Cool Girl Outfits I Packed for a Fourth of July Weekend Trip

This Fourth of July, I had a mini-reunion in Charlottesville over the four-day weekend with my college friends. I needed a variety of outfits, since we were going to hang out downtown and hike in Shenandoah National Park, and I knew I wouldn’t have a ton of time to get ready (hello, sharing a bathroom at my friend’s house with four people). I also wanted to pack easy outfits that would keep me cool in the Virginia heat. These are the throw-on-and-go outfits I packed for a weekend getaway in a cool city.

Road Trip Day

I spent the actual Fourth of July on the boat, and we drove to Charlottesville on Friday. I was in and out of the car all day picking up friends at the airport and in other DC suburbs before we drove to Charlottesville, so I was glad I had worn something comfortable and cute: a plain white tank top, overall shorts, and lavender Converse sneakers. The sneakers are good for driving, and the overall shorts had an all-American vibe that was perfect for the day after the Fourth of July! This outfit would also be great for an outdoor summer activity, like berry picking or a low-key music festival. (There are no pictures because I was way too frazzled with all the driving that day.)

Dinner Downtown

Friday night, we went to the downtown mall in Charlottesville, which has a ton of restaurants and bars, for drinks at a rooftop bar and dinner at a Mexican restaurant. It took us forever to decide where we were going and I only had five minutes to get ready so I put on this super-easy striped t-shirt dress and dressed it up with strappy gold sandals, white tasseled earrings, and a woven rattan bag. I put my messy hair up in a topknot to show off my cute earrings. This dress + fun accessories look would also be perfect for attending a backyard barbecue or watching some summer fireworks!

Hike to a Swimming Hole

On Saturday, we hiked to a swimming hole in Shenandoah National Park. Our friend from Charlottesville had done the hike before, but the rest of us underestimated how far it would be—almost eight miles round-trip. After the sweaty hike to the swimming hole, I was willing to jump in the icy water in my sports bra and shorts, but I regretted it since my clothes never dried during the hike back up to the car. My colorful sports bra and blue shorts were comfortable to hike in (before they got soaked) and I looked cute for our inevitable photo shoot at the swimming hole. This ensemble would also work for paddleboarding or a workout class with friends.

Sunday Cookout

Sunday morning we lounged at Mudhouse, an adorably hipster coffeeshop, then rustled up the ingredients to have a cookout on my friend’s massive deck (she has that massive deck/tiny grill combination down!). I was coffeeshop ready but comfortable enough to grill in a white crop top, high-waisted denim shorts, and strappy gold sandals. I recently upgraded from my old pair of denim shorts to this high-waisted, medium-wash pair from Madewell that I love! They are not too short, not too high-waisted, and generally super flattering. I finished the outfit with a topknot, tortoiseshell sunglasses, and a big leather tote. This look would also be good for drinks at a rooftop bar or an outdoor concert!

The weekