Monday, November 27, 2017

Annie's Packing Tips Part 2: Clothes

I'm going to avoid giving you specific advice on quantities of clothing to bring because every person dresses differently. Instead, here are some general guidelines and tips learned from mistakes (and wins!) I made in packing.

1. When packing clothing, have an A-team and a B-team. Your A-team are your must haves: essentials you will wear all the time, special items you can't leave home without, and required clothing for your job. Your B-team are extras: the difference between 5 t-shirts and 10, a pair of pants that kind of looks like another pair you already packed, socks your grandma sent you. Pack your A-team first but keep the B-team close by and ready, and add them to your suitcase if you have a couple of pounds to spare.

2. I already said this, but pack with Pre-Service Training in mind. That doesn't mean pack like your going to the Himalayas; rather, plan for a transitional fall-esque wardrobe. It'll be warm during the day and cold in the evening/at night/early in the morning, and it also rains for half the year. Bring layers that you can strip down and build back up, so that you also have something that works for the Coast. (By the way, sweaters/cardigans are not completely useless on the Coast. The A/C in a Sweet & Coffee can be something fierce!)

3. Know yourself as a person. You're not going to dramatically change the way you dress, so don't bring clothes that are a complete departure from your style. Many people go into the Peace Corps because they are looking to shake up their lives (I know I did), but don't make the mistake of thinking you can forcibly reinvent yourself--it won't take. If you do go through a style evolution, it will happen naturally and be directly influenced by your new surroundings; you can't predict a change like this. Along those same lines, don't invest in all sorts of adventure gear if you're not already a habitual mountain climber/scuba diver/adventure sportsman. You might get invited to go on a hike or two with a large group of people, but these usually aren't the sort you'd need specialty gear for. If somebody does invite you on an outing that requires gear you don't own, it's probably a sign that you are not physically or mentally prepared for something that extreme and should decline the offer. I am not an outdoorsy person, and tennis shoes/duck boots and a waterproof jacket have served me just fine on every hike I've been on, despite the fact that almost all of them culminated in me whining about how much I hate nature.

4. Ladies (and this could apply to guys): bring at least 1 cute "going out" outfit (see: clubbing) for cold weather and 1 for warm weather. Clubbing, or at least going out to bars, is a big part of Peace Corps culture, and you will partake (unless you're just truly an anti-social hermit of the highest order).

5. Also for ladies (or humans of the skirt-wearing variety): bring dresses that can be worn with and without leggings and that actually look cute BOTH WAYS to give yourself a more weather-variable wardrobe that takes up the same amount of space as a single-climate wardrobe. Obviously, bring a few pairs of tights and leggings of various thicknesses to wear under your dresses as well. (I brought 2 sheath dresses, and while they're great for school here on the coast, they didn't look that great with tights so I hardly ever wore them in the sierra.)

6. Bring at least 1 pair of ultrathin spandex shorts to wear underneath summer skirts and dresses. The thigh rub is REAL!

7. I have a few recommendations on jeans. Peace Corps will tell you that you cannot wear ripped/distressed jeans under any circumstances. With perhaps the exception of a few extremely conservative sites, that is a lie. You just can't wear them to school/work, training, meetings with government officials, or church. On the street/on weekends is fine. Many younger Ecuadorians do. That being said, I'm not a fan of ripped jeans unless they are the distressed-and-patched sort, so I'd advise against them on an aesthetic level. I'm sure you will rip a normal pair while you're here anyway. I brought 3 pairs of jeans total: 1 medium wash slim, 1 black skinny, and 1 dark wash wide trouser leg. The first 2 are definitely the ones I wear most often, and I wish I had brought 1 more pair of similar jeans. The trouser leg I brought because I figured they could be worn in more professional settings, but I didn't wear them often because they were too long to wear with flats and I didn't bring any cute boots! Overall, I'd suggest around 4 pairs of jeans for women, with at least 1 being dark enough to pass for business casual and at least 3 being of a solid wash (i.e. not sandblasted, acid washed, or distressed in any way) with no holes, embroidery, or appliques. You can wear these to training.

8. Other Pants
For women: In addition to jeans, I brought 1 pair of tapered suit pants, 3 pairs of ankle/cropped pants, and 1 pair of loose lightweight joggers. I wore the ankle pants during training but I was cold almost every time I wore them; however, they have been a lifesaver here on the coast. I wear them to school more often than anything else.
For men: I'd suggest a lot of chinos/khakis/cotton twill pants. Sadly, I don't think there's a male equivalent of cropped pants that would actually be considered work-appropriate. Also, there's just something about a guy in chinos and a shirt with the sleeves rolled up...

9. For skirts, follow the same rule as dresses: equally wearable with or without tights.

10. Bring more undergarments than you imagine you need. I probably brought about 20 pairs of underwear and 10 months in, I'm already tired of wearing the same damn underwear all the time. Bras wear out way faster if you're on the coast because of all the sweat, so bring more bras than you think you need too. For both, but especially the underwear, you may want to bring some that you don't wear right away but cycle into your wardrobe about halfway through service just to liven things up a bit.

11. Peace Corps suggests that you bring a hat, which is something I would second, adding this: a very basic ball cap that you don't mind sweating into and which you've already bent the bill on to make it comfortable and broken in. It's good to have a hat to cover your scalp from the searing sun. Even though I have one, I never remember to wear it because I'm just not a hat person and I hate the way it makes my forehead sweat.

That's about all I have for specific tips when it comes to clothing. Obviously, don't forget to bring a bathing suit! Never forget your bathing suit!

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