What I Wore For Our 30+ Day Road Trip Across America

20 Road Trip Looks!

A few months ago, when my husband, Chris, looked at me and said, “You realize you’re going to have to pack for two to three months in one suitcase, right?”, I tried my hardest not to freak out. So I started packing and was very strategic. I was able to talk Chris into letting me bring an extra bag for camera gear, and of course, I have my huge Think Royln wingman bag for toiletries that really helped. I also snuck a few things into the kids’ suitcases. I’m sure you can imagine how challenging this task was for a style lover like me.

Worth noting before I share the style scoop… I ditched and dontated a few things along the way. I also ordered a few new pieces. Below.. is what I packed and how I’ve styled the pieces.

If you’re interested in our cross-country road trip details, make sure you check out this post.

Tips for Packing For A Long Trip

My biggest tip for packing for a long trip is one I’ve shared before here. Stick to a color story! In essence, you are packing your very own mini-capsule wardrobe where everything mixes and matches seamlessly. In the photos below, you’ll see that I stuck with a neutral story and added in a few pops to make it fun. This meant I only had to pack neutral pieces. Plus, the fun pops of color or prints seamlessly go with all the neutral pieces so I can wear everything again and again.

In case you missed it, I shared my in-the-car travel day outfits in this post.

where to stop on a cross-country road trip, best places to stop on a cross country road trip, cross country road trip, west coast to east coast road trip, erin busbee, traveling with kids, how to travel with kids, how to travel with a dog, cross country road trip with kids, road trip outfit, comfortable outfit

V-Neck Sweater & Matching Shorts

This is the ultimate travel day outfit. It’s SO comfy and you can mix and match the shorts and sweater with other pieces. I’m also wearing a comfy crop top underneath that I’ve been wearing with pretty much all my other shirts because…you don’t have to wear a bra with it! MAJOR WIN!

where to stop on a cross-country road trip, best places to stop on a cross country road trip, cross country road trip, west coast to east coast road trip, erin busbee, traveling with kids, how to travel with kids, how to travel with a dog, cross country road trip with kids, badlands national park, south dakota, cross country busbee style, family road trip, intermix v-neck sweater, moussy denim shorts, see by chloe espadrille wedges, valentino belt

Same Sweater & Denim Shorts

I wore the same sweater from above and paired it with denim shorts. You’ll be seeing a lot of these denim shorts throughout the trip! They’re by Moussy Vintage and they are SO good, maybe even better than last year’s favorites by Agolde. I’ve done a post on how to find age-appropriate denim shorts here that’s a must-read.

where to stop on a cross-country road trip, best places to stop on a cross country road trip, cross country road trip, west coast to east coast road trip, erin busbee, traveling with kids, how to travel with kids, how to travel with a dog, cross country road trip with kids, leavenworth, washington, free people ruched sleeve shirt, moussy vintage shorts, sam edelman shoes

White Tee & Denim Shorts

Keeping with the neutral color theme, I packed three of my favorite white tees to go along with my denim shorts. I actually brought 2 white tees…one balloon sleeve V-neck by Nation LTD (I have it in black and white), a long ruched sleeve crewneck tee by Free People, and my go-to ATM v-neck tee. They’re all great basics I can layer under jackets or wear on their own.

[flex_row]where to stop on a cross-country road trip, best places to stop on a cross country road trip, cross country road trip, west coast to east coast road trip, erin busbee, traveling with kids, how to travel with kids, how to travel with a dog, cross country road trip with kids, seattle, washington, seattle mariners baseball game[/flex_row]

Rails Button Down & Denim Shorts

Another shirt I brought to wear with my denim shorts and jeans is my Rails white cotton button-down. It’s cotton so it’s lightweight and breathable. I’ve also worn it with baggy jeans you’ll see again below…

outfits for long road trip featuring Moussy jean shorts and white ruffle shoulder tee by Nation LTD on fashion over 40 blogger Erin Busbee in Washington, DC

White Ruffle Sleeve Tee & Denim Shorts

The next white top I packed was this cute ruffle sleeve top by Nation LTD. I have three tops by this brand and really like them. They have great, high-quality elevated basics! Notice a theme here…? LOTS of elevated basics.

maxi skirts, maxi skirts over 40, printed pleatd maxi skirt, midi skirts over 40, how to wear midi skirts over 40, red alice + olivia midi asymmetrical skirt, erin busbee, how to wear maxi skirts, nation ltd ruffle sleeve tee, see by chloe wedges

White Ruffle Sleeve Tee & Red Skirt

I took the same Nation LTD top and paired it with this gorgeous red vegan leather skirt by Alice + Olivia. It has an asymmetrical hemline and the billowy fit keeps you cool. If you’re interested, you can see more photos of this skirt in this post.

White Ruffle Sleeve Tee & Embroidered Skirt

In case you couldn’t tell…I really love this top! I paired it again with a really chic skirt by Alice + Olivia. The embroidery is gorgeous and I know it’s going to look gorgeous in Spain!

[flex_row] [/flex_row]

Black Free People Bodysuit with Printed Pleated Skirt & Jean Jacket

This bodysuit is a sexier option but I really love it. It’s a wired v-neck style and the fit is great. I wore it with a gorgeous printed, pleated skirt. It’s so funny…I don’t usually wear skirts and for this trip, I packed three! If you want to see more of this skirt, check out this post. The jacket is by Retrofete and comes in a few other colors.

