Mens travel clothing??

For underwear, try Uniqlo's airism line. Their airism polo shirts are very nice too.

For shirts, I've had good luck with Royal Robbins, Kuhl and Eddie Bauer. Spyder makes some nice knit half-zip pullover type tops.

For trousers, I love Eddie Bauer's Horizon Guide pants. Royal Robbins make some good,very lightweight trousers.

REI & Orvis & Spyder are other good brands. Just about any big active-wear brand has clothes for casual wear that wear well, dry quickly and last a long time.
 
Ronstar said:
My travel clothes are the same as my at home clothes. Jeans, t shirts, hiking pants/shorts and hiking and running shoes. I vary the type of hiking pants dependent on weather.
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Ditto.

Because we traveling so frequently in our early post retirement year our travel clothing and the clothes we wear at home became the same.

Now, if we shop, the first question we ask ourselves is how will the garment travel and how will it layer with or existing clothing.

About the only 'travel only' things we take are jewelry items. Inexpensive plastic waterproof watches, and a few costume jewelry items for DW.
 
If you are looking to travel light, I recommend Western Rise and Outlier NYC. They are not cheap, but easy to pack and last for years.
 
Koolau said:
IF they wrinkle, hang them in the hotel bathroom and turn on the shower hot water. Wrinkles relax and your clothes look freshly ironed.
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I've used this technique myself many times. It works! Especially with suits.

But most decent hotels offer same day/next day laundry service. We often will even pack some used clothing and have it laundered, pressed, boxed and properly folded upon our arrival. No worries about packing carefully, wrinkles or looking like you just stepped out of a suitcase.

We really don't want to spend valuable tourist time ironing clothes. Depending on the trip, we'll also have our stuff laundered before we head home, which makes life a lot easier for [-]DW[/-] everybody after a long flight.

If you're spending $5k or $10k on a trip, another $50 for laundry shouldn't make a difference.
 
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This is what the consumer guru Clark Howard says he does when traveling--he just carries a small backpack with very few clothes. When he gets to his destination he goes to a thrift store and buys a couple of outfits for $5, has them washed and wears them for the duration of the trip. At the end of the trip he donates the clothes. He says he really does not care what he looks like while traveling.
 
I cannot remember ever having to iron my clothes over years of carry on only. Like others, if I rinse out a shirt I simply hand it up to dry. Ditto with my cotton shorts and underwear. Same for my spouse. I cannot count the number of times she has come home saying I almost bought this or that but did not because it would not travel well.

In SE Asia many of the small corner stores take in laundry. In by 9AM, out by 4PM. In Thailand I am wearing a bathing suit or a faded pair of shorts and a collared shirt most days.

In Europe we have had great experiences at laundromats. In goes the washing and we go to a nearby to an outdoor cafe for lunch or beers/wine. We have met so many fellow travelers this way. Most often Australians. Great way to swap travel knowledge, books, advice, etc. Some European places have a dry and fold service. For a few euros more you drop it off in the AM and it is ready for pickup in the afternoon.

My son and I were traveling through Europe. We met a US couple from Seattle while we were in a Florence laundromat. He was a former bank VP who took early retirement. They were smart. They planned on being in Europe and traveling by train for 3-4 months. Independent travel, no plans. They told us that the did a practice run by taking Amtrak from Seattle to LA, stopping once or twice. They came home, ditched their packing ideas and switched to carry on.
 
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harllee said:
This is what the consumer guru Clark Howard says he does when traveling--he just carries a small backpack with very few clothes. When he gets to his destination he goes to a thrift store and buys a couple of outfits for $5, has them washed and wears them for the duration of the trip. At the end of the trip he donates the clothes. He says he really does not care what he looks like while traveling.
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Sounds like me. Since we visited the Islands so often before committing to living there, we learned the same thing. Bring underwear and basic needs that would be a bit difficult to find locally. Then buy clothes at resale shops or look for sales at local stores. Sometimes, we bought a suit case to bring our new clothes home. Other times, we donated them. The costs were trivial and it made the travel much more care-free. And, within limits, I too don't much care what I look like.

Side note: We always looked in the thrift shop for clothes by Hilo Hattie. Anyone who visited the Islands as a tourist back in the 70's 80's and 90's may have visited their store on a "free" shuttle that took you there and several other "tourist" places. Anyway, the HH Aloha wear was built to last. HH had amazing prints that really stood out. Well, as you might imagine, clothing made in Hawaii (or in the USA for that matter) was expensive. Eventually, the costs put them out of business. Sad - but just the way of the world. I think HH now sells direct on the net, but have no idea where the items are made (wild guess, not in Hawaii.)

