Dress to De-Stress in Florida!

We know the dilemma. You’re packing for your holiday and you’re looking at all the stuff in your chest of drawers and thinking: How am I going to get all that in my suitcase?

Well, if you’re coming to Florida, the simple answer is – you don’t need most of it. We’ve already looked at the ideal shoes for Orlando’s theme parks, so this time we’re looking at the rest of your holiday wardrobe.

Just to start with, this is one of the most informal destinations on earth. Unless you are looking for ultra-fancy dining like Victoria & Albert’s at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort, you definitely don’t need to think about a jacket and tie or a cocktail dress or two.

Most restaurants will happily seat you in your theme park clothes, whether you’ve been out in them all day or not! You won’t get into many places in swimsuits, but otherwise just about anything goes.

If you’re in the Florida Keys at any stage, their year-round uniform is pretty much shorts, T-shirt and flip-flops. It’s that laid-back. In fact, for Florida as a whole, you simply dress to de-stress; there are absolutely no worries if you want to dress casual. In this climate – for the most part – you want to stay cool, not trendy.

That means you can pack light, or even travel with an empty suitcase if you want to hit the ground shopping. Despite the best efforts of the pandemic and our economy, it is still pretty cheap to buy shoes and clothes in Orlando, hence you could travel with little more than your toothbrush and a change of underwear.

What are the prices like for clothes in Orlando?

Inflation has certainly had an effect on many areas, but clothing hasn’t been drastically affected to date. If you’re happy to shop at the likes of Walmart and Target, adult T-shirts can range from $12.50 to $20, and that little beach dress might be anywhere from $10-$40.

Head over to the big Premium Outlets centres on International Drive or Vineland Avenue and you’ll still find major bargains at big-name stores like Tommy Hilfiger, Guess, Calvin Klein and Skechers.

As of August 1, the Levi’s Outlet store was offering up to 50 per cent off a variety of products, meaning you could get men’s jeans for under $50 a pair, while Aeropostale were featuring all shorts on sale at 60 per cent off, with prices from $8-$27 per pair.

Savvy shoppers also still head for Marshall and Ross stores, where you might have to wade through heavily-laden rack after rack of apparel, but you can easily kit the whole family out for under $100 per person.

Dressing for the summer in Orlando

Having pointed out that you need to dress lightly during Orlando’s hottest months – which are basically April to early November – there are a couple of exceptions to that rule.

The first is that a lightweight rain-jacket is a good thing to pack and carry with you for the theme parks. The afternoon thunderstorms in summer can come on quick and heavy, for up to an hour at a time, hence a rain-proof outer layer can be a real godsend.

You can get a basic rain poncho at Walmart for $5, while Kohl’s department stores (of which there are six in Central Florida) currently offer a women’s ZeroXposur Lily lined rain-jacket for just $21.

Otherwise, you really can live in shorts and T-shirts from sun-up to sun-down. Evening temperatures will still be around the 28C mark until late October, hence plenty pleasant enough to be dining outside on your villa patio.

The only other exception you should make a note of is if you’ll be dining inside in the air-conditioned cool during the day or evening. In this instance, you will notice a HUGE difference in the temperature outside and inside, where proprietors seem to like to freeze their customers on entry!

It’s not unusual to find interior temps at 20C, which SOUNDS nice and comfy until you realise that’s nearly a 15-degree drop from the exterior in July, and you suddenly feel like you’ve walked into the Arctic. In this instance, it’s highly advisable to have a sweatshirt or cardy handy to avoid frostbite setting in.

Target can happily kit you out in a new cardy for as little as $16.25 so, again, you don’t necessarily have to bring one with you.

Dressing for the cooler months in Orlando

Yes, it can get cold in Florida. Not often, but, from December to early March, it is possible for temps to drop into the single digits at night, occasionally reaching freezing. There will still be plenty of sun during the day, but it might only be 7 or 8C when you arrive at the theme park at 9am.

The chances are it will warm up to around 20-23C by mid-afternoon, hence you’ll want to dress in layers. It’s good to know that all the theme parks have lockers for rent by the day, so you can take off coats and sweaters, etc, and leave them in the locker until you’re ready to leave.

Even handier, head to an outdoor clothing specialist like Bass Pro Shops (on International Drive) and pick up a pair of convertible long trousers, or “pants” (men’s and women’s), and you can unzip them and turn them into shorts when you’re warm enough!

Dressing for the theme parks

For regular visitors, this is going to seem like old hat (quite literally), but for long days in the parks you should definitely wear a hat, along with your factor 50 suncream. Keeping the sun off your head is the prime directive at all times of year.

Long-sleeved, lightweight shirts are also a good idea for extra protection, especially if they have a UPF of at least 30. What’s ‘UPF,’ you ask? It’s the Ultraviolet Protection Factor, as designated by the Skin Cancer Foundation, who recommend clothing with a UPF of 30-49 as “very good,’ and 50 or more as “excellent.”

Not all colours and fabrics provide equal protection, either. Dark or bright colours help to keep penetrating UV rays from reaching your skin, while there are also clothing manufacturers that specialise in UPF-protective apparel

Check out Amazon.co.uk and you can find UPF clothing from 30 to 50+, including swimwear.

For the water parks, it’s also a good idea to wear a Rash Guard, an athletic shirt made of spandex, nylon, or polyester that protects the wearer's skin while swimming, including damage from rashes, chafing and scrapes from body slides. They’re also excellent UPF material and can double as a coverup over your swimsuit.

Most water parks will sell them (from $15-$40), and they’re also available on Amazon from £20-£45.

What NOT to wear to the theme parks

Disney, Universal and Co reserve the right to exclude entry to their parks if they consider a guest’s clothing inappropriate.

Shirts and shoes, which can include flip-flops, are required at all times, but not swimsuits, unless worn with other appropriate clothing (swimsuits for young children in the splash play areas are perfectly acceptable).

Other articles that are likely to run into trouble are clothes that display offensive messages or language, adult costumes (except for the Disney parks at Halloween and Universal under these guidelines), clothing that has transparent material, is excessively torn, or which inappropriately exposes parts of the body, such as bikini tops and some crop-tops. Guests wearing wedding attire are also discouraged.

You can check Disney’s clothing policy on this link.

Yes, there’s a lot to take in, but just remember to take it all casually, and you’ll be fine!

Dressing for the Great Outdoors

If you’re likely to be taking in some of Florida’s natural attractions – and we are strongly in favour of that idea – you need to either bring or buy some alternative clothes to anything previously mentioned.

For hiking, biking and kayaking, it’s important to have something a touch more rugged and outdoorsy. Lightweight, long-sleeve shirts are highly advisable as they cover up more of your skin from the sun and any biting insects (insect repellent is also a good idea – local brands include Cutter and Off!), as not many state parks will spray to keep the mosquitoes down, which they do in the theme parks.

Good trainers and socks that cover up your shins are also essential while, for watery pursuits like kayaking and canoeing, water shoes provide extra protection for your feet.

Head for the big Bass Pro Shops at the top of International Drive (long-sleeve shirts $19-$40), or the four Columbia shops at Orlando Premium Outlets and Disney Springs, and you will find a wealth of outdoor gear to suit all tastes, styles and pockets.

Yes, there’s a lot to take in, but just remember to take it all casually, and you’ll be fine!

Next up on the Debbie’s Villas blog – where to get your character merchandise, and save money!

What are YOUR tips for packing and clothing in Orlando? Tell us your experiences on our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages.