What is the minimum I need to buy?

REI or other outdoor stores offer clothes for travellers: sturdy, quick dry, and easy to pack. Useful for a field to dining room wardrobe.

Ah, I remember those fashion care-free days as a programmer. Even better when I telecommuted - pajamas and running shorts and tanks. Now, I'm stuck in suits on my workdays - I wish I hadn't retired from programming when I'm sweating bullets in the summer in a full suit...

I would hit up a local place like REI, Eddie Bauer, LL Bean, or the local outdoors store and pick up a pair of convertible pants - you can use them as long pants at night or if it is cool in the daytime and zip them off and use as shorts the rest of the time (including at home). Some may gasp, but use them for the MDR - other than "no jeans", the "rules" don't say "no zip pants". If you want something else, go hit a nearest outlet mall or Old Navy and pick up a pair of cheap chinos/khakis to bring for the evening meals that you eat in the MDR. Then, just bring your jeans to wear elsewhere. For shirts - a polo is just fine for dinner. But, if you want, hit up the outlet mall or Old Navy and pick up a cheap longsleeve button-down shirt. No one is going to check the label to see where you bought it.

I am a big fan of eBay for special occasion clothes - many people use them only a few times and often sell them for very little - best if you know the brand and your size in that brand, but once you do there are great bargains to be had this way. Pick easy care fabrics that you can launder once you get them - even men's wear.

 

But then, I have always been a great thrift store shopper - my sister and I when we were teens, would comb the shops for Lanz dresses and Capezio shoes which is a dead give-way for my generation.

Bowit Teller and Best & Co. used to sell the Lanz dresses. :) What, :eek: you didn't look for Papagallo shoes? I was so excited when in Rome, I saw the Papagallo shop with their trademark parrot. :D

Bowit Teller and Best & Co. used to sell the Lanz dresses. :) What, :eek: you didn't look for Papagallo shoes? I was so excited when in Rome, I saw the Papagallo shop with their trademark parrot. :D

(Sniff) .....Out West we always thought Papagallo's were merely inferior knockoffs of Capezio's.

Ha, little did we know at the time the US was pushing all things "Italian" for the American market in their efforts to fend off a possible communist take-over of Italy back in those post WWII days. Italian movies, cars, food, haircuts and fashion.

We even started eating pizza in California back then, which had never heard of it before out west. Red sauce restaurants were our only exposure to things Italian - diluted to be soup, put on the pasta and slathered over the chicken and called cacciatoria.. Spumoni ice cream was the only Italian dessert available. (Yech) Sawdust on the floors and dripping candle in a straw covered old Chianti bottle were requisite for any "real" Italian restaurant.

Wow, did thing finally change once travel to Italy itself became more common. And Italy continues to hover on the brink of going "communist".

Bowit Teller and Best & Co. used to sell the Lanz dresses. :) What, :eek: you didn't look for Papagallo shoes? I was so excited when in Rome, I saw the Papagallo shop with their trademark parrot. :D

Oh my, Bonwit and Best are names from the past! Best was THE place to go for Easter outfits--I still remember where the store was. Their building is long gone and the location is now a Chase bank. Did you always live in the Boston area? I thought Best was only in the NY-NJ area.

No jacket required but makes dinner a bit more special if you want. Other than that, get a couple of collared shirts and a pair or two of Dockers and you're good to go. Enjoy your cruise and Alaska!

you have already been given a lot of good suggestions but I will add this:

1. Most people "overpack" and could do with much less clothes and supplies......don't overthink it and be flexible to wear things more often than you do at home. Lay out what you think you will need and then put half of it back in the closet!

2. Sometimes the jacket for night time meal is not just to look a little nicer than day apparel and not just for gala/formal nights. It is actually cold in the dining rooms and night time entertainment venues and the sleeves help you feel more comfortable.. Take one jacket that can be dual purpose and just use it as you need it.

3. take things that can mix and match.......this is not a fashion show and most people don't observe that others wear clothes multiple times.......unless you show up in shorts and tshirts and try to get in main dining room at night (LOL).

Our packing for cruises have changed a lot through the years. We no longer take any toiletries that ship will provide, we take fewer simpler clothes and for long trips we might pay for the "stuff it all in a bag" once with items we need to have washed. We don't even lug around our huge cameras and large umbrellas and backpacks with everything "we might need"........just take the basics and enjoy the trips

Thanks for all the posts everyone! I've got the information I was looking for.

1. Over all, in my opinion, Alaska is more casual. (People are packing layers - bringing a coat instead of dress clothes. Especially with the added expense of the baggage fees.) With that said, on our gala/formal night I saw everything form beaded cocktail dresses & tuxedos to "nice" shirts and pants.

2. On my early June AK cruise, shorts were the furthest thing from my mind. So I advocate layers. (incl. hat/gloves/scarf)

3. If you don't eat in the main dining room & you might not depending on how long you want to be ashore or depending on your dining preference then you don't need to dress "up" in the Lido.

4. Just in case, I would get a pair of chinos (Land's End is online & good quality) and a collard polo type shirt. (I would not purchase a jacket & tie for an Alaskan cruise.)

You can look nice with a collared long-sleeved shirt and dark gray Dockers. A tie is optional. Add dark walking/comfort shoes along with dark socks and you are set.

Something like this:

http://www.dockers.com/US/en_US/dockers-sale-men/p/478460022?camp=CAGPLA_DF:47846002202932:DOC

You can wear the same clothes for both formal dinners, or wear two different shirts. I prefer to wear a t-shirt under a dress shirt to make the dress shirt look better. Wear a v-neck t-shirt if no tie.

Looking sharp doesn't have to mean being uncomfortable. You can shop at Sears or JCPenney.

igraf

We are going on our first cruise soon (7 night Alaska). I'm trying to figure out what is the minimum amount of clothes I need to buy for dinner. I don't own a jacket or any slacks and I only own 1 collared shirt (I'm a programmer, so I'm in t-shirts and shorts every day ;-)

 

...

Both cruises in Alaska, we had good rains in Juneau. If you are planning on going up to a glacier for dog team riding--long pants and heavier shirts are important. I would bring an extra pair of walking shoes just in case they get soaked in the rain and would need a day to dry out. Weather can change weekly.

Thanks. No, I'm not joking ;-) I work as a developer for a large sporting goods manufacturer, so I typically do all of my clothes "shopping" at employee sample sales or the employee store. I probably only go clothes shopping in a real store maybe every 5 years when I'll stop by someplace like Old Navy to pick up a new pair of jeans.

Check out the golf wear action. Many comfortable slacks and collared shirts will fit the bill

Spent the last 26 years working as an engineer until I went back to school to learn about computers, servers, etc. I now work in IT but still dress as an engineer - everyone else is in jeans, sneakers. Even though I'm low man on the totem pole, because of the way I dress, people think I'm the IT Director, lol!

Unless you plan on make use of the new wardrobe, I wouldn't put a whole lot of money into it. You can find what you need at Old Navy and maybe even Goodwill.