Taste Travel Co.

What is a Vacation Wardrobe?

I’m sure we are all familiar with the idea of “vacation clothes.” You’ve seen the racks upon racks of floral, Hawaiian print tops, skirts, dresses, men’s button downs, shorts in stores.

While I have nothing against florals, or Hawaiian prints (I’ve got a few in my closet, for that matter), the concept that you have to purchase a slew of new clothes specifically for your next vacation is misplaced, to say the least.

Of course, it can be an incredible outlet for your excitement for your upcoming trip to go into a store and buy everything you think “vacation you” will wear. But is it really the most practical? The most cost effective? The most sustainable?

No, no, and no.

Sure, it’s a convenient reason to go buy yourself all the things you’ve been eyeing the past few months. But I really believe you shouldn’t have to justify buying yourself some new underwear or a nice dress (you do you, boo).

Debunking the Vacation Wardrobe

What I’m getting at is this: There is no such thing as a “vacation wardrobe.” There is no requirement to go out and buy all new clothes before you take a trip. It doesn’t make your vacation any less special if you pack things that are already in your closet.

Now, if you really want to go buy something special for your trip, then by all means go ahead. In fact, you should pack items of clothing that make you feel good. However, those clothes are not necessarily going to be the ones waiting for you on the racks in the new summer collection. And that is exactly my point.

Sometimes, your best vacation clothes are the clothes you wear all the time. Because be honest, how many times have you bought a cute new pair of shoes “for vacation,” left them unworn until your trip only to find out they are the most uncomfortable, horrible shoes you’ve ever owned? (Yes, most definitely speaking from experience). That’s exactly what I don’t want happening to you.

In this post I’ll cover my strategies to shopping your closet first and guidelines for selecting the best vacation clothes, should you choose to buy them.

Questions to ask Before Buying Vacation Clothes

The first question to ask before buying vacation clothes: What do I already have in my wardrobe that works for this trip?

Some considerations to keep in mind include:

• The weather – Naturally, you’d want to consider the climate of where you’ll be.
• What types of activities you’ll be doing – Tanning in the Caribbean? Touring the Vatican? Clubbing in Paris?
• The culture and customs of your destination – Are you traveling somewhere that has more modest, conservative leanings? Planning on visiting a lot of churches?

With these considerations in mind, it’s time to shop your wardrobe. You may have more items of clothing that already work for your trip than you think.

Maybe that cute summer dress you wear once or twice a year would double as a great cover up for your Bahamas trip. Your favorite lightweight cardigan that goes with everything? Perfect to cover your shoulders when strolling through Italian churches.

On the flip side, you may find that you actually own ZERO shorts that are acceptable for strolling around Manhattan. If this is the case, it’s definitely time to get shopping.

Sustainable Travel Clothing

For shopping, you have options, as always. You’ll probably select your go-to stores you know have your size and style. But keep these options in mind:

• Thrift stores – a treasure trove of unique styles from decades past
• Local Buy Nothing groups – looking for something oddly specific? Try posting in a Buy Nothing group. Someone else may have it!
• Friends and family – Specifically in the instance where you need to have something for a trip (i.e. a winter parka for your Norway in January trip), but most likely won’t get much use out of it when you return.

When shopping for vacation clothes, one of the most important things to keep in mind is: Will I wear this again?

If the answer to that question is no, try one of the above options to source what you need without being bound to keep it long term. If the answer is no, but you definitely can’t survive the trip without it (ahem, a parka for Norway), it may be worth buying anyways.

Alternatively, you could opt for one of my personal favorites — buying that item while on vacation. When looking for something very climate or culture specific to where you are traveling, there’s no better place to buy it than when you get there!

The Case for Being Underprepared

While I could say a lot about this topic, here I’ll keep it brief. Some of my own most treasured “souvenirs” are articles of clothing (or jewelry) I purchased while on a trip.

Sometimes it pays off to travel a bit underprepared. It gives you room to explore, try new things, and maybe buy a one-of-a-kind summer dress in Sicily that you’ll treasure for the next decade (true story).

Additionally, there’s no better place to obtain clothing that fits a specific climate than that place. Lightweight, breathable fabrics are found all throughout hot, humid climates like New Orleans. Gloves that move with you and actually keep your hands toasty are abundant throughout Germany and Austria. And what better place to purchase a pair of fine Italian leather shoes than in Italy?

The point is, if you don’t find every piece of “essential” clothing before you leave for your trip — that’s totally okay. Give yourself some wiggle room to explore, try new things, and maybe even find exactly what you are looking for once you step off the plane. ✈️