[flex_row]where to stop on a cross-country road trip, best places to stop on a cross country road trip, cross country road trip, west coast to east coast road trip, erin busbee, traveling with kids, how to travel with kids, how to travel with a dog, cross country road trip with kids, big sky montana, bozeman montana, see by chloe wedges, moussy vintage jeans, 9seed blue shirt, bottega veneta chain cassette bag[/flex_row]

9seed Top & Moussy Jeans

Next up is the blue 9seed top. I took this top with me to Mexico. If you missed my post on the only 23 items I took on our 2 week trip to Mexico, make sure you check that out here. This top doubles as a coverup, it’s lightweight, and the color is so pretty! I also wore this top with denim shorts to Mount Rushmore!

White Blouse & Moussy Jeans

I wore the same Moussy jeans with this gorgeous white peasant top by a fellow influencer, Shalice Noel! This look was one I wore in DC while we did some exploring!

where to stop on a cross-country road trip, best places to stop on a cross country road trip, cross country road trip, west coast to east coast road trip, erin busbee, traveling with kids, how to travel with kids, how to travel with a dog, cross country road trip with kids, hot springs virginia, the omni homestead hotel

Blazer & Baggy Jeans

I swapped the Moussy skinny jeans for a pair of Moussy baggy jeans and paired them with my crop top and blazer. This blazer by Express is super chic and stylish. If you missed my post where I styled it with a skirt, you can check that out here.

packing tips, what to pack on a road trip, erin busbee, cross country road trip, cross country, busbee style

Dresses

In addition to the three skirts I brought along, I also wanted to bring some dresses that I could dress up or down. The first dress is by Acler and I’ve worn it with sandals to Glacier National Park. I’ve also worn it with espadrille wedges to dinner. The second dress by Sundry is a casual racerback style that I’ve worn for site-seeing. The third dress by Rails is the perfect mix of casual and dressy. I’ve worn it with flat sandals and wedges. The fourth dress I’m wearing is actually one I didn’t pack but bought while we were in D.C. It’s a showstopper… I love every single detail on this dress! Including the eyelet puff shoulder, belted waist with gold hardware, trench style buttons, cool collar, and the flounce skirt.

where to stop on a cross-country road trip, best places to stop on a cross country road trip, cross country road trip, west coast to east coast road trip, erin busbee, traveling with kids, how to travel with kids, how to travel with a dog, cross country road trip with kids, yellowstone national park, wearing under armour shorts and pullover and soloman trail runners

Activewear

We have done quite a few things outdoors, including going to Yellowstone. So I did pack a few activewear pieces for those days…you can find them all linked below. Luckily, they didn’t take up a lot of room and I can wash and wear them every time we do something where I know I’ll want to wear activewear versus nice clothes.

where to stop on a cross-country road trip, best places to stop on a cross country road trip, cross country road trip, west coast to east coast road trip, erin busbee, traveling with kids, how to travel with kids, how to travel with a dog, cross country road trip with kids, hot springs virginia, the omni homestead hotel

Swimwear

When you are packing for several months… you will likely want everything in your suitcase to be functional (of course), but also special. This white, beaded, swim cover-up is a perfect example. It doesn’t wrinkle. It’s easy to get on and off. It covers your arms. The tie waist and slightly flared skirt create a flattering shape, and it is super chic and unique! Underneath I’m wearing a white Vix bikini (top & bottoms) I’ve had for a while!

For more swimwear, check out this post.

Accessories

All of my accessories seamlessly go with everything I packed. My white Bottega Veneta handbag goes with everything. If you’re interested in if I think this bag is worth it, you can find my honest review here. I brought three pairs of shoes I’ve been rotating…my Sam Edelman sandals that are super comfortable for walking around, my See by Chloe wedges for dressier occasions like dinner, and my glittery Golden Goose sneakers to mix it up. If you missed my review of the Golden Goose sneakers, make sure you check that out here. I also linked all of the jewelry I brought below.

Make sure you check out our epic road trip post to see where we’ve been and where we’re headed!

To get blog posts delivered directly to your inbox, along with some awesome freebies, be sure to sign up for the newsletter here. If you’re interested in more travel posts, you can find them all here.
Thank you for stopping by!

Erin Busbee signature

Team Busbee

Maybe you have a friend who would enjoy this post too!?

 Just use any of the buttons below to share it! And if you aren’t already a newsletter subscriber, make sure you sign up here for our invaluable style and beauty resources!

 Thanks for reading!

  1. Jackie T. says:

    Hi Erin, I just recently “discovered” you and am thoroughly enjoying all your videos! I have a question about your most recent LOFT try on video… I have that white geo lace top and I really like the Sheln lace cami you have on underneath. However I am not familiar with that company and I looked at the sizing chart for that particular item and I’m kind of in between a M and a L in the bust measurements. I’m usually a size 6 and a small or medium. Did that cami run true to size for you? The reviews are kinda mixed.

    • Erin Busbee says:

      Hi Jackie… I check the size chart for every piece on that site. There is NO uniformity of sizing. I would always size up if between sizes.
      The quality is always so-so.. and the price reflects that. It’s a gamble. I can vouch for that cami being decent, but it’s definitely not high quality.
      I think if you like the way it looks, and you are looking for a cami that is super affordable… this is a great opion. Otherwise, I can recommend higher quality options. Erin xo

      • Jackie T. says:

        Thank you for the quick reply Erin. I’m going to go ahead and order the size up. For the price I think it’ll be fine…I have other good quality cami’s but liked the v-neck and more sheer coverage look under this top.. Plus, less is more sometimes in this Texas heat! Thank you for your help, I appreciate it. Jackie

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Receive Our FREE Wardrobe Basics Checklists, Capsule Wardrobes & More!

Sign up and instantly receive our FREE Wardrobe Basics Checklists, Closet Editing & Organizing Checklists, Zoom Call Tips, Capsule Wardrobe Shopping Suggestions and a Lookbook of outfit ideas!