Which Type Of Clothing Should I Bring With??

torreylee

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First off, let me say that I plan to pack very light and bring as little as possible with me for my PERMANENT MOVE. I am happy to sell, throw away and give away my belongings that I know own and I am. BUT, I would like to know what types of clothing or footwear should I absolutely bring with me because it is hard to find in the DR? Or EITHER it is much more expensive in the DR because it's imported.

For instance, what about mens suits, dress shoes, rain coats, nikes, ANYTHING that you are wishing someone would bring you on their next trip from the States....

Even if you can think of non-clothing items, that would be great as well...

Thanks :bunny:
 

dv8

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Sep 27, 2006
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any good quality clothing is hard to come by in DR. bring summer clothes plus some long sleeves and maybe one winter jacket in you plan to travel to europe/usa in the winter.
as far as suits - one can get a hand made suit for a decent price.
 

PrincessaDR

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The response will depend on what you plan to do here! Are you retiring? Will you work? Hang out at the beach? Based on the answers what you bring will change.

The previous response though is correct - anything of quality is hard to find here and when you do find it - expensive.
 
May 29, 2006
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You don't see too many rain coats in the DR. Bring button down short-sleeve shirts, a half dozen shorts and a couple light long pants for going out. Sneakers are ok for foreigners but deck shoes are better for daily wear and a pair or two of good dress shoes for going out. Dominicans tend to dress more conservatively than Americans. Bring lots of socks. If you do wear sneakers, bring at least one extra pair.

If you cook, bring a decent kitchen knife and maybe a can opener. Most kitchen equipment in the DR is cheap Chinese dollar store quality. Even coffee cups can be hard to find since what they sell is usually more like tea cups. Dominicans do not typically drink 12oz of coffee in one cup since they like it very strong.

It is odd what you miss. I couldn't find chili powder for example and I heard other ex-pats complain about various spices and condiments they couldn't get. You can get the basics for the most part, but especially with name brand condiments, they can be pricey or very hard to find.

Scan your passport and get a photo online for something that can be used for legal ID. If you should lose your passport, having a copy of it helps a lot. If you bring a laptop, consider getting a replacement battery and charger for it before you leave the US. A surge protector is a good idea too. Sign up for an online backup system like Carbonite in case of theft or breakdown.


One thing I'd bring next time is travel security box like this:

Portable Security Safe
 
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Expat13

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First off, let me say that I plan to pack very light and bring as little as possible with me for my PERMANENT MOVE. I am happy to sell, throw away and give away my belongings that I know own and I am. BUT, I would like to know what types of clothing or footwear should I absolutely bring with me because it is hard to find in the DR? Or EITHER it is much more expensive in the DR because it's imported.

For instance, what about mens suits, dress shoes, rain coats, nikes, ANYTHING that you are wishing someone would bring you on their next trip from the States....

Even if you can think of non-clothing items, that would be great as well...

Thanks :bunny:

Hugo Boss on Lincoln in SD always has decent sales on everything including nice suits- I purchased one last year for 50%off which made it much less than in USA. I received an email last week saying 60% off.
 

torreylee

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So far my tally from your great answers are summer clothes, shoes, can openers, rain coats, surge protector (I could kiss you for that suggestion...;)), replacement laptop battery (why ,really expensive in DR or unattainable?), and shoes again LOL.... Oh and it seems I won't have a problem finding nice men's suits. That is a really good starting point for me, if anyone else has suggestions please let me know.

Now I really LOVE my button down shirts, Rocawear, ENCE, etc. I assume I won't be able to find anything of COMPARABLE value. I don't care what brand, it can be made by ACME for all I care, but I like quality. Is that something that I better load up on? And I assume they don't really sell shorts there that much? I find it almost a PHENOMENON that people that live in such a warm climate frown:pirate: on shorts! Go figure!!!
 

blackrainbow

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I couldn't find chili powder for example and I heard other ex-pats complain about various spices and condiments they couldn't get. You can get the basics for the most part, but especially with name brand condiments, they can be pricey or very hard to find.


Vanilla pods are also quite pricey.
 
May 29, 2006
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Laptop batteries are technicallly only suppose to last about a year depending on how you use it. Anything like that imported into the country is going to have a 30%(?) import tax based on estimated retail price! So if it is $100 for a battery here, you can expect it to cost about $150 in the DR. I think you can get most batteries there, but it would likely involve a trip to a major city and they might have to order it for you. In general if you have something that can break, bring a back-up.

The shorts thing might have to do in part with how people get around in taxis. When there are seven people in a car meant to hold five in 100 degree heat, you really don't want someone's sweaty legs rubbing against yours. Also with shorts you can get a nasty burn on your lower leg when you hop on the back of a motoconcho from the exhaust pipe.

BTW CDs and DVDs tend to die in the tropics unless you take great care to keep them safe from the elements. They get these little holes in the mylar layer and eventually they don't play anymore.

