Clothes in retirement

[jimnjana]

Garage sales and thrift shops for shorts and t-shirts. Have enough slacks etc from working days to last awhile. Will hit Marshalls, Bealls, Kohls clearance racks and sales once every couple of years. Every few years we hit the Factory Outlet Stores, Vanity Fair frequently has decent sales, combined with coupons makes it worthwhile. Add Macy's for DW.

 

[Moemg]

You're right as always, Moe, and I'll bet you are elegant too. I will put my imagination to work. Maybe I need to design a whole new line of clothing!

Thanks , I am not elegant but I refuse to look seedy so I aim for a casual trendy in a slightly funky way . I'm sure when you are ready to retire you will seamlessly adapt your wardrobe to your new life .

 

[happy2bretired]

Yes, I also love wearing jeans, shorts, and sleeveless tops, but still, I find it kind of depressing that once I retire, I'll have to dress casual year-round since the only places people dress well nowadays are work and possibly church. I don't want to feel out of place by over-dressing, but I also dislike the thought of going to seed. There ought to be a middle ground for those who want one.

(This does not keep me from wanting to retire as soon as practical, though!!)

Amethyst

That's my problem too but after 4 years of retirement I'm finally getting better with NOT wanting to buy more dressy clothes. I've always liked buying clothing - not super pricey things but clothing that made me feel good. Right after I retired I really missed getting dressed for work and not needing more dressy clothes. I think it was sort of a creative outlet for me.

I've settled down quite a bit now and tend to buy mostly casual clothing - on sale - from Land's End or Eddie Bauer.

 

[bbbamI]

I spend so little on clothing that it hardly matters where I buy. But mostly, it's Kohl's for shirts, undies, socks, and shoes, Costco for jeans.

I've never been to Costco...for anything...I don't get out enough, I guess.

I do buy most of my clothes at Kohl's...half the time I have no idea how much they cost until I get them to the register.

 

[Orchidflower]

I get hand me down clothes from my son when he outgrows them. I get free T-shirts all the time from various volunteer activities.

And I am wearing camo cargo shorts right now.

If you have high arches, get those shoe inserts. I use the carbon-fiber (not rubber/plastic) ones that never wear out made by Spenco ThinSole, so they just get transferred to any new shoes I get from my son.

I see you can get those Spenco's on amazon.com. Never heard of them before, but they surely have rave reviews from the women on there. I'm looking into that one...thanks!!!!

 

[Nords]

I'm curious how other FIREd folks handle their clothes shopping and how long they typically keep clothes before throwing them away. Do you go for quality clothes at sale prices or tend to buy lower end, less expensive items?

Yea, I quit wearing them too.

Goodwill for 90%. Surf shorts, t-shirts, and rubber slippers. Once every 2-3 years I'll buy a $50 pair of running shoes. I also have a half-dozen aloha shirts to wear to more formal affairs.

"Good" t-shirts (about five or six) go in the upper drawer. "Wearable" t-shirts (about 30) go in one side of the lower drawer. Yardwork & taekwondo t-shirts go in another side of the lower drawer. When the drawer fills up with t-shirts then the half-dozen worst-looking ones become rags.

Rags are used & washed for years. This can be a sorting problem if rags are washed on the same day that I'm washing the rest of my t-shirts.

 

[audreyh1]

I'm curious how other FIREd folks handle their clothes shopping and how long they typically keep clothes before throwing them away. Do you go for quality clothes at sale prices or tend to buy lower end, less expensive items?

Well being major outdoor types, DH and I tend to buy quite a bit of technical clothing from REI. $$$ - but a lot of it lasts forever (I still wear some pants I bought when I retired 11 years ago), and neither of us has that big of a wardrobe anyway so we wear the same stuff over and over.

Beyond that - we both own a lot of T-shirts.

After retiring, I got rid of 75%+ of my clothes and shoes. I didn't need the stuff I had worn to work anymore. And got rid of almost all my dressy clothes. The tiny few left are currently in storage. We don't dress up anymore.

Audrey

 

[audreyh1]

You should consider moving to Europe.

Or New York City, or Latin America.

 

[LOL!]

I see you can get those Spenco's on amazon.com. Never heard of them before, but they surely have rave reviews from the women on there. I'm looking into that one...thanks!!!!

I bought mine from a local sporting goods store like Dick's, Sports Authority, whatever. You can try them on there just like you try on shoes.

 

[chinaco]

If it is name brand and I buy it... it is either a close out or on sale.

 

[nwsteve]

Rags are used & washed for years. This can be a sorting problem if rags are washed on the same day that I'm washing the rest of my t-shirts.

DW solved the sorting issue of rags vs yardwork. If a rag, the neck or sleeve or both are torn out. Wearing issue solved ;-)
Nwsteve

 

[Meadbh]

I've never been to Costco...for anything...I don't get out enough, I guess.

I do buy most of my clothes at Kohl's...half the time I have no idea how much they cost until I get them to the register.

But where do you buy your boots?

 

[Nords]

DW solved the sorting issue of rags vs yardwork. If a rag, the neck or sleeve or both are torn out. Wearing issue solved ;-)
Nwsteve

Thanks!

 

[bbbamI]

But where do you buy your boots?

I don't buy them....they've always been gifts.....

 

[Moscyn]

I'm still serving my notice period and have been wondering how retirement will affect my attire in future. I think it won't affect much because I've not bought any suits for some time. It's been smart casual for the last 3 years. What I usually wear to work can be mixed and matched with more casual stuff. Those heels will be less worn - great for my feet! I'll be in the market for casual shoes. I think I'll pay for quality because if my feet are not happy, my whole person is not. Any additional stuff to my existing wardrobe would be quality but not quantity and must be functional. Nothing which will only be in fashion for the season.

 

[Walt34]

Like the caption for the photo said, I am seriously envious of this dude. On a scale of 1 to 10, what you think his level of "giving a f*** is?"

 

[Moemg]

Those heels will be less worn - great for my feet! I'll be in the market for casual shoes. I think I'll pay for quality because if my feet are not happy, my whole person is not. Any additional stuff to my existing wardrobe would be quality but not quantity and must be functional. Nothing which will only be in fashion for the season.

On of my favorite brands of shoes is Born . They make great looking flats that last forever . My favorite pair is at least six years old and look like new and are so comfortable .

 

[mickeyd]

Like the caption for the photo said, I am seriously envious of this dude. On a scale of 1 to 10, what you think his level of "giving a f*** is?"

Is that a bread hat?

 

[REWahoo]

Is that a bread hat?

Naah. The guy is just loafing.

 

[W2R]

Is that a bread hat?

I think it's a giant hot dog with mustard, in a bun.

That's really strange.

 

[bbbamI]

I kinda like the weenie hat. Slap a piece of bacon on it, and I'd be in love!