What to Wear? RVing Dress Code

The less people know about how sausages and laws are made, the better they'll sleep at night.

Confused about dress codes?  Well, if so, you're not the only one.  Some folks don't know how to dress and others just think they do.  That's why people watching is so popular I guess.   We all get a chuckle out of watching people who don't conform to how we think they should dress.  If you're concerned about being laughed at by others people watching, then check out the following combinations you'll definitely want to avoid.  If any of these fit you, you just might want to change before pulling into a 5 star RV park. 

Many of us over 50 (and some WAY over 50) are quite confused today about how we should present ourselves. Feeling 'young', we try to conform to current fashions and present a youthful image. Contrary to what you may have seen on the streets, the following combinations DO NOT go together and should be avoided at all costs:

1. A nose ring and bifocals
2. Spiked hair and bald spots
3. A pierced tongue and dentures
4. Miniskirts and support hose
5. Ankle bracelets and corn pads
6. Speedos and cellulite
7. A belly button ring and a gall bladder surgery scar
8. Unbuttoned disco shirts and a heart monitor
9. Midriff shirts and a midriff bulge
10. Bikinis and liver spots
11. Mini skirts and varicose veins
And, Most importantly

At some point you have to give up the 'DAISY DUKE' shorts

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I remember when we first started this RVing adventure, I thought there was a dress code.  Well, at least I read something on one of the RVing forums about it. I just tried to go back and find the blog I wrote about my struggle at that time wanting to “blend” with the proper attire but alas I couldn’t find it. 

It took a while for me to discover that trying to dress like someone else just didn’t work.  There is no RV dress code.   I didn’t really have a lot of leisure clothes.  With the onset of business casual in the workplace, that’s what I had.  Out went anything too dressy and out went anything too casual.  The middle of the road was a safe bet for just about everything. I didn’t own a single pair of blue jeans or a single pair of tennis shoes or even t-shirts.  I think part of it was because working for an airline we weren’t allowed to wear those things either at work or traveling on a plane.  So, why have them?

 

After reading the article about the RVing dress code, I went shopping.  I bought a couple pairs of blue jeans but just couldn’t quite do the tennis shoe thing.  However, I’m sure you know there are lots of alternatives to tennis shoes.  Some of those shoes snap and some buckle or slide on.  They really don’t look like tennis shoes.  I got into the Eccos and the Keens.  Besides wasn’t comfort supposed to count?   After my new purchases I was ready to get in our RV and GO or so I thought.  The jeans just weren’t my thing.  My body just was molded the same way those jeans were.  Get the drift?

Other people looked good in jeans but not me.  Before long the jeans were tucked away. I’ve learned to like the capri jeans but the othersI just couldn't adapt to.  I must admit that Terry has the same problem too.   He didn't have a lot of leisure clothes either.  I guess you really can't teach old dogs new tricks.

 

<--- This photo is small for a reason!!  Talk about looking sloppy.  Terry and I look like a couple of slobs.  Lee and MJ look great but we really hit the gutter in this one.  I’m almost embarrassed to post it but it does make a point. 

My style has definitely changed from the work days.  I've moved into the little Adidas and Nike type stretchy thingamajigs and capris.  Those are my clothes of choice I think.  Not only can you dress them up and dress them down, they also stretch with you after a big RVing meal with friends.  In my mind, that's most important --

My daughter has now been on me to buy another pair of jeans … oh no ... not blue jeans but black or gray or something different.  It's a compromise so, I’m going to try again.  After all, they might just be the best alternative when on our quads and for keeping me warm. I've also been told I need a pair of bulkier shoes -- ugh.   However, if I do end up with another pair or two of jeans, this time it’s not because I think that I should conform to someone else’s dress code. I'm just flapping my wings and trying something different .... different for me, that is.

