Caribbean-Cruising Fashonista

[5326jan]

My DH has hairy shoulders and loves to wear tank tops ewww:eek: This cruise I told him no tanks unless he gets waxed or lazered first. I think men with tons of hair shouldn't wear tank tops.

On the nylon debate I am 61 my legs are veined and not pretty anymore. I do wear nylons to look more finished. Back a few years ago I wouldn't have even considered wearing nylons but time moves on, legs look old and men get hairy:D

Kris

 

Wouldn't it be nice to get into the "way back" machine and get back the waistlines, smooth tanned skin and long, lean-- not saggy-- necks! :cool: **sigh**

 

PS... If you don't remember Peabody's Way Back Machine, you probably don't have to worry about the above issues. ;)

Edited November 9, 2011 by 5326jan

[indiana71]

It is a GORGEOUS day in western PA! 60 already and sunny...we will enjoy this now...cold & possibly a little snow this weekend...

cardamom: I sure do remember you! We had a great time on Enchantment in April. Always makes the cruise better when there's a group of Cruise Critic posters:).

I would pack exactly as you are, and add a lightweight jacket or cardigan. Whenever I find a pastel-colored sweater, it's in my shopping bag! Even if the temps are cool, there's a Caribbean feel:cool:.

Cozzette2: Welcome to the CCF thread! Alas, men are more concerned w/ comfort than style. The secret we DWs must keep: find outfits for them that are comfy AND stylish;).

The Pantyhose/Nylons Debate: You said it best (for those of us nearing or on Medicare): "I do wear nylons to look more finished." That's my thought, too. I have given in to the current style of going bare legged. Admittedly it has saved $$ since snags & runs are no longer a problem. But I did feel "more finished" at the formal dinner last weekend, wearing black pantyhose.

5326jan: Haven't we all daydreamed about going back in time! My middle wasn't saggy, thighs were firm, etc.

BUT - we CCFs have a healthy outlook on life. We're optimistic and caring...and doing our best to hide the jiggles and sags!!:rolleyes:

[TNGALOHA]

Indiana,

I have to agree with you that we are doing all we can to hide and camaflauge the "jiggles".;)

Don't you just love Spanx, and these new style pants with the tummy control in them!!! I won't leave home without them.

After giving birth to 4 kids and raising 6 I have more then my share of jiggles in the midsection. :eek: It doesn't matter how many push up, situp or any other excersice you do it isn't going to firm up anymore at this age, so you find other ways and means to make it look firm!!!!

[Clamshell]

Red nail polish goes with everything.

 

My last 7 day cruise I brought 3 white shorts, 3 kahaki shorts, 6 T shirts (That matched white +khaki) , 1 pr black pants, 4 "shiney shirts" if I went to casino, Jeans for first and last day.

 

Next cruise (in 3 weeks) I'll bring 2 white, 2 khaki shorts, 5 shirts that will match each, and leave the fancy stuff behind.

 

Jeans will be on my butt as we leave and as we return.

 

Just a thought. On my first couple of cruises I had matching EVERYTHING, just in case. Those days are long gone

 

Clamshell

[ailmarsh]

alimarsh and t60: Love your posts from Spain! How do the women dress there?

Indiana, Thanks, nice of you to say!

Many Spanish ladies are very stylish, especially in the cities & on special occasions. Great accessories & fabulous shoes! At local Fiestas you also see some fabulous traditional style flamenco dresses which are beautifully made.

 

Aileen

[Gathina]

Red nail polish might go with everything, but it doesn't mean it looks good on everyone. Me, for one. I do better in pale,neutral shades due to the shape of my nail and foot shape.

 

Red nail polish goes with everything.

 

My last 7 day cruise I brought 3 white shorts, 3 kahaki shorts, 6 T shirts (That matched white +khaki) , 1 pr black pants, 4 "shiney shirts" if I went to casino, Jeans for first and last day.

 

Next cruise (in 3 weeks) I'll bring 2 white, 2 khaki shorts, 5 shirts that will match each, and leave the fancy stuff behind.

 

Jeans will be on my butt as we leave and as we return.

 

Just a thought. On my first couple of cruises I had matching EVERYTHING, just in case. Those days are long gone

 

Clamshell

[indiana71]

clamshell and Gathina: Welcome to CCF!! Red nail polish is so-o-o glamorous. But for cruising, I'm with Gathina - pastels work for me. Virtually ALL my outfits are bright or pale pastels. Pink or a light neutral is a better balance.

But clamshell, it sounds like you wear a color palette that is perfect for red nails.

You have pared down your packing list BUT...have planned what to wear and what you need. :cool:

ailmarsh: I've always believed European women dress up more than Americans. And they love doing it - especially those fabulous shoes!

