How many outfits or costumes do you bring?

[Mrpatatomoto]

I brought my utilikilt and a couple pairs of pants and shirts, wore the just the kilt the whole time. Be sure to bring plenty of socks and a coat for when it gets cold, other than that, wear whats comfortable.

[MyDearFriend]

I brought my utilikilt and a couple pairs of pants and shirts, wore the just the kilt the whole time...

Oh dude I just had the sweetest flashback, seeing you sitting in your chair, in my hut, wearing that kilt and a wonderful grin. You built that hut, remember? You and Grai. Twinkly aluminet shade, a nice lil dusty breeze... quiet morning in a brand new city.

Oh man I wanna go Home...

[Mrpatatomoto]

I brought my utilikilt and a couple pairs of pants and shirts, wore the just the kilt the whole time...

Oh dude I just had the sweetest flashback, seeing you sitting in your chair, in my hut, wearing that kilt and a wonderful grin. You built that hut, remember? You and Grai. Twinkly aluminet shade, a nice lil dusty breeze... quiet morning in a brand new city.

Oh man I wanna go Home...

Hopefully i can find a job soon and Ill be able to afford to go again this year.

[MyDearFriend]

oh my dear (((MrP)))

*puts on boots*

*works a prayer to the job gods*

[Savannah]

Fingers crossed for you, Mrpatatomoto!

[robbidobbs]

well this thread hasn't seen action in a while. I'll just blather on.
I've pretty much settled into my uniform that I wear all day. I have a t-shirt, a pair of light cotton pants, and a pair of socks for every day that I'm out there. Per Pee-Funnel Zoe, I also bring one outfit that has nothing to do with porta-potties on it. I also have an outfit that's just generally BM for the ride home. I do bring 3-5 muslin scarves, a couple square, a couple 2.5 yards.
I have come dangerously close to running out of pants in the past (don't ask!). So bring a bit more than you need each day, cause you don't know what craziness will occur. Bring a LOT of cotton sports socks. They can be donated to DPW at the end of the week. Gonzo brings about the same formula, but likes to run around naked in the evenings, but if it's cold he sez he wears 3 socks ( ). Bring at least 2 good pair of shoes. If you can, bring clothing that can be donated to DPW. Bring ONE GOOD JACKET. Costumes are nice, but I'm busy. And tired at night. Gift me an accessory of a cold beer and I'm stylin'.
And definitely bring extra beer.

Bottom line on costumes: NO FEATHERS. And those jingle-jangle skirts with the fake coins WILL drop off. Beads are right out!. Put anything you think might be an issue thru the dryer first. It's the best simulation of the elements you'll be dealing with. Check out what DPW or the Rangers wear. That's hard working gear!

Gratuitous plug: if you work for me you get a very high cool value t-shirt and a scarf. You too can be the Playa Fashionista after I gear you up!

[H.G.Crosby]

[robbidobbs]

to plagiarize a phrase: REGIME APPROVED!

[ranger biteme]

most years i only wore my ranger costume, which has gotten simpler each year. black skort and 2-3 changes of tops.

i make costumes all year long, but as a virgin burner sadly found that whatever you bring to the burn will be forever changed, unless it is khaki or Hot Pink!

i'm working on one non-ranger costume this year because i am bringing my bff and will actually do stuff off the clock this year. hot pink furry chaps, furry coat, and who knows what else?

giving DPW socks, what a great idea - i have always just dropped off whatever cheap booze is left over

[Ratty]

robbidobbs...I'm trying to decide on a potty costume, (I will find you and help). Should I go with a vest or lab coat? Do you get dirty, wear gloves, worry about it at all? I'm imagining the job and coming up with various costumes for it. I make costumes all year so I bring way too many of everything.

[trilobyte]

On behalf of some friends of mine whose camp was near the 9 o'clock pee funnel satellite distribution location, I beg you guys to please have a cleanup strategy. You're responsible for the gifts you bring to the playa, and apparently hundreds of women throughout the week took the funnels, used the funnels, and then dumped the trash at (or stuck it on the art of neighboring camps). It's great that you bring them out and offer the gift, but sucks that because of that unsuspecting neighbors get used (and peed on) MOOP.

[Clar-i-ty]

People bring costumes to Burning Man?

It must be a sign of I don't know what when your Playa clothes and your Default World clothes are pretty much the same, save the goggles.

I've said this numerous times, and I will reiterate it once again. What I always spend money on for the Playa is brand new cotton panties and brand new tube socks. And since I generally hang out in my underwear during the heat of the day anyway, I usually get mens boxer briefs. Cuts down on chaffing if your a big legged woman like myself.