Are we creatures of habits?  We shop the same places and buy what we've been used to buying to wear.  I think the dress code of every place you go should be what you are comfortable in.  Clothes shouldn’t be everything but if you’re not comfortable wearing what you want because you feel you might be not fit in, maybe it’s time to get those wheels moving someplace different.  It's taken a bit but at least now I'm back to wearing what I like to wear and not what someone else may think I should wear.

I have an RV friend who wrote on her blog she had counted the number of items she owned.  She had under 100 ITEMS!  Now that’s everything, folks. Everything!!  That even includes her clothes …. shoes, underwear, socks, boots, pants, tops …. EVERYTHING.  So, let’s see if I do go shopping for jeans  - do you think this will put my belongings over 100?  Well,  if you think that, you are very, very wrong.  I was over 100 before I even started.  What about you?  Have you counted each and every article of clothing you own?

**  Update -- I just know this is important for all of you to know.  I DID buy a pair of black jeans. It took a lot of work but I did it.   I even tried them out by wearing the jeans to dinner with Steve and Carol, our new best RV eating buddies. 

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Assisted Living in an RV

More often than not when we think of day care, we think of minors needing adult supervision  while parents work but there are other day care facilities.  Some Pet Smart stores offer doggie day care.  Many local senior centers offer day care services for older adults when other family members are not available.

Over the last few weeks I’ve become more and more familiar with day cares and assisted living facilities.  Some of these facilities are called active living or  retirement centers.   They are intended to provide some services that aging individuals don’t want to do or cannot do any longer.   The idea is that as a person becomes older their needs may continue to change.   They may move in originally looking only for a safe place to live  and three hot meals a day knowing that there are other services  available if they ever need them.  

These assisted living centers offer the basics of an apartment and board along with lots of activities, companionship and even some housekeeping services.  The fee?  Well, it can certainly be very expensive especially since many resemble  all-inclusive resorts.  The more the services needed, the more the price goes up from the beginning monthly fee. 

My brother had decided it was time for him to search out an assisted living center.  Thus, I’ve done a little homework and visited a few homes in the area.  His needs aren’t many at this time but six months from now he’s afraid he may need more.  Once our body starts going downhill, it can really go downhill.  This has been the case with him since an automobile accident he was in last year.  A few months ago he was soaking up the winter sunshine in his Class A motorhome while parked with other snowbirds in Yuma.  Now he needs the stability of a walker and has difficulty shopping and cooking for himself.  The answer … an assisted living home where he would receive light housekeeping and three hot meals a day.  Costs for a small one-bedroom apartment in the Portland area at one of these places is pretty expensive.  

Many of the homes offer employees a commission when new residents move in.  The problem with this is that the employees have no training in available Medicare, Medicaid or VA programs.  It’s not that they need the training unless they use it as a tool to obtain those new residents.  However, some of them do.  We discovered that aging seniors are sometimes “pre-qualified” or “pre-approved” for financial help that actually is not available or they do not qualify for.   In the meantime, contracts are signed by the prospective new tenant, the move-in occurs but the additional funds do not come.  This is what happened to “brother”.  However, in this case we did find a solution and will be moving him into his new home this week. 

 

If he had been in Texas, it would have been easy.  There they have an alternative for RV’ers looking for a little assistance and still remaining in their RV at a much lower cost.  The Escapee Care Center is in Livingston, Texas  and it offers assisted living alternatives for its Escapee members.  I had heard about it before but never really thought much about the facility until now.

 

There are many people who retired to an RV with hopes of traveling until they no longer could. Some have no exit plans and others plan on settling down eventually close to grown children or other family members.  The Care Center offers an RV space, utilities, three full meals a day, weekly housekeeping services, medical transportation and activities.  The fee at this time is only $800 a month!  The Escapees Center is absolutely the best deal out there.  If you aren’t familiar with it, check it out!  If you can and are in the area, offer to volunteer and help.  One day you might be thankful someone cared enough to volunteer their time to help you!  We have certainly put this on our bucket list!  

For information on their day care program or their CARE program, click here:  Escapees Care Center Information