[sunluvr21]

Just finished reading through all of the posts on this thread, which took me a couple of days, and I love it!!

 

It's nice to know that I'm not the only one obsessing about what to wear and pack!! We fly down to Miami December 1 and are sailing December 3 on Celebrity Eclipse. I told DH today that I was going to use our spare room to lay out all of my outfits so I don't overpack, and he chuckled. Gotta do something productive while I anxiously wait for December to come! :D

[ailmarsh]

Good luck Sunluvr21! Our spare room beds are COVERED with clothes, guest wardbobe has hangers full of mainly DH clothes, ironed sundresses are behind the door, shoes on floor, some ironing still down in basementbut ALMOST ready to start packing :-) All adds to the anticipation ;-) We leave home a week on Tuesday .........

 

Note to self .... "Remember resolution NOT to overpack!!!!!"

Clamshell - Like your style!!! And the red nails :-)

 

Happy days!

[indiana71]

sunlvr21: Welcome to CCF! Reading through all the posts is quite an effort - but fun:cool:!

I am so-o-o envious of you and ailmarsh! Choosing outfits and packing are activities that most of us here like to do...and even love to do:).

While you two are getting ready to enjoy a well-deserved and relaxing vacation, I'm looking in my "cruise room" knowing fun clothes and accessories are waiting behind the doors and drawers!

Please come back after your trip and let us know if the planning and preparations were worth it. And if you can pass on any suggestions or tips picked up along the way.

[STARFISH*4]

starting to get things ready to pack-19 days til we leave--clothes are everywhere. still need to get a few evening clothes to the cleaners and next weekend everything will be packed but those--want to be done cept for last minute things a week before we leave so its done and no second-guessing or adding......lol....

i feel like i lost a week somewhere its coming up so fast:)

[Gathina]

I think you may have misunderstood me. I said red goes with everything but I don't know that I find it that glamrous.

 

Not everyone looks the same in the same color. It might look great in a bottle, doesn't mean that looks good on you.

 

For myself, I wear pastel almost 100%of the time or french. Personally, it seems like everyone wears red. I actually like to do my entire nail in pure white sometimes and I always get a lot of compliments on that.

 

clamshell and Gathina: Welcome to CCF!! Red nail polish is so-o-o glamorous. But for cruising, I'm with Gathina - pastels work for me. Virtually ALL my outfits are bright or pale pastels. Pink or a light neutral is a better balance.

But clamshell, it sounds like you wear a color palette that is perfect for red nails.

You have pared down your packing list BUT...have planned what to wear and what you need. :cool:

 

ailmarsh: I've always believed European women dress up more than Americans. And they love doing it - especially those fabulous shoes!

[indiana71]

Gathina: You are so-o-o right "It might look great in a bottle, doesn't mean that looks good on you." More times than I care to recall, the "perfect" shade was much less than perfect on my nails:eek:. It's very difficult to find ONE nail polish that goes with everything. I envy you for being able to have a French manicure, probably the best choice for go-with-everything AND looks terrific.

Alas, my nails are always splitting and too short.

Confession Time Question to ALL CCFs: Do you ever open a bottle of nail polish in the store and do a small test stroke of polish to check the color?

 

 

 

Edited November 14, 2011 by indiana71

[TNGALOHA]

Gathina: You are so-o-o right "It might look great in a bottle, doesn't mean that looks good on you." More times than I care to recall, the "perfect" shade was much less than perfect on my nails:eek:. It's very difficult to find ONE nail polish that goes with everything. I envy you for being able to have a French manicure, probably the best choice for go-with-everything AND looks terrific.

Alas, my nails are always splitting and too short.

 

Confession Time Question to ALL CCFs: Do you ever open a bottle of nail polish in the store and do a small test stroke of polish to check the color?

 

 

Indiana,

I have the same problem with my nails as you, splitting and breaking. That is why I have acrylics on my nails. I don't "sample" polish in the store because I always have them done in the french tip.

When I get a pedicure my toes are done in a french tip also. When I put polish on the toes they look "GROSS" to say the least!!!

 

A little off topic here but I just have to tell everyone. I bought a bunch of really nice loose stones on one of our cruises several years ago and have never been able to find anyone that could put them in a setting for me.

We live about 20 miles from the Mexican border here in Yuma , so yesterday we went to Mexico for lunch and while we were there we stopped in to look at some jewelry and got to talking to the owner of the shop.

Lo and Behold they can put my gems in settings for me!! I am so excited, so Fri. we are going back over there to have a couple of Pendants, and a couple of nice rings and earring sets made.

I have a gorgeous 7.5 carat white topaz loose stone that I am going to have put in a ring setting and then I want to have 2 of my 1ct. each Sophia Fiori Midnight Sapphires stone and I have 3 half ct. red Garnets stones to put around it.