I made the mistake of forgeting to unplug my charger for my PDA and it got fried. Couldn't buy a new one in the DR so it was useless after the batteries ran down. By the time I got back to the US, the PDA had been discontinued and I couldn't buy the charger in the US either. It did not endear me much to HP...
 
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torreylee

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The shorts thing might have to do in part with how people get around in taxis. When there are seven people in a car meant to hold five in 100 degree heat, you really don't want someone's sweaty legs rubbing against yours. Also with shorts you can get a nasty burn on your lower leg when you hop on the back of a motoconcho from the exhaust pipe.

That is BY FAR the best explanation I have heard for the shorts thing!


I made the mistake of forgeting to unplug my charger for my PDA and it got fried. Couldn't buy a new one in the DR so it was useless after the batteries ran down. By the time I got back to the US, the PDA had been discontinued and I couldn't buy the charger in the US either. It did not endear me much to HP...

That sucks beyond all suckiness...Lol.
 

blackrainbow

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That is BY FAR the best explanation I have heard for the shorts thing!


And the shorts make you look more tourist, and notice that most dominicans and haitians wear trousers.

Also one other good thing to buy is "swimear" if you like going in the pools/sea, you dont wanna foot an ear infection bill.

any kind of medicine for a permanent move is a good idea, as i believe there a bit more expensive.

Another good idea may be a rain poncho/or and an umbrella. :glasses:
 

ExtremeR

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Mar 22, 2006
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That is BY FAR the best explanation I have heard for the shorts thing!




That sucks beyond all suckiness...Lol.

And it is wrong.

The shorts issue in the DR is a look issue. Nobody who respects himself will go out to a bank in shorts. Shorts are only for in-house or the beach-pool.

And kids...
 

PJT

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Jan 8, 2002
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There are different schools of thought regarding clothing.

If you are trend conscious you will find some limited clothing selections in the major cities at high prices. Some Dominicans with resources travel to the states or Puerto Rico to acquire the hot items.

If your tastes are more casual you can find most anything here. If you are brave enough to shop in the market districts of the capital you can find casual cloths at reasonable prices.

Because of the environment here especially if you are out and about and using public transportation wear neat and clean casual clothing you would consider expendible. Should they become soiled or damaged, no big deal, go to the market again. The other side of this is if you dress to the nines and they become soiled or damaged it is a loss and hard to replace.

This poster's recommendation is bring what you like and need, especially cottons, to fill out your wardrobe. Then when you arrive do some shopping around you may find what you need here.

The previous posters noted good shoes are hard to find. ... and when found they are limited in styles and expensive. Bring at least two pairs of good shoes.

Regards,
PJT
 
May 29, 2006
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A few more things. A couple of nail clippers and a dollar store sewing kit. Depending on where you are, you may need a trip to another town to get them. Extra razor blades if you use anything better than cheap disposables.
 

PJT

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Respect is you do not wear shorts into any government office as you will be turned away immediately. Women are advised to cover their shoulders; tank tops and like are barred from government offices.

Regards,
PJT
 

Hillbilly

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Let's take this down a notch.
1) If you are going to hang out onthe beach all the time, you can live with shorts, Ts and flipflops. Just do not expect to be taken very seriously
2) If you are going to live elsewhere and integrate with Dominican society at any level above a barrio whore house, then you had best provide for at least on set of Wall Street casual: Blazer and gray slacks, dark socks, good shoes.
After that, depending on what and who you will be associating with, you can have a variety: Jeans, khakis, collared shirts and polo shirts are fine for every day wear unless you are trying to do business, then you need that blazer, too. Actually, you can get by with just one or two ties.
Underwear is a must in the tropics. Especially undershirts, not what I call "plumber" style, but t-shirts (Hanes, BVD) .I use V-necks for example.
You do not need a rain coat...maybe a rain poncho, but you are better off with one of those packet things like for stadium use and an umbrella...Cloud bursts are sudden but don't last long and rain storms are so heavy nobody goes out in them for a walk.

Every seasoning you can think of is available, unless you are way off the scale...DO bring an excellent knife, but NEVER allow a Dominican cook to touch it!!!

Besides all of this, I'd say that you will be well prepared...

HB
 

MaineGirl

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If you are going to live elsewhere and integrate with Dominican society at any level above a barrio whore house, then you had best provide for at least on set of Wall Street casual: Blazer and gray slacks, dark socks, good shoes.
Underwear is a must in the tropics.

HB


you make me laugh!!!!

Torreylee I am not sure where you are coming from but Dominicans are not "casual" people, they love to look good, feel good, and smell good. I wish someone would post some pics of what normal dressing is like...
 

Hillbilly

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Jan 1, 2002
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Good point: Just look at the society glossies that come out in the Saturday edition of the Listin Diario...It is called Ritmo Social--have someone send you a copy......Today's cover is Scarlett Johansson...And look at what people from all walks are wearing...
zIt all depends on what you think you will be doing.''

HB