A favorite American summer pastime is the road trip.
Road trips are a relaxing and exciting way to visit new cities while making stops along the way. Of course, road trips can present a fashion challenge. It’s tough to know how to stay comfortable while still looking stylish.
Whenever I embark on a road trip, I make sure to follow these 4 key fashion guidelines.
1. Prioritize comfort.
The number one rule I follow when dressing for a road trip is to dress as comfortable as possible.
Road trips require you to sit in the car for several hours. Wearing an uncomfortable dress or tight jeans is impractical. Choose clothing that is soft, cozy, and that allows for plenty of mobility.
2. Dress in layers.
It’s important to wear layers on a road trip for a couple reasons. First, you may not have control over the car’s AC or heater. Wearing or bringing a sweater allows you to add or remove layers as needed.
It’s also convenient to bring a sweater in case you need it during a stop. Many times on a road trip, I’ve found myself grabbing lunch at a restaurant that’s blasting the AC. A sweater is the perfect solution to make sure I’m comfortable both in and out of the car.
3. Wear comfy shoes.
Just like comfortable clothes are key to enjoying a road trip, comfy shoes are crucial too!
During most road trips, I usually choose to wear sneakers. However, I have on occasion worn flip-flops during summer road trips that involve stops at the beach.
4. Choose an outfit that is easily adaptable.
Longer road trips may include stops to various sights, restaurants, or other exciting locations. During these stops, you may need to dress up/down as appropriate.
On trips like this, I like to use accessories to update my look as needed. For example, when I visited Monterey in May 2021, I wore a one-piece swimsuit, denim shorts, and flip-flops. When eating lunch at a restaurant downtown, I dressed up my outfit by accessorizing with a blazer and swapping my flip-flops for casual heels. I was also able to remove the blazer for a more beach-appropriate look.