(And for the record, contrary to the opinion of one Mr. Robert Plant, we have lots of SOUL)

[lucky420]

smooches to you Clar-i-ty

[some seeing eye]

To answer the original question, if you bring home any costumes unworn, you brought too many. If you bring home all your costumes dusty, you have brought too few. If you gave away some items on the playa, you are doing just fine.

[Gonzo Frothwood]

One thing that robbi told me my first year was to not have any metal on my shorts. Draw strings or elastic. The metal burns, even if there's a layer of material behind it. BTW I don't wear underwear, so this is important. This year I'm taking out one pair of shorts and one pair of long pants per day (robbi made me x5 pair a couple years ago). I took 25 pair of socks last year to donate, but forgot mine, so I had to wear my donation socks. Be sure to bring as many socks as you can. And yes it rains, take something waterproof. and yes it's cold, bring something warm. This ain't dizzneeland.This ain't your mom's house.
This is survival camping. This isn't a rave, carrying your little paper parisol. This is fucking camping. Two years ago I thought I knew what I was doing, and I didn't bring anything warm enough or waterproof enough. And it rained and froze. I had to borrow robbi's rain-robe sunday night when it was drizzling.

Prepare for several days of HOT, several days of duststorms, rain, a short shower of flaming toads, and a chance of earthquakes. BRING IT!

I'm used to walking in hurricanes, this is worse.

[robbidobbs]

robbidobbs...I'm trying to decide on a potty costume, (I will find you and help). Should I go with a vest or lab coat? Do you get dirty, wear gloves, worry about it at all? I'm imagining the job and coming up with various costumes for it. I make costumes all year so I bring way too many of everything.

Ratty! Thank you so much for stepping up! It's not necessary to get all decked out. We just distribute tp and moop the potti-bank areas around the City on Poop Patrol. If you have pants, good shoes, socks, and a hat, you're good. I gift you a t-shirt and a dirt-scarf! You're stylin'! We don't get dirty as such. just wipe your hands on the Playa and don't put your fingers in your mouth. It truly is the BEST gig on the Playa. I'm not just blowing smoke up your kilt either. Thank you!

[jkisha]

I brought my utilikilt and a couple pairs of pants and shirts, wore the just the kilt the whole time...

Oh dude I just had the sweetest flashback, seeing you sitting in your chair, in my hut, wearing that kilt and a wonderful grin. You built that hut, remember? You and Grai. Twinkly aluminet shade, a nice lil dusty breeze... quiet morning in a brand new city.

Oh man I wanna go Home...

Great word picture MDF.

I'll be forever grateful to Mr.P for the fantastic job he did organizing and distributing the name tags. And I felt so guilty not having made one for him.

[theCryptofishist]

Make him an extra this year.

[MyDearFriend]

Make him an extra this year.

I don't think he's coming this year.

[theCryptofishist]

jk could still make an extra and have it couriered by someone at the meet'n'greet.

[ranger magnum]

Utilikilt and boots while rangering
Cargo shorts and skate shoes all other times.

Comfort outweighs style.

[lucky420]

ranger magnum
Comfort outweighs style.

Hell yeah it does, especially in the big, hot, dry, dusty...

[actiongrl]

Where the heck is Isotopia to set them straight?

The answer is ALL of them, of course.

*minus: feathers; sequins; those you can't bear to lose or ruin or dust-patina for life

[actiongrl]

In srsness: don't overthink it, and don't bring too much more than you need for the number of days you're there -- it's fun to have choices, but don't fret on this one too much.

You won't want to deal with a lot of crap by the end of the week when it's time to pack up and go home anyway, and it wastes resources to overdo it. You can change all the time if that's your schtick, but you can also wear the same crusty tutu or a pair of cutoff jeans for three days and nights and few people will really blink.

Though, this hint: polyester in the sun smells really bad after a few hours, on most people, IMO.

[Simon of the Playa]

all biege, all the time.

[tattoogoddess]

This is something im strugelling with. I have to be uber creative with out burning to death from the heat. I am a bigger girl so the standard bootie shorts and bra just do not work for me. I am a mid 20's year old and don't want to look like a grandma going to the burn so how can I look decent (i know i should just do what ever but ehh) and not die of heat or cold and do it on a budget. How about the bigger ladies here. What do you do for costuming?

[AntiM]

I'm 55 and lumpy. Sometimes I just wear what is comfy, and I cover up to keep the sun off my flesh, not because I'm not fit and lean. Sometimes I do wear just a bra and a loose skirt, with something to cover my shoulders handy. You'll find you are far sexier and more relaxed about your body out on the playa. It sounds trite, but we are all beautiful out there.... you won't believe me until you experience it yourself.