With the other 2 Sophia sapphires and Garnets I am going to have earrings made to match.

I only have one question to ask. I wear a lot of white gold and silver jewelry, but do have some yellow gold. Do ya'll think the big ring would look better in White or yellow gold?

[finzup-kt]

Hi, my first time posting on this thread!

 

LET's Take A Poll: Are you a "Streamlined Bare Essentials CCF" or an "Outfits Aplenty CCF"?

 

My answer to that is neither! I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to be an "outfits aplenty ccf" type of gal but I am more of a "throw everything into the suitcase and sort it out later" kind of gal... I swear I don't even use half of the stuff I bring on a trip.

 

I am a procrastinator but I do love to go shopping so before any trip I will buy lots of new things. Then the time to pack comes around and I basically wait until midnight the night before (when I have a 7am flight) and throw in all the new stuff i bought, put in pretty much everything else I own that I "might" want to wear, throw in about 6 pairs of shoes, a few bathing suits + cover ups, and then add my flat iron/toiletries/makeup. I weigh the bag and usually am within 1 pound of the limit (if i'm over I just take a few things out and move into the hubby's bag)

 

When I get to my destination I always unpack (mostly so I don't have to rummage through an insane suitcase). I separate all my stuff and then each morning I go through figuring out what I want to wear. I have a low opinion of how I look in clothing so I'm comforted by having options I guess... I have been known to put on 5425 outfits before deciding on one that is 'passable'... :o

 

Anyway I'm going to try to gain inspiration from all you organized packers! I still may need to bring extra clothes but at least I can maybe plan out certain outfits in advance :)

Edited November 14, 2011 by finzup-kt

[ailmarsh]

Ladies ..... a question .........

 

Cruising from Ft Lauderdale around the Eastern Caribbean Nov 23rd - Dec 7th.

 

Should I add a lightweight cardigan or jacket? I will have a couple of wraps & DH two suit jackets but don't want to be chilly on deck.

 

Thanks!

 

PS Must confess to not having made any progress sice my last post but have given myself a stop gap mani & pedi till I get on board altho' fingers will get a fresh polish the night before we leave :-) And for me it's bright colours. I found a lovely pinky red by Jessica called Rainbow Red :-)

[indiana71]

Always top priority to welcome a new poster so...

WELCOME finzup-kt! We CCFs hope you can find inspiration and helpful suggestions here:).

TNGALOHA: My suggestion is: go w/ white gold if that is what most of your jewelry is. We would love to see photos of the finished jewelry and are pleased that you found someone who can make what you want.

finzup-kt: You are by no means alone when it comes to the "put it all in the suitcase, I'll deal with it onboard" way of packing.

What bothers me is "I have a low opinion of how I look in clothing" . You "love to go shopping", so that's a good start. When you try on clothes in a store, look in the mirror and ask yourself, "Why do I like this? Does it make me happy, is it flattering?" And if the answers are "Yes" and "Yes" then buy it, take it home and immediately plan a complete outfit around that new item. If you don't have room to keep it separate, at least write down, in detail, what the outfit is. That's the beginning of your spreadsheet.

Even if you don't plan EVERY outfit, having several that you're sure of will go a long way to giving you self-confidence.

CCFs come in all shapes and sizes. Just the fact that you came to this thread proves that you care about how you look. Keep coming back!

ailmarsh: Take a jacket or cardigan! You can't go wrong by putting one or the other in your suitcase. I've never been on a cruise when I DIDN'T need a lightweight cover-up!:cool: My cruise wardrobe contains 2 white cardigans - one dressy, one casual. And I take/(wear if leaving from the north) a pastel-colored light jacket.

[finzup-kt]

Always top priority to welcome a new poster so...

WELCOME finzup-kt! We CCFs hope you can find inspiration and helpful suggestions here:).

finzup-kt: You are by no means alone when it comes to the "put it all in the suitcase, I'll deal with it onboard" way of packing.[/color][/size][/font]

What bothers me is "I have a low opinion of how I look in clothing" . You "love to go shopping", so that's a good start. When you try on clothes in a store, look in the mirror and ask yourself, "Why do I like this? Does it make me happy, is it flattering?" And if the answers are "Yes" and "Yes" then buy it, take it home and immediately plan a complete outfit around that new item. If you don't have room to keep it separate, at least write down, in detail, what the outfit is. That's the beginning of your spreadsheet.

Even if you don't plan EVERY outfit, having several that you're sure of will go a long way to giving you self-confidence.

CCFs come in all shapes and sizes. Just the fact that you came to this thread proves that you care about how you look. Keep coming back!

