What To Wear At A Rest Stop

When we drive between our homes, it takes several hours on the ferry, then a 10 hour day of driving followed by another 12 hour day of driving. It’s grueling but we just want to get home…no matter which home we’re traveling to. And truth be told, I do ALL of the driving. My husband grew up in New York and drives like a crazed, aggressive maniac so I can’t/won’t be a passenger with him at the wheel.
Traveling with 2 little dogs requires frequent stops for “watering”. Sometimes it’s combined with filling the gas tank and sometimes it’s just at the interstate rest stops. Mr and I alternate who walks them. 
 
Heading back to the car at the first rest stop, a lovely lady wearing jeans and a bright T-shirt smiled at me and said “You look really wonderful. Have a safe trip”. Hmm, sort of unusual for a rest stop conversation. I thanked her and mentioned her comment to my husband. “Really, that’s funny, she was panhandling, didn’t you see her sign?” I hadn’t…so I chalked the compliment up to her hoping for a donation.
 
At the second rest stop a woman leaving the ladies room said to me “Nice outfit, you look great”. I’m taken a little by surprise because she’s clearly not panhandling and people just don’t say those sort of things along the interstate…not that I’ve heard.
The next day, several rest stops later a woman looks across the sinks at me and exclaims,”You look simply fabulous”. Again, no pan handing sign. When I got back to the car I asked my husband to take a picture of me. I just thought I needed to have a look.
Driving for long periods of time takes it’s toll on my skin even though I slather myself with strong sunscreen. I always wear a hat tipped to the side for shade, a scarf to completely cover my neck and décolleté, big dark “back off” sunglasses and red lipstick.

Well clearly I will never write a “What I Wore” blog because this is what he took. Photography is not his strong suit. The car is sideways, I look like I’m leaning and it’s totally out of focus. 

 

However, it does show me wearing said hat, black cigarette pants, simple black T, silver hoops and my Hermes scarf backwards like a cowboy to protect my neck from the sun. Nothing unusual to me, but the gals at the rest stop were mighty impressed.
 
What do you wear for car trips to no where?

 

24 Comments

  1. Despite all the “leaning, out of focus, and sideways” bits you ascribe to the photo, I can definitely see that those women were relating to. You do look fabulous in this. Maybe you should consider a regular What I Wore column…hm?

  2. Ha! Next time we have a long road trip, I’m going to try the same look and see what happens! You do look fabulous.

  3. You look wonderful and you offer a quick lesson about the power of well-edited choices. Sounds as if you must be back home now, relaxing after that long drive. Enjoy the re-nesting.

  4. Oh Jennifer! You are so chic! I love your blog. Thank you so much for the inspiration and your beautiful and stylish work! xo

  5. playingwithscarves says:

    Hi Jennifer !
    You look terrific. You wear the three key ingredients to look stylish: a hat, sunglasses AND A SCARF (+ nice earrings). No wonder other women complimented you 🙂
    I wear sunglasses and a silk scarf almost every day and it becomes an absolute must when I travel – by car or by plane. Ears and neck are sensitive to air conditioning and we’d better protect them. A hat? Not so convenient to my opinion.
    A few weeks ago when flying back from Paris and looking like a wreck (long flight) I received compliments from crew members. I first thought they were joking but no they seemed sincere. I was wearing flat mocassin shoes (Coach), a white shirt, a “sailor style” wool sweater, a pair of jeans and an Hermes scarf (I carry my Hermes scarves with me when I am flying. Too precious to be in the suitcase!. I truly believe in the magical power of Hermès scarves…
    All the best 🙂
    Anne

  6. I’d have told you you looked nice too – especially as I slinked by in my jean shorts, my oversized t-shirt, my flip flops and my hair pulled up loosely in butterfly clips.

    Then I’d chide myself as I drove away to have a little more self-respect when I’m taking a road trip.

    You look chic.

  7. The Silver Bunny says:

    You do look fabulous ; I want to be chauvinistic and say it’s the Hermès but in fact it’s the whole ensemble. Very Parisian chic in its simplicity. That drive between your two homes sounds gruelling ; how many times a year do you do that ?

    1. Usually we do it 3-4 times, depending on where we do Christmas and business travel. It is exhausting but we are always so happy to arrive.

  8. You look absolutely fabulous, and I can see why you received so many compliments. A hat, scarf and hoop earrings carry the day no matter the activity.

  9. They alway go carry on with me too Anne. In fact no matter the length of my trip or the destinations, I never check bags. Carry on only. The beauty of capsule dressing!

  10. vintagefrenchchic says:

    You nailed travel chic! Love the look and you deserved to hear the compliments. As for your husband’s picture taking skills…I think my husband has met his match. ; )

  11. The gals should be impressed…your outfit is chic perfection for the trip…I would never have guessed the pieces of choice were function driven rather than fashion…but that’s what makes this a such a fabulous pick of an ensemble… it performs perfectly for both! Chic style at it’s finest!

    I love road trips and always dress well just in case… for a great road trip is filled with surprise destinations and encounters. This philosophy has served me well…once traveling through Yosemite…we got caught in a blizzard and were forced to spend the night in the amazing Awanhee hotel…luckily for me I had been traveling with my Burbery fox collar and coat…i was pleased as punch with my good fortune.

    1. I love the Ahwahnee Hotel! Being “forced” to stay there would be a pleasure! For long car trips, comfort is crucial, but I’ve never believed that meant sloppy.

  12. You look very put together. Most people in the USA travelling down the highway wear the tee, shorts, and rubber flip flops. A hat, plus scarf and sun glasses make you look exotic to most Americans.

    When I visit my daughter in Arkansas during the summer we go on long driving excursions and use McDonalds for our bathroom stops. DK what I had on but remember someone in the bathroom complimented me. It felt so good that I told myself I was going to be sure and compliment people I see along the way that look nice. I dk why I don’t remember to do that. Maybe because not very many people do????

  13. I think that Hermes scarves get attention wherever they go…
    I’d probably comment on your appearance too as I am in the habit of complimenting women when I see them looking well turned out. It’s so nice to hear when someone does make the effort.

    Hope that you are rested up after that long drive, safe and snug in your SF home.

    1. I love to compliment women when they look nice too. You may be right about the Hermes, but I’m not so sure based on the location this time.

  14. YOU have the LOOK!!!!!!!!SMART,CHIC,and all those other adjectives that describe SYTLE!Nice that people take note!

  15. Very wise as it has now been proved that the suns rays penetrate through glass so we are very vulnerable while driving. I had never thought to wear a hat might try it on our next 12 hr drive back from France.

  16. If going for a long trip, something not binding is priority. But my biggest worry is staying warm, husby likes much cooler temperatures so I have scarf and sweater and sometimes a blanket handy.

    His first attempt at a photo of me for the blog was much, much worse than this one. Completely blurry, a little sideways and a good portion of the shot was blocked by his hand getting in the way of the lens. 😉

  17. Hello Jennifer:
    Well, and no pan handling [a term we have never come across before] here, you do indeed look most stylish. And, yes, it really is important to always look one’s best wherever and whenever possible, even when simply travelling between homes. But what a gruelling journey!

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