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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think this is why people buy all brand new clothes for holidays?

545 replies

Kittythepink · 08/08/2020 20:33

We are going on a family holiday to the seaside tomorrow. I am so stressed under mountains of clothes to wash, iron and pack for five people.

AIBU to think this is why so many people go holiday shopping for brand new clothes? Put them straight into the suitcase what a brilliant idea! Wink

Seriously though, does anyone buy all brand new clothes for going away? I used to know someone who bought all brand new underwear and socks for each holiday, so maybe it's a thing?

OP posts:
compulsivesnacker · 09/08/2020 01:40

I read all 9 pages and couldn’t come to a conclusion whether I buy new clothes for a holiday or not. Was genuinely trying to work it out and it occurred to me we don’t really go on holiday. Or um, we only did once four years ago (other side of the country) and then, um, not for like six or seven years before that. Confused It hadn’t really occurred to me.
We were supposed to be going on holiday now. Ffs.

genteelwoman · 09/08/2020 01:40

Am I the only one who washes and irons new clothes before wearing?

Buying new wouldn't help me. Old clothes as they already washed, ironed and packed away

CeeceeBloomingdale · 09/08/2020 01:45

We would have a high percentage of new clothes including underwear for a holiday but I'd iron it before packing even if it's new. Things look better ironed imo .

BadLad · 09/08/2020 01:53

I buy plenty of clothes throughout the year, as I replace anything that looks past its best, so I don't buy new clothes for going on holiday. However, I assume that swimming in the sea and pool and wearing sun tan lotion will take its toll, so I normally throw away the t-shirts I take with me.

Anordinarymum · 09/08/2020 01:53

I always buy new knickers and socks for a holiday as they are already folded in the pack and nice to put on. I only buy supermarket knickers.

squeekums · 09/08/2020 02:23

@AuldAlliance

But clothes need to be washed before they are worn for the first time.
What the, never in my life have i washed new clothes Screw that extra effort.

We buy some new for holidays, its all part of the fun and the treat

squeekums · 09/08/2020 02:40

@Smallsteps88

Urgh. Feel quite sick reading some of this. Here I am washing and recycling all my plastic, leaving the car behind wherever I can, not ordering from overseas, wearing clothes until they’re actually done, replacing old clothes with second hand or charity shop buys, all because we’re supposed to be trying to look after this planet we’ve all but blown to fuck. And then there’s folk buying entire new wardrobes for the whole family so they can look good for a week away where no-one they know will see them. Confused

And those taking old clothes away and just leaving them at their arse for hotel staff to deal with? Scuzzy lazy shites. Deal with you own waste responsibly.

We all value different things. I value fun, good times and relaxation.

Be fucked if im washing rubbish
Aus has very crap selection of most things, overseas is the only place i get stuff i like
My size dictates that I cant shop in charity shops, not many size 6, skull print stuff in there. I dont wear what i dont like or sorta fits just cos it 2nd hand. I want what i like and feel good in.
Ive worn clothes till they fall apart, when i was homeless, it sucked and i will NEVER do it again.

Zenithbear · 09/08/2020 02:56

Yes I have heard of this. It is a bit old fashioned, possibly from the 70's/80's when people started going abroad once a year to Spain/Greece and took huge suitcases full of hot sunny weather appropriate clothes, then realised that they didn't wear half of it. Having to pay extra for check in baggage was a good thing for this reason.
I might buy the odd new item for a holiday but travel really light even when I have a generous allowance because I love holidays but learned years ago not to overbuy or overpack for a holiday, it's a waste of time, effort and money.

eaglejulesk · 09/08/2020 05:14

I agree with you @Smallsteps88. It's no wonder the planet is in the shape it is after reading some of the comments on this thread. Some people simply don't care it seems. Shock

user1487194234 · 09/08/2020 05:22

Never 100 % new but always a lot of new clothes and also a lot of 'holiday'clothes which are brought out for holidays

TeaForTara · 09/08/2020 05:32

My ex used to take his oldest, tattiest clothes on holiday (activity type holidays, not 5* hotels.). At the end of each day they went in the bin!

WhentheDealGoesDown · 09/08/2020 05:33

I don't think it makes any difference to the planet which bin my old clothes go in, better than giving rubbish to the charity shop for them to have to put in the bin.