Here's what it used to look like.

https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story...-hilo-hattie-closing-nimitz-highway-location/
 
My thoughts:

pants: I have 2 pair of Eddie Bauer ones that have a small zippered pocket down below the main one. I do not care if they look touristy.

shirts: I favor ones that have a pattern so I don't have to worry about eating and spills. I avoid cotton but not while at home.

shoes: I recently bought some Rockports off Amazon. Had to return some while making the fit work. Saucony running type shoes for dry days.

belt: Recently bought one with a plastic buckle for going through security. Here is the link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07NRMY8YR/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

luggage: We work it so that we visit cities that have decent day trip alternatives. Also just base in a few cities and avoid too much luggage movement. So we just check in a medium sized suitcase for flights and use trains between cities.
 
One of the reasons we switched to carry on was or ability to physically handle our luggage. Both of us in our early 70's.

I am at the point now where I will no longer help someone lift what looks like a very heavy carry on into the overhead bin of a plan. When we traveled with our teenage children we enforced one rule. You pack it...you carry it.

A few years ago in Kuala Lumpur. My spouse fell and cracked several vertebrae. She decide to continue on to Oz instead of returning home. I had to take care of her bag for a few weeks. I could not have managed this had both us not had carry on only.

We stopped packing formal wear on cruises 20 years ago. Mid cruise my spouse looked at me and said why on earth are we doing this. I wore suits every day, entertained customers. From then on we ate dinner in the buffet or in venues that did not require suit and tie. That was the start of our desire to pack less and less each trip.

These changes forced us to make smart choices when buying clothing for travel. And to realize that we do not need four pairs of shoes every time we travel. Selecting travel clothing is not really rocket sense. You just have to use a little common sense and think about how often you might wear something, the fabric weight, durability, and whether it is crease resistant.
 
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brett said:
One of the reasons we switched to carry on was or ability to physically handle our luggage. Both of us in our early 70's.

I am at the point now where I will no longer help someone lift what looks like a very heavy carry on into the overhead bin of a plan. When we traveled with our teenage children we enforced one rule. You pack it...you carry it.

A few years ago in Kuala Lumpur. My spouse fell and cracked several vertebrae. She decide to continue on to Oz instead of returning home. I had to take care of her bag for a few weeks. I could not have managed this had both us not had carry on only.
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+1

Packing light is getting easier for me. The hard part is convincing travel partners to pack light. :confused: Besides lifting the luggage and hauling it up hills, there is also the issue of small elevators in some otherwise fabulous hotels.

I am rapidly joining the the club of "Buy it there and give it away at the end of the trip". There are better ways to save money while traveling than packing everything you might need.
 
brett said:
One thing that we learned from other seasoned travelers relates to unpacking when you get home.



Take note of the things in your bag that you did not wear, or did not wear often enough justify packing them again. Replace them on your next trip with something else or simply delete them. We found this very helpful when we switched to carry on only.
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Excellent suggestion. We did that after the last two long trips we did, and it really helped.
 
brett said:
One thing that we learned from other seasoned travelers relates to unpacking when you get home.

Take note of the things in your bag that you did not wear, or did not wear often enough justify packing them again. Replace them on your next trip with something else or simply delete them. We found this very helpful when we switched to carry on only.
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I always tell rookie travelers: pack a few days before leaving. Remove half the next day. Remove half again the next day. Then you should be ok.
 
marko said:
I always tell rookie travelers: pack a few days before leaving. Remove half the next day. Remove half again the next day. Then you should be ok.
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Whenever DW stresses over packing (what to take - what did I forget) I remind her that there are only 3 things we HAVE to take: 1) Travel credentials (tickets/DL/Passport, etc.) 2) Medications (prescriptions/OTC) 3) Money (cash/CCs) Virtually anything else (or a substitute) can be purchased where you are going. YMMV
 
Koolau said:
Whenever DW stresses over packing (what to take - what did I forget) I remind her that there are only 3 things we HAVE to take: 1) Travel credentials (tickets/DL/Passport, etc.) 2) Medications (prescriptions/OTC) 3) Money (cash/CCs) Virtually anything else (or a substitute) can be purchased where you are going. YMMV
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There was an old AMEX commercial where a guy washes up on a beach, shipwrecked. He's a mess. Just happens he's washed up in front of a luxury hotel. He staggers into the lobby, whips out the AMEX card, gets a room, a shower, shaves, buys a nice suit, rents a car and ends up having a nice dinner at a restaurant.
 
