It’s officially the perfect season to have a different road trip every weekend – the weather gets warmer and warmer and with the still limited travel opportunities abroad a 3-hour-drive to a new place in-country seems the best option for many of us. We had our first road trip last week to one of our favorite regions in Bulgaria – the Central Balkan National Park area that we try to visit at least once per year. We rented a cute villa in the village of Cherni Osam and spent the long holiday weekend with Kaloyan’s family and my brother.
So I decided that it was the perfect opportunity to share with you my top tips and tricks when it comes to styling a cute and comfortable outfit that will be the best for the long car journey. When traveling for long distances in a car, it can be a little difficult to decide what would be the best outfit – you want to look cute but still be comfortable and factors such as the time of the year and for how long you will be in the car will determine the types of clothes you end up wearing.
If you have a road trip approaching and are wondering what to wear on it not only to look stylish but be comfortable as well, this post is for you.
WEAR COMFORTABLE SHOES
When most of your time will be spend in a car, you need shoes that you can easily take on and off and be comfortable walking in to quickly explore an area. I know that heels must seem like the perfect shoe choice to finish off your most favorite outfit, but I would strongly suggest reconsidering it and trying something a bit different.
My choices for a long car ride have always been cute flat shoes or my favorite pair of sneakers. For example, in last weekend’s road trip I opted for my all-time favorite pink loafers that I wore numerous times not only for road trips but also for long walks in Paris and Vienna (as pictured here and here). I know that this pair of shoes is not only incredibly comfortable but also extremely versatile when it comes to combining them with spring and summer outfits.
LOOSE FITTED TROUSERS OVER DENIM
The number one rule for every road trip is that your comfort needs to come first. You are going to be sitting a lot so you want to be able to relax and stretch out when you reach the next rest stop or gas station. But striking the balance between comfy and cute can be a bit challenging.
Leggings would be the best choice for a road trip but I can guess that we have become a bit fed up with leggings since this was the number one clothing piece we used to wear the past year. So if you want to wear something a bit more stylish but still comfortable and stretchy enough, you can always opt for a pair of loose fitted trousers like the ones I wore for my road trip last week.
WEAR LAYERS
Depending on the time of the year you are traveling, you might need to wear warmer clothes but one thing to always keep in mind is layers. Layers are the perfect solution when it comes to different temperatures – if you get too warm, remove a layer; if it gets a bit chillier, add on your long sleeve, a light sweater, or your favorite denim jacket.
Even though it is already May, the weather in Bulgaria has been quite unsteady for the past two weeks so I knew that I had to take a layer or two for our road trip last weekend. I bought my favorite pink cardigan for the car journey because it was the best option not only to keep me warm, if needed, but also to make my rather basic outfit a bit more stylish and interesting.
BRING A LARGER HANDBAG
A little clutch or your favorite small bag for your city walks just won’t do for a road trip. A large handbag is what you need to bring with you in order to be able to hold all of your necessities – makeup for touch-ups, extra hair ties, hand sanitizer, eye glasses, mints and snacks, a bottle of water, and so many more.
ACCESSORIES
When it comes to other accessories, it’s always best not to go overboard and get only the essentials. For example, sunglasses are an absolute must for protecting your eyes when spending hours under the glaring sun. They not only make you look cooler, but they can also hide your tiredness immediately and you will be Instagram-perfect for your next rest stop.
Other essentials that you might consider are socks and a cute hat. Some cars have air vents down on the floor so it would be a wise idea to take some socks with you as well if you don’t want your little toes to freeze. A hat, on the other hand, will add a bit of chic to any Instagram shot, while keeping your face safe from the UV rays. Any other jewelry are absolutely optional but I would advise against wearing big pieces as they will, undoubtedly, make your drive a little bit more uncomfortable.
I hope this post has helped you determine what to wear on a road trip so you can enjoy the ride and still look cute in photos. Do you have any road trips coming up this summer? Let me know in the comments.
*Photography by Nikola Ivanov.