Tlollj · 09/08/2020 05:37

I had a colleague who bought new clothes every time she went away so she would look different in the photos.

Sheenais · 09/08/2020 05:49

I don’t iron and I certainly don’t pack for other people. That is where you are going wrong OP. I also tend to take mostly old clothes now after losing my luggage.

Wecandothis99 · 09/08/2020 05:56

I buy new for holiday apart from good old reliable bikinis.

Blackbear19 · 09/08/2020 06:00

@WhentheDealGoesDown

I don't think it makes any difference to the planet which bin my old clothes go in, better than giving rubbish to the charity shop for them to have to put in the bin.
With the exception of knickers which go in wheelie bin, just about all my used clothes go to charity shop. Separate bags one for stuff that can be sold and one for rags that can be recycled.
daisychain01 · 09/08/2020 06:10

Wasteful and just adds to the problem of the 'cheap throw-away' mentality to clothing. I'm no Eco-warrior but I wouldn't buy all-new just to make it easier to pack, that's outrageous, considering all the landfill taken up by the clothing industry.

Maybe one of the only upsides of coronavirus is to make people less consumer driven and to value world resources more.

speakout · 09/08/2020 06:18

Why are you making all this work for yourself OP?

speakout · 09/08/2020 06:22

And no I dont buy new clothes for a summer holiday. It rarely gets hot enough here for me to wear a lot of my summer stuff, so as a result many of my shorts, vest tops, dresses, swimwear is decades old, but still in good condition, only used when I travel abroad.
I have enough stuff without buying anything new.

And I never iron. Ever.

PeachyLife · 09/08/2020 06:51

I do the opposite . I buy only when needed. Old stuff I bring, wear and toss to make room in luggage if I do want to shop.

WhatifIfeellikeacat · 09/08/2020 07:12

I still wash many newly bought items before using them.

binnydinny · 09/08/2020 07:14

we both live in London where there's plenty of opportunity to wear summer clothes.

I'm a Londoner but I don't really wear my holiday clothes during the summer here. Some of the bits are decades old & not necessarily suited to the tube or work.

Ponoka7 · 09/08/2020 07:15

@Smallsteps88, where do you think second hand clothing comes from? The Charity shops rely on people who want new clothes, or impulse/over buy and are willing to donate them. A lot of them will be the people who buy new for holidays or don't like wearing the same going out-out clothes. Have you also given up meat? That's the best thing you can do for our planet.

@Smallsteps88, a lot of people can't afford clothes that aren't made in Bangladesh etc. The Bangladesh clothing factory collapse showed us that Mango/white Stuff/Wallis etc also use sweat shop labour.

@MinesAPintOfTea, I had a holiday wardrobe suitcase, it meant I could take advantage of last minute deals and not have to try to shop, around work. The shorts I wear on holiday I wouldn't wear in a city, or some of the dresses, floaty kaftans (for over maxi dresses in Muslim countries) or kimonos.

I buy new for holidays. I grab as much as I can during the sales for a October holiday and wear it the next summer. Or buy new for our May holiday and wear it that summer. Or donate it. Sometimes we buy cheap t-shirts for quad biking etc, nothing washes after some quad biking excursions through the desert etc.

I don't know why there's so much derision, we need people spending money. Bangladesh needs people who buy cheaper clothing. Our economies are built and sustained by consumerism.

itsgettingweird · 09/08/2020 07:16

I get what you're saying and to some extent I do the same!

Over the years I've collected my 'holiday wardrobe'

But basically all it is is cotton jersey short, some strappy tops and 2 cotton jersey play suits.

I have beach towels etc.

It's basically stuff to wear to and from beach/pool etc and is all mix and match colour.

So when I go away I pack my holiday clothes and then choose a few other sets of summer clothes that I wear day to day for evenings.

Holiday has been cancelled this year but thanks to our lovely heatwave my 'holiday clothes' have seen the light of day Grin

LaurieMarlow · 09/08/2020 07:17

People love making pointless work for themselves, don’t they?

Ironing holiday clothes 😂

Washing/ironing new clothes.

Just don’t do it. Go and enjoy your holiday.

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