 

Thanks, I'll post some pictures of stuff I buy (when I start my cruise shopping)!

[Happy ks]

Gathina: You are so-o-o right "It might look great in a bottle, doesn't mean that looks good on you." More times than I care to recall, the "perfect" shade was much less than perfect on my nails:eek:. It's very difficult to find ONE nail polish that goes with everything. I envy you for being able to have a French manicure, probably the best choice for go-with-everything AND looks terrific.

Alas, my nails are always splitting and too short.

 

Confession Time Question to ALL CCFs: Do you ever open a bottle of nail polish in the store and do a small test stroke of polish to check the color?

 

 

 

 

 

Only in the nail salon if the bottles are already opened and I'm trying to decide between a couple colors.

 

In a beauty supply store recently I saw a sign posted stating "if you open the nail polish bottle, you will be expected to buy it". It only makes sense...would you want to purchase a bottle of polish that others had been testing out? Why should the retailer lose money on a used bottle of polish when the bottle is clear and you can see it?

 

If there are "tester" bottles out that are labeled as such, go for it. If not, be considerate of other shoppers and the retailer.

[indiana71]

Happy ks: I completely agree w/ you RE nail polish testing...but I have seen women open a bottle and do a quick swipe:eek:. Nail polish bottles aren't sealed (at least not ones I've seen) so there's no way to tell if a bottle is "used".

finzup kt: We look forward to seeing photos!:eek:

[CactusGirly]

Just finished reading this thread (my sisters! where have you been all my life?):) I am a packing planner too... not just for myself, but for the kiddos. It's crazy.

 

A few of my favorite beauty/fashion things for cruising...

Getting a french manicure (goes with everything) with gel overlays so it stays for 2 weeks, no chips. Fabulous!

 

Mac Lipglass in Lust - makes a tan look luscious, smells divine, (also goes with everything).

 

The ruffled tube dresses by Alki'i on Amazon.com - they are great to pack, very flattering, can be used as swimsuit coverups or just walking around the ship - lots of great solid colors, & patterns too.

 

Havaianas in silver, black, and bronze. Like walking on marshmallows.

 

The perfect bikini from Boston Proper (covers the not so great parts, shows off the good parts).

 

And one fantastic little black dress from White House/Black Market.

[indiana71]

CactusGirly: Welcome to CCF:cool:! What a joy it is to come here & read that someone has gone through all the posts! You are definitely a fashionista!

I must check out MAC cosmetics to see the Lipglass you mentioned. And go to amazon to click on the Alki'i dresses.

Several posters have sung the praises of gel overlays. That will be a must-do for my next cruise:)!

White House/Black Market is the perfect shop for LBDs! Can never go wrong.

Thank you for sharing your favorites! Keep coming back to tell us more.

[CactusGirly]

Thanks for the "welcome" indiana! Forgot my other must haves... my Everyday Bag from bagallini. They come in great colors and look appropriate for a formal night or touring in town. Great purse! And my Travelon hanging toiletry kit. I have tried many, this is the queen of them all. :)

 

My packing trick:

For my clothes, (and the kiddos if they are travelling with us), I roll up each item of clothing and put the outfit (including undies) in a gallon ziploc bag labeled with the day/event, & then smoosh the air out of it before putting it in the suitcase. You will of course have a couple of separate bags for things you will wear with more than one outfit, or miscellaneous items (i.e. "Bras", "Jewelry", "Swimwear", "Wraps"). You can re-use the empty bags for a plethora of things afterwards. Nothing gets too wrinkled, and it takes up far less space in my suitcase (i.e. MORE ROOM FOR SHOES!) :D

Edited November 16, 2011 by CactusGirly

[ailmarsh]

Welcome Finzup-kt and CactusGirly :-)

 

Telepathy must be alive and well ..... I was packing outfits today in zip-lock bags :-) and like CactusGirly, I find that rolling works well. I've packed two bagged outfits in my carry-on just 'in case' luggage goes adrift. Also started on the two check-in bags, made final decision on hand-bags (purses) and jewellery ...... progress ;-)

 

Indiana71, trying VERY hard not to deviate from my lists!

 

Happy cruising ;-)

[Dee70]

Hi new to the forum, leaving for a Western Caribbean cruise on Sunday. Been packed for a week (easy to do in the midwest since I am obviously not wearing shorts and sundresses right now!). Just a tip on the nail polish, I have been doing the gel nailpolishes for about a year, first started getting them in the salon at $45 every two to three weeks. Bought my own set up for just over $100 (amazon) and add a polish color once a month at $16 each. Easy to do, and it really does last at least two to 3 weeks! Stays shiny, doesnt chip and the only reason to change it is because growth at nail bed. It is really nice for vacations when you don't want to be messing with your nails.