Booty shorts get your buns sunburned, my niece made that mistake. Short skirts embellished with ... anything... ruffles, strips of cloth, pompoms, teddy bear heads.. those are fun. You can dress up your bras with cup covers. I don't dress up my bras, but mine are are colorful.

Some of my favorite dresses were simply bras I had embellished, with long panels of fabric flowing down. I did wear underwear, but other wise I was nearly naked while being covered. Had to give them up after my lumpectomy, can't wear underwires anymore. But they were beautiful and I felt very much like a goddess.

Sarongs, fisherman pants, or Indian "harem" pants can be your friends. I even bring my Pink Floyd sleep pants for when I'm not making an effort.

It is so dry pout there I don't have many problems with thigh chafe. I do wear my cotton bras because I get playa nipple otherwise, and underboob rub.

[Ratty]

Tattogoddess, I wear a couple of pairs of shorts all week. I added some flaming material to the bottoms. In one year I probably alter 500 pieces of clothing for the Burn. Yet, I wear shorts, tutus, bras with fabric attached, (Just like AntiM), and the top half of t-shirts made into short capes to keep the sunburn off my shoulders. I dress up more at night. I suggest you bring some outfits to 'bare all' and some more demur. You'll find your comfort level after you're there for a while.

A little secret...I'll be 60 soon.

[C187]

This is something im strugelling with. I have to be uber creative with out burning to death from the heat. I am a bigger girl so the standard bootie shorts and bra just do not work for me. I am a mid 20's year old and don't want to look like a grandma going to the burn so how can I look decent (i know i should just do what ever but ehh) and not die of heat or cold and do it on a budget. How about the bigger ladies here. What do you do for costuming?

I'm assuming you don't have a cock, and therefor cannot commit the only playa fashion carnal sin of shirt cocking. As such no matter what you do, you'll be fine. Well, maybe that's not so true, considering I always get one person telling me I'm a tourist every year for my lack of a costume. When that happens my replay is "you Sir/Mam, can fuck off, and die," which works well enough, and would work for you. But I digress, wear or not wear whatever makes you comfortable, and whatever makes you feel sexy. Don't dress up for the sake everyone else is jumping off that bridge.

An idea for you.. It seems like some kind of slightly opaque airy cloth turned into a skirt, and nothing else looks fine on all women regardless of body type. Same is true for toga like wrapping. Also layering of clothes and items seems to work well. But again, wear whatever makes you comfortable, and whatever makes you feel sexy. Damn what everyone else thinks.

[catinthefunnyhat]

This is something im strugelling with. I have to be uber creative with out burning to death from the heat. I am a bigger girl so the standard bootie shorts and bra just do not work for me. I am a mid 20's year old and don't want to look like a grandma going to the burn so how can I look decent (i know i should just do what ever but ehh) and not die of heat or cold and do it on a budget. How about the bigger ladies here. What do you do for costuming?

As a "bigger lady" and easy sunburner myself, I can empathize with how fraught clothing and costuming can be. I agree with everything that AntiM and Ratty said: So much of that fraught-ness will be lifted on the playa. That said, you still are going to want things that fit, protect you from the weather, and are enjoyable to wear (your personal combination of comfy, sexy, fun, fashionable, festive... whatever. And those definitions might change for you on the playa).

Ratty's "start with what you have" thread has really inspired me to start sewing, which will let me make things that (a) fit, and (b) I find comfortable. There are plenty of great examples in there of things that were cut for a smaller wearer (or larger) wearer being made "one size fits all" by opening seams, adding ties, etc. And making clothing adjustable with ties and so on can allow you to adjust the fit according to what will make you feel sexy on any given day (whether that be a cinched waist, a bit of exposed boob, bare legs, etc.).

If you're not into sewing (or even if you are), accessorizing is a fun way to make your favourite "ordinary" clothes more festive. It can also be cheap, if you hit thrift stores. Last time I was at BM, I ended up spending most days in a simple, cotton shift dress I bought in Reno Walmart (all my defaultia-acceptable clothes were dirty or damaged from the road trip, and I needed something clean to wear at the laundromat). On the playa, I accessorized it with hats (of course) and scarves, and I layered it with wrap skirts, knickers, T-shirts... whatever I had in my suitcase that fit my mood and the weather. Accessories can go with costumey stuff, regular stuff, underwear, or even nudity.

BTW, while I was on the playa, my definitions of beautiful and sexy changed a lot, and they changed to include me.