What Should You Pack For Your Summer Road Trip?

Spring is pretty much in full swing around the country, and that means our legs are eager to stretch, wanderlust is setting in, and we're all aching to hit the road onto a fashionable summer road trip. Summer vacations are just around the corner, after all, and part of planning a trip includes thinking about all the clothes you'll wear and take with you. For me, packing the perfect wardrobe is almost the best part of a trip!

If you're planning on a driving-heavy vacation this summer, it's not just the directions or the stops you need to make that you've got to plan. (Unless you're totally hipster and just go wherever the wind takes you.) Outfits for driving and riding in a car, and the subsequent activities you're planning, are just as important. It's easy to take the lazy approach and travel in some comfy shorts and a t-shirt, but if you're interested in staying fashionable and looking cute on this year's big road trip, here are some fun ideas to make your outfits just as memorable as your journey.

Travel bloggers and fashionistas, friends Gabby and Carrie, affectionately known as the "Weekend Babes," are based in L.A. and are committed to doing something fun with a bit of travel every weekend. (They blog all about their trips at weekend-babes.com.) I've been following their adventures since last year, and I reached out to them to get the scoop on how they stay comfortable and cute on their mini-escapades.

Gabby details what their fashion staples are for traveling:

"For warm-weather road trips, we usually default to a crop t-shirt, a comfy circle skirt, and sandals (like Tevas or Salt Water Sandals) or clogs (like Swedish Hasbeens or Danskos)."

Based on this tip, I put together an outfit to get their signature look:

Striped Crop Top, $8, Forever 21 | Circle Skirt, $15, H&M | Capri Universal, $85, Teva

If you're worried about wearing a skirt while traveling and having to deal with it riding up, pair it with some biker shorts underneath — and you're set!

Maybe you'll be doing quite a lot of walking around on your trip, stopping in to explore a big city as you pass through. If you'd like to splurge a little on some comfortable yet fashion-forward footwear, Weekend Babes suggest a sneak from Vagabond. Here's a cute shoe that looks like it'd be easily paired with almost any outfit from their Spring 2015 collection:

Zoe Shoe, $110, Vagabond

During your road trip, you're going to want to keep the essentials somewhere easily accessible in the car. So here are some ideas on some of the things you'll want handy: Lip balm, a brush, maybe some light makeup if you like to keep a little color on your face, wet wipes, water bottle, socks, maybe a change of clothes, and a small blanket (great for roadside picnics). To keep these essentials in, never hit the road without a backpack, says Gabby from Weekend Babes. She recommends the brands Fjallraven or Baggu.

With the straps to secure over your shoulders, this backpack wears much like any other one. But you can also use it as a tote by extending the straps from the top.

Fjallraven Kanken Mini, $65, Fjallraven

Or if you only need something lightweight to carry around while you're out and about, try the Baggu, great for over the shoulder. It comes in lots of cute patterns, like this elephant one. And if you buy three or more, you also get a discount!

Standard Baggu, $9, Baggu

Now, if you've got an outdoor activity like hiking planned on some part of your road trip, activewear is an obvious must. Weekend Babes are currently digging the Without Walls line at Urban Outfitters, which features clothing you can play in without sacrificing your sense of style. Bright colors and fun patterns are a staple in the line while remaining lightweight and comfortable.

The most important things to consider when deciding what to wear on your trip (and what to wear in general), though, are whether or not you love it, feel great in it, and aren't constantly counting the minutes until you're at a hotel to change into your pajamas. And hey, wear your PJs if you want to — what is a road trip without at least one day of totally rocking those Hello Kitty patterned jammie pants at a truck stop?

Images: Fotolia; Courtesy of Weekend Babes; Forever 21; H&M; Teva; Vagabond; Fjallraven; Baggu