Koolau said:
Whenever DW stresses over packing (what to take - what did I forget) I remind her that there are only 3 things we HAVE to take: 1) Travel credentials (tickets/DL/Passport, etc.) 2) Medications (prescriptions/OTC) 3) Money (cash/CCs) Virtually anything else (or a substitute) can be purchased where you are going. YMMV
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Yes. My mantra when making packing decisions is "They have stores there." But this does depend on destination. Italy, yes, Southern Ethiopia, no.
 
marko said:
There was an old AMEX commercial where a guy washes up on a beach, shipwrecked. He's a mess. Just happens he's washed up in front of a luxury hotel. He staggers into the lobby, whips out the AMEX card, gets a room, a shower, shaves, buys a nice suit, rents a car and ends up having a nice dinner at a restaurant.
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It could happen.:D
 
Koolau said:
Whenever DW stresses over packing (what to take - what did I forget) I remind her that there are only 3 things we HAVE to take: 1) Travel credentials (tickets/DL/Passport, etc.) 2) Medications (prescriptions/OTC) 3) Money (cash/CCs) Virtually anything else (or a substitute) can be purchased where you are going. YMMV
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A few years ago, DH forgot to put our clothing suitcase in the car when we left for vacation, silly me, I stressed the whole flight about having no clothes, toiletries, etc. Luckily, I had our meds in my carryon.
Landed, checked into the hotel, went to the local mall and purchased what we needed. Ever since then, we have packed much lighter, knowing a shopping mall is usually nearby.....
 
I agree with the previous post about Costco. My BF and I do a significant amount of travel. He shops almost exclusively at Costco for our most recent adventures in Tanzania, Egypt, Galapagos, and a river cruise on the Seine. He has purchased easy care and wear dry fit pants, shorts, long and short sleeve shirts, a rain jacket, light weight sweater/pullover, and a couple long sleeve sun shirts for beach type vacations. Even his swimming trunks, socks, and underwear are from Costco! On our last trip, multiple people in the group admired each others clothing, and it was all Kirkland (Costco) fashion! Another lesser option is Academy sportswear if you have access or are more name brand sensitive.
 
A vote for merino clothing

If you buy high-quality (read: fine-gauge, pricey) brands, this stuff is amazing for travel. You can wear it multiple days in a row -- really -- and when you do want to wash it, it dries quickly. There are merino versions of shirts (T, henley, polo, long-sleeve), underwear, pants, and socks. The clothing I've bought from Unbound, Wool & Price, and Western Rise have fit well and lasted for years. If you're not self-conscious about wearing the same outfit day after day, a single set of clothes that fits in a daypack would be enough.
 
rodi said:
My husband is a big fan of the Columbia button down shirts... both the PFG and the Omnishield. They are light weight, can be washed in a sink, and dry quickly.
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+1! I have a half dozen Columbia PFG short and long-sleeved shirts, just for travel. Lots of pockets, cool nylon, light weight, easy to wash and dry. I also have a dozen or so of the Columbia PFG shorts (Columbia Men's Backcast III Water Short, shorter inseam). They can be used daily, or for swimming or hiking. Heavy duty nylon! They're not the most flattering, but are practical and have a rear zippered pocket. I also love Under Armour running shirts, they're almost like wearing nothing. Oh, and a Scotte Vest for airplane travel. Lots of pockets, removeable sleeves, can carry an iPad, phone, etc. And Nike Dry Fit socks for airplane travel and hiking!
 
Kuhl

Kuhl’s polo shirts and shorts double as my WFH wardrobe when not in the office along with being my go to for travel attire.
https://www.kuhl.com/
 
We travel anywhere from 30 day to 75 days at time internationally about 2 to 3 times a year. In addition we travel a few times a year domestically for about 2 weeks. We have been doing so since 2016 with the exception of 2020! We always pack carry-on only with a weeks worth of clothes. Two things: (1) pack clothes that you are comfortable wearing and (2) there are laundries both coin operated or drop off where you can get your clothes cleaned. You are traveling, not moving. Guess what the locals are going to know that you are a tourist any way regardless of what you are wearing.
 
One of the beautiful things about retirement, and getting 'old', is that, if you're doing it properly, you don't care what other people think about what you wear, what you eat, when you go, or where you go. Do your own thing, wear your own clothes, who cares. Enjoy your trips. Peace.
 
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