I am going to need some help getting dressed
Does anybody know what "resort wear" is? I feel a bit foolish asking. One answer that I got is it is the same as "cruise wear" but since I've never been on a cruise, I don't know what cruise wear is either.
The reason I would like to know is because - hold on to your seats now, because you are not going to believe this - my husband and I are going on a business trip with his company in January and we have been told that the attire is "resort wear". And where, pray tell, does one need to wear "resort/cruise wear" in January?
Are you ready for this??
In Hawaii.
Can you believe it?!? (Yeah, me either! )
We first learned about this little trip around two years ago. My husband came home from work one day with this memo that said the annual company management meeting in 2009 was going to be held in Hawaii. The company would pay for the airfare, accomodations and meals for the attendees, and, oh yeah, spouses are invited and we're paying for them too!
When I read that memo I just thought "Yeah, sure. I'll believe it when I see it.". My husband had only been with the company for about 9 months at that point and his previous TWO jobs had been just horrible experiences. So I was taking everything I heard about the new company with a BIG grain of salt. But my husband kept insisting that it was for real and so I played along, but in the back of my mind I really thought it would probably never happen.
Well, it's been two years now and all along the way the company has sent out updates on the Hawaii trip. "Maui Moments" is what they are calling it. And while the plans became more and more concrete, and I learned more (positive stuff) about the company, it began to sink in that this was really going to happen.
This trip is partly a business meeting and partly a thank you to their employees and their spouses. That is huge to me. It is an acknowledgement that the support of a spouse plays an important role in the success of the employee. This gesture to the spouses in indicative of the overall values of the company. They treat their employees very well. I suppose I should give them some linky love *wink*! Check them out here.
So, back to "resort wear". We received our registration package this week with all travel booking information, meeting agenda, etc. etc. The employees have meetings in the mornings and afternoons are free time. Some of the evenings we gather as a group for meals and some nights we are on our own. It's a really nice place we're staying at and they mentioned a couple of times about "proper attire". Do you think that means business casual? A little more dressy? Would Hawaiian shirts be ok? Any ideas? (Pictures would be really helpful!!)
All told, there's going to be about 700 employees and their spouses going on this trip, so I suppose that if I'm not quite dressed appropriately nobody's going to notice.
Or 1399 people could notice!
10 comments:
Woo Hoo, I wanna go!! I am so happy for you sweetie, love you.
Resort wear is a specialized clothing style, as well as a year-round fashion "season". Sometimes known as "cruise wear", it was not long ago resort collections were worn only by "jet set" celebrities who would purchase such garments while on vacation in warm-weather climates. Today, these garments are a growing part of many wardrobes.
It has only been in the past year or two[when?] that designers, store buyers, and the media are viewing resort wear as a specialized year-round clothing style and fashion season. There are some important reasons for this. Areas such as Las Vegas, Phoenix, Honolulu, Palm Springs, San Juan, and the Caribbean Islands were holiday destinations, but they are now becoming places of year-round living. From the spectacular resorts destinations of Qatar, South Africa and Thailand, to the Spanish Coast, Costa Rica and the Grecian Islands, resort wear popularity is growing and it is not surprising to see Hawaiian shirts being worn on the Mexican Riviera. It has become a cross-cultural style that signifies relaxation, affluence, and an appreciation of nature, and displays a sense of style for the wearer.
From walking shorts, caftans and sandals, to full-length evening dresses for women and light dinner jackets for men, resort wear is unique in its design and function.[citation needed] Resort wear is generally made from cotton, silk, denim, microfiber, straw and poplin that are easy to pack, lightweight and breathable. They are easy to clean and look great without ironing or fuss, much like the new hair styles that are casual, yet very fashionable.
The style has gained enormous popularity for many[who?] who demanded the comfort and ease of care the old summer clothes had, but tired of the stereotypical t-shirts, shorts and baseball caps seen by the masses. This newly-defined style instantly combines comfort and easy care with a fashion sense, comfort and personality, thus its sudden rise in visibility is no surprise.
It is characterized by the "nautical" style, inspired by sailor and yachting themes, classic Hawaiian prints of palm trees and hula girls, brushed denim from San Francisco, bright floral prints from South America, minty greens, yellows, blues and whites from the Mediterranean and natural materials and glove-weight leathers from the Caribbean. Large hats, sunglasses, open-toed shoes and innovative waistlines complete the look of sun-soaked destinations. The style has already been the subject of small runway shows in New York, Paris and Milan.
Though designers and design houses as J. Crew, Banana Republic, Lilly Pulitzer, and Tommy Bahama have pioneered the style, other leading designers are now creating resort wear. Oscar de la Renta, Michael Kors, John Galliano, Matthew Williamson, Vera Wang, Heidi Klein, Jo Eden Mimimango, Anna Sui, Charles Svingholm, Allegra Hicks and Tashia London have all shown resort wear in recent shows for the 2006 and 2007 seasons.
hope this helps, love you.
Very, very cool, Anita!
We are making our own plans for Hawaii - or rather, having them thrust upon us. My in-laws are taking my sister-in-law and her husband and Mark and our family next summer.
Mark was born in Hawaii and lived there for his first couple of years. His parents go back at least every couple of years. Last time they went they spent the entire trip talking about how much fun the (our) girls (their only grandchildren) would have doing this, that, and the other. So they decided we should all go next year, and since we'd never be able to afford it, they're taking us. Nothing so fancy as where you'll be staying, though! We'll stay at a bed and breakfast.
You can tell me how to pack everything we need for a week in a teeny tiny bag.
love, Kari
Oh Kari, really? I think that's SO neat! That's so generous of your in-laws - they're right, the girls will have a great time!!
Yeah, that place we're staying at looks pretty swank, huh? That's why I'm so freaked out about what I'm supposed to wear. I'm going to be a bit out of my element. Wish we were staying at a b&b!
okay, so I can't help you with the clothes, because I'm clothing challenged! But, do you have a layover at LAX, by chance? I can meet you for that! Let me know:-)
Yeah! Hawaii in January!
I think business casual will do. They just don't want you all showing up in tank tops, shorts and flip flops to every function. :-)
Wow! Have fun Anita. We want to see pictures!
Oh Anita!! I am so happy for you guys! You are going to love Hawaii. My hubby and I had the opportunity to go back in 2002 - he won a trip from work. It was amazing! And we had to do the "resort wear" thing too. It's not as hard as it sounds. Think pretty and stylish walking shorts, pretty flowy dresses, etc. Most ladies didn't wear alot of denim unless we had a casual activity planned. It was mainly khaki, linen, etc. For shirts, just try to avoid the spaghetti strap tanks. Lots of ladies wore nice tanks or sleeveless shirts, but I didn't see many daring to wear the spagheti straps with jean shorts and flip flops. Lots of nice sandals and walking shoes were worn. I know that you live in a colder climate like me, so all I can tell you is that the internet can be your friend when you are looking for warm weather clothing in cold weather shopping season. I had to shop online for most of my stuff, even my bathing suit. (And consider getting a nice coverup for your suit if you don't already own one.) The hardest part for me was the shoes - just try to find cute sandals in the Midwest when everyone is wearing boots!! I was able to find something appropriate on clearance in our local store to get me through the first day and then we took the first bus trip to the local shopping center when we arrived on the island, (We were on the "big island", btw, and then we flew over to see Pearl Harbor. I want to go back someday and see Maui and Lanai. Someday....)
Congratulations!! You are going to have such a wonderful time! Don't forget the hats and sunscreen, though. I tried to be very careful but I ended up getting a horrible sunburn on my chin that blistered. Why my chin? Because that is where the shade of my hat ended. So think big hats and LOTS of sunscreen reapplied often. And avoid the mid-day sun like crazy if you are a burner like me.
You are going to love Hawaii :) It's wonderful. We lived there for 3 years, so really got to enjoy the time spent there.
Stores like Macy's or Nordstrom usually will have a section on cruise/resort wear, but I'm thinking like one of your commenters above that business casual will be great for most times, exceptions being a dressy dinner or formal.
You'll have to get you a dress (or at least a blouse) from Hilo Hattie while you are there :) Definitely a small piece of Hawaii to bring back home)
The sun is strong...make sure you have lots of sunscreen, cover-ups, and I'd suggest a hat as well. The beaches are amazing and we spent so much time on them, but the sun can be brutal, as I can attest with an emergency room visit and having to be prescribed a bit old tub of dental numb stuff to put all over my back, not fun :)
Enjoy! The planning and excitement of an upcoming trip is half the fun for me!
Sorry I've been so lax in offering my CONGRATULATIONS!! This post has been open in a tab all week and I keep saying "I really need to comment". LOL
Congrats, sweetie. You deserve it. And, as a self-confessed, life-long, fashion reject, I got nothing for ya on the "resort wear" question. LOL
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