I live in Colorado, the pervasiveness of functional clothing is everywhere, and when you plan to spend any amount fo time outdoors, functional is necessary. But you can look cute too.
We recently went up to the mountains for our church’s annual retreat, while we didn’t end up staying overnight (dog mom problems) we did spend nearly two whole days in the mountains, hiking, and enjoying being outside.
So how did I pick what to wear?
I knew the activities I wanted to do ahead of time, an easy walk and mostly time outside chatting with friends. For the first day at camp, I picked out my favorite camisole and layered it under a flannel top. It was significantly cooler at camp than at the base where we live so I brought a vest for good measure and ended up wearing cropped jeans and my chaco sandals. I love my chaco sandals because they are good for hiking and easy to slip on and off. Ideal for a day indoors or out.
On Sunday we had church up at camp, since we arrived much earlier it was even cooler than before and since we were just doing our worship service, with a foot washing and brunch with the group. I picked out cotton distressed jeans, which I wear cuffed and came in convenient for our foot washing service, topped with an easy and boxy burgundy tee from Elegantees under my patagonia vest. Again, I opted for chacos for the ease of taking them on and off, as well as knowing the water wouldn’t hurt them. The rest of my sandals are leather, and I generally avoid water with them.
Our church is pretty casual, so most folks that day were in sandals or hiking boots, and since I work there I prefer to look nice even if we’re up in the mountains.
Important things to remember when you want to look stylish and have a functional outfit:
- Layers are always a good idea, if you get hot you can take something off or put something on.
- Always go with versatile footwear, especially for when you have outdoor activities planned.
- Bring a back up! Have an extra top or layer packed in case you get super sweaty on your hike or if the weather is a bit colder than you expected.
- With the weather more dramatic and dangerous, you should avoid cotton as a layer. Cotton holds on to moisture and while you could sweat during the day, if you stay out after the sun and temps go down you run a real risk of hypothermia. So opt for synthetic base layers for overnight adventures when you’re in the mountains.
Stylishly Shelby 