty T-shirts (don't bother washing them before you ship them out to me).

 

[Throwdownmyaceinthehole]

I'm wearing just a couple of tshirts and shorts, and Tom's shoes. I'm starting to look like I'm homeless. The other day when I was out and about, I noticed my shorts were on inside out....and I didn't care....

 

[Walt34]

The other day when I was out and about, I noticed my shorts were on inside out....and I didn't care....

Yup, you're definitely retired.

 

[haha]

Like bbbami I also lost weight in retirement so I had to buy a whole new wardrobe . I spent a good chunk at JJill , Talbots & Chico's .I also had to buy new gym wear & luckily that I find at TJMAX.

This afternoon I was frying some burger and onions and I splashed grease on my tan Carhartt cargo pants. I hate to lose a $40 pair of jeans, so I whipped them off and started my emergency grease response. I needed something to wear, so I grabbed a pair of Levi's off my shelf. Old 501s that I last wore about 1980, and they fit fine. I've hung on to them because I thought I might get around to selling them on Ebay. I feel good about this. I have no idea what diets and exercise makes me healthier, but it is easy to tell what makes me look better.

Ha

 

[Bestwifeever]

Great analogy.

But, that's not why we are here today, although, maybe it is. Sometimes these bigger questions overwhelm me. (duck, is there a question here?). Maybe, maybe not, but let's get started:

After reading about wardrobe reductions and then wrestling the majority of the night (and most of the next morning) wondering whether dress socks can be considered as "wardrobe" I decided take a risk and present this:

It seems that over many years I've accumulated 42 pairs of dark dress socks (black, brown, dark olive, grey, navy). They all fit (sort of tightly) in one dresser drawer and they seem to get along well. They are all in good shape (the bad shaped ones would get tossed along the way). I used to wear them to work (one pair at a time). I am no longer working, so I only wear dark socks very occasionally. The question is (so, here's where you put the question, duck) do I keep them all because I have a place for them or do I toss some (how many?) because I don't have a need for 42 pairs of dress socks?

You have enough to present a sock puppet production of Les Miz. Staging it will keep you busy for hours.

 

[redduck]

.... They don't even have holes, just frayed at the cuffs! Oh well.

I think "Frayed at the Cuffs" was a gelding that ran in the Belmont in the early fifties. Finished out of the money, if I recall correctly.

 

[M Paquette]

You have enough to present a sock puppet production of Les Miz. Staging it will keep you busy for hours.

And people wonder what we early retirees will do all day...

 

[Ronstar]

I definitely need to go through a wardrobe reduction. DW and I have jam packed 4 closets with our clothes. I have 10-15 pairs of dress work pants that I haven't seen since I retired a year ago. I also have several dress shirts and a couple of suits to get rid of, all of the jeans and t shirts can stay.


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[Katsmeow]

DH and I both have lost a lot of weight since he retired 5 years ago and I went to a very part-time schedule. For awhile I was going to the office one day a week and kept a couple of suits to do it. Now, I work only a few hours a week entirely from home so I don't need that.

I just last week went through all my clothes and pared down only to clothes that fit me and that I actually enjoy wearing. I ended up with about 12 T-shirts, 2 pairs of jeans, 1 pair of nice pants, and a couple of pairs of knit pants to wear around the house. I had a few jackets and nicer tops.

I actually own no dresses (other than my wedding dress).

DH has long since gotten rid of his office clothes since he lost almost 80 pounds.

The only negative is that we are going to a family wedding later this month and he had to go out buy a suit, shirt, belt, and shoes for it since all of that had gone away when he lost so much weight.

Likewise, I need to go and buy a dress for the wedding.

 

[Car-Guy]

I haven't gotten rid of any of my formal work clothes and haven't worn any of them since retiring a little over 3 years ago. I haven't checked, but I'm pretty sure they have all probably shrunk to the point that I couldn't wear any of them anymore. Everything seems to be shrinking, as I age, except my waistline and my bank account.

When I go out now, it's always blue jeans, a striped T-Shirt w/pocket, comfortable shoes and a ball cap. Around the house it's cutoff blue jeans and old T Shirts, (unless it too cold and then I go formal and wear full length blue jeans and have been known to put on an old flannel shirt.)

 

[mickeyd]

My 10 yo jeans recently needed replacement due to holes in wrong locations so I traveled to my favorite jeans replacement store and acquired two new-to-me jeans. Goodwill charged me $8 for both.

 

[shortstop14]

I actually ended up buying a new suit after retiring. With more time to visit my daughter in Chicago, I've been pulled into going to some of her more formal work related events at times. After years of 'engineering casual' and the last three years working from home, my wardrobe had devolved to sweats and athletic gear.

My wife is always suggesting wardrobe upgrades, and doesn't seem to get the idea that I have enough clothes to last out the rest of my life.

 

[haha]

My wife is always suggesting wardrobe upgrades, and doesn't seem to get the idea that I have enough clothes to last out the rest of my life.

My guess is that your wife would like to dress up for some events and would appreciate your being a handsome accessory for her.

If it cost a thousand bucks or so, and you are not really thrilled at dressing up, it may just warm her heart and make both of you glad.

I like casual too, but I really appreciate GF dressing up. So occasionally I figure -do something well, Ha you lazy slob. It will make her happy, and it may do wonders for you too.

Ha