Clothing suitable for liveaboards

[BlackHeron]

We do almost all of our clothing shopping at thrift stores, other than underwear and foulie water-shedding top layers. Some of those were even bought used at sailing resail shops too. Even our foul weather fleece mid-layers are thrift shop finds .

It is amazing what you can find at a thrift shop if you dig a little. Silk, rayon, wool, and "tech" drip-dry clothing are there I'd you are willing to sort through the typical cotton and cotton blends that fill the racks.. I have found a lot of polo-type lightweight tech shirts lately, which are a little more informally formal than a basic T-shirt. I love these. One has to be willing to wear random logos from businesses, sporting events, charity events, and so on printed on many of this used clothing. A lot of it was probably giveaway items from special events or people's work and was never or seldom worn before it was donated.

Most of my clothing purchases are in the $2-4 range per item. Living on a boat and maintaining it yourself is hard on clothing and I can't imagine paying retail for this kind of stuff. A "new" article of clothing will likely have a diesel or oil stain, run in the stitching, or small hole/tear in it before too long when it is in my wardrobe. Our clothing Budget is probably a couple hundred dollars a year between my wife an myself. We spend far more on laundry at marinas and laundromats nearby the anchorages we stay at than we do on the clothing itself.

For underwear I wear bamboo rayon. It's almost as good as silk at staying dry, drying on the lifelines, and doesn't get stinky.

Finally, I think cotton doesn't have a place on the boat for me other than as rags for cleaning. As a clothing fabric is is not very good on the water. Before I lived on a boat almost everything I wore was cotton. In a climate-controlled enviorment it is soft and comfortable, if worn for just a day or partial day. On the boat, where clothing may be called to be worn for multiple days, and in hot and cold conditions, cotton is a very poor performer IMHO compared to tech fabric and silk/rayon/wool.

[IslandHopper]

I prefer the Jack Reacher approach, it gives me extra storage space for important stuff......

[SV_Harbinger]

Just a tooth brush and your debit card lol

[GordMay]

This new fabric will automatically cool you down when you get hot and sweaty.
The material responds to the body’s heat and wetness to help keep us at a comfortable temperature at all times.

The fabric, described in the journal "Science" (Feb. 8/19), is knitted from yarn composed of many polymer fibers coated in tiny, carbon nanotubes.
More ☞ https://www.sciencedaily.com/release...0207142242.htm

“Dynamic gating of infrared radiation in a textile" ~ by Xu A. Zhang et al.
"Science" ☞ Dynamic gating of infrared radiation in a textile | Science

[sailingbare]

Originally Posted by LoudMusic

"Clothing suitable for liveaboards" !?!?

All this time I thought it was "Clothing optional for liveaboards"!

Always has been for me.

[Capt JJ]

...downtown Annapolis, helly Hanson store sounds like you’re kinda garb?

I buy my clothes at Walmart (wrangler boot cut jeans $20-nice on my Harley) and Swiss tech flannel shirts $17.88 but if I splurge I’ll buy salt life or under armor clothes at military base exchange where vendor sets price lower & there’s no tax..
Get Hanes pocket tee shirts at dollar general 5pack for $15.

Other than that it’s goodwill/thrift stores where I get label pig (read as designer) clothes, tommy Bahama silk shirts $10-$20 and I shop Craigslist for foulie yachtie jackets/Harley jackets used offered cheap.

I only break the bank for Hawaiian Ola Kai flipflops and Tony Lama boots for riding my Harley, and black out chuck Taylor high tops I use for dive booties/footwear around coral-rocks, wear them to bar as well...

Yes I wear old school military UDT (underwater dive trunks) shirts and ranger panties (small silky black running shorts) most times on deck/at beach or if clothing is mandatory?

When I was a ski bum I wore Arc Terex...nice clothes but lawyer ladies I date now won’t buy me that stuff anymore so I go without...ive bought cars and dinks w/motors for less than those ski jackets/bibs cost...

[Sailergirlsue]

Originally Posted by kristjan

Goodwill, oxfam, value village etc...

I try to buy everything second hand. Apart from bikinis and underwear of course. I love value village in canada and find it preferable to the goodwill here in California. We are off in a week to Mexico where our boat is and I’m trying to purge my regular clothing for more appropriate wear. It’s challenging to be rid of what I think I may need. In reality: I need very very little.
Rei, running clothing, quick dry lululemon skorts. I’m a girly girl and will need to let go of that a bit more too. It’s a process right?

[Auspicious]

I wear what I have always worn. Same stuff. Cotton t-shirts, jeans, sweats, flannel when it is colder, some synthetics especially for long underwear. I have some nice clothes as needed but mostly the difference between work clothes and visiting clothes is stains. Today - Sahalie synthetic pullover with black 5200 on it, a cotton t-shirt, sweats, dual-layer running socks, and somewhere around here some Crocs.

[syPhilos]

Oh my ...

I just brought some clothes from my home when I moved aboard ...
Have I been doing it wrong all these years?

Same for my man, and he's been a liveaboard for 12+ years.

Now I'm worried

[swordds]

Haven’t tried it myself but FYI, I recently read on another site that Speedo bathing suits are a great underwear choice for men, quick drying, supportive, etc.

[Happ]

I tend to buy sailing gear for everyday wear. When I say sailing gear I mean the type that wicks moisture from the body and can be hung up on a hangar and dries quickly. Usually in about an hour or less. Yes, I have some of those fancy over priced logo type shirts. I usually buy them on sale or from Amazon usually at 20% less than the stores. I have found a great number of clothes that meet this requirement dare I say from Walmart! Shorts less than $20! Shirts also less than $20.00. I do have a few PFG shirts from Columbia at about $45.

[Jimmyhenry]

I found the charity shops have fantastic variety at very low cost. Most of my tee shirts cost around $2.00. Polos are average cost $5.00. Works well when you are on a cruising budget. And it is amazing what people throw out.
Last set of Pajama’s cost $2.00. The guys name was written inside as he was living in a retirement rest home when he died.

Pete

[Morning Glory]

As per CJ88 suggestion, try either Icebreaker or Silk Body,https://nz.icebreaker.com https://www.silkbody.co.nz/ Both have ranges to suit hot or cold, wear for weeks without washing...they are expensive but last. Round the berth we opt for the traditional oil stained, ripped and ragged.

[Maka]

I tend to like Polo shirts with a pocket. Comfy and good enough to go ashore in.
Something long sleeve if its cooler,,, but also with a pocket.
I wear reading glasses and an assortment of "Dark" glasses all with attached straps that hang around my neck. I learned from my skiing day that different color lenses really help in differing weather conditions. Polaroid on bright sunny days and yellow lenses in foggy weather for instance,,,,and other shades in between.
I love wool when its cold and damp.
But one must be circumspect wearing wool in public. A Kiwi friend of mine tells me that Aussie men tend to get aroused when in the vicinity of wool.
Shorts or sweat pants work well for comfort and functionality under most circumstances.
Almost all of the above come from Amazon.

Then there are my Foulies that are the best money can buy...I refuse to compromise there.
Same with shoes....only the best non slip deck shoes. I also have some tabi looking footwear that is absolutely non slip on slimy rocks and puncture proof for walking on reefs.