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

[Kittythepink]

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!

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?

I've never done that nor heard of anyone doing it. I would think a major clothes shopping trip takes more time and is more stressful than chucking a few things into a suitcase. Most people go on holiday at least once a year. Clothes for an adult should last longer than that. What do these people do with all the clothes, have multiple wardrobes, or throw them out after the holiday?

Considering mine are scratting about on the beach and in the sea I tend to pack old stuff, so the crappy old socks and shorts can be ruined further and will refresh when needed at home.

I too wash before wearing so buying new wouldn't work for us.

Buying new things for a different climate is of course perfectly understandable.

I usually have at least one or two new things for a holiday and I have certain clothes that are only worn on holiday. I have one crocheted "holiday" sweater which I bought in 1993.

There was one year where we were going to Australia for a month in December and we'd moved a couple of weeks before. Couldn't find my summer clothes for love nor money so flew out with an almost empty case and bought a load on arrival. Luckily it was AU$3 to the £1. That was 2006 and I still wear some of those clothes now. I'm very good at buying clothes that last.

I make sure I'm always on top of the washing at all times, so that there is only ever the washing from the day before. I didn't used to but it got busy when the kids arrived so I have a sorting trolley system in the laundry room - each eve I empty the laundry bags from each bedroom in there and when each section is full it's a full load (usually 1-2 loads a day). Then when packing for a holiday I usually do it 3 days before then there's time to wash and add anything that was worn last minute. Much easier that way as you can just have an unstressed early night before the hol!

Guess this thread answers why, when I worked handling travel insurance claims, there was never anything under £30 or more than 3 weeks old in the suitcases people were claiming for.

Ps if you use the right detergent and softener, and shake it before hanging it straight on the line, then fold at the line before putting into the basket, then you'll only need to iron a tiny handful (smart shirts, linen etc).

I went on a package tour type holiday once and one of the men on the tour never took clothes back from a holiday. He'd take a few changes of clothes, buy more to wear while there and leave everything (except what he went home in) in the hotel room!

I do completely the opposite, I take all old clothes and just shove them in, particularly easy with children as I buy second hand and they always seems to be growing. I take my scan I eat underwear, depending on amounts of clothes I have to do this I take travel wash and wash a few bits, only thing I don't really take old stuff is swimming costumes. As the holiday progressed I chuck the clothes out. I have had 2 holidays now where the cleaner has asked me if they can take them, so I tend to fold and put at top of bin now, but they are not clean knickers I hide at the bottom of the bin but everything else Is fair game. I leave all the clean stuff as well at the end of the holiday.
This means I can feel free to buy new clothes when away and not feel guilty, I save loads of money buy not buying things I don't use, I have space for the bits and pieces I buy whilst away and I don't have hassle packing or washing either side of the holiday.

We have our main holiday at the start of the summer so I buy the DC whatever new summer things they need as they're young enough to have totally outgrown last years summer clothes. The new clothes go directly into the suitcase then when we come home they carry on wearing those things throughout the summer.

Same here, it's largely because they are not wearing uniform anymore & "summer" clothes from last year are too small. It's not loads, couple of tees, shorts & shoes. Likewise at the end of the holidays I buy new school shoes & some uniform

To clarify I would have needed to buy these clothes anyway regardless if we went away or not.

To the people who haven’t come across this, it’s a social class marker.

The only time I did was for our honeymoon because I hadn't been abroad for years and didn't have enough hot weather clothes. Other than that, I never do, but I do see Facebook statuses about going shopping for new holiday clothes.

Even if you buy all new things, surely you wash them first? They’ve been handled by so many people from production to being sold to you, people have tried them on, maybe they’ve even been returned, dropped on the shop floor. Considering people need to be told to wash their hands after coughing or sneezing I dread to think what ends up all over clothes in shops.

I always shop online so the garments haven't made it to the shop floor & are packed at the warehouse

I only take new stuff on holiday right down to towels and pyjamas. Add to it for me.

“Why would you throw away a pair of pants on Friday when they were fine to wear the previous Saturday (unless they have since developed a hole)?”

Well, sometimes knickers get a bit worn, faded, stretched, whatever. I take care of my clothes so it is extremely rare for anything to actually get a hole - I like to retire things well before that point.

I mean my knickers tend to last a few years but the holiday thing kind of gives me the impetus to get rid of them (where otherwise I might be tempted keep them, but be a bit depressed by them).

But the 'grown out of it' thing would surely only make sense if summer started with a sudden bang the day you went on holiday . Here, we typically have our first t shirt and shorts weather in April or sometimes even late March. Even in Wales the sun does occasionally shine before July. So each spring I'll dust off the kids' summer clothes and check whether they've grown out of anything, and buy some new stuff if they have (they often haven't). And then in August I'll check whether they've grown out of any uniform/school shoes or whether their school bag has sprung a hole, and replace if necessary. But even if your kids have grown three feet since last summer, that still doesn't explain buying new stuff specifically for holidays.

“o the people who haven’t come across this, it’s a social class marker.”

Can you elaborate, Green, or do you prefer to keep it vague? (Genuine question)

but I am not alone in suggesting that wearing new clothes without washing them first is really not advisable.

I think that statement (given the linked articles) is a bit extreme. I'm far more concerned about catching bed bugs from a hotel/air bnb.

I do buy new things for holidays, but no all my clothes are brand new in the suitcase. The thing is that I do not buy clothes very often. And renewing ones wardrobe before a holiday is easy for us. It is the excitement of the days ahead, so it encourages me to get into the shops and buy something new. Underwear and socks too, so I do not have to match them for the packing up!

I linked to various sources indicating why, quoting dermatologists, etc.

I saw three articles that quoted the same dermatologist, Donald.

Against the majority here but I do go clothes shopping before going on holiday and I always take new underwear, not really sure why I've just always done it. I do of course take stuff that I already own too but definitely about 85% of the stuff I take is new. Usually I buy stuff I can wear at home too but there's just something nice about wearing new clothes and underwear on holiday - as for cost, I always factor in a wee shopping trip when I'm budgeting for going away and I do usually buy it all in 'cheap' stores.

I thought loads of people did this but reading the replies I'm now doubting myself😂

@GhostCurry, in my experience of living in England for a long time (not originally from here), buying entirely new clothes to take on holiday is a working-class/lower-middle-class thing.

Also depends on the type of holiday, which in itself (as documented on the current ‘good taste’ and ‘tacky’/‘common’ threads, where ‘good taste’ is being strongly associated with middle-classness) has strong correlations with social class.

That is absurd and wasteful.

Not really wasteful if it's clothes you'll wear at home too, or if you reuse them for holidays etc, not any different to buying clothes the rest of the year

@GreenRoads what does it mean? I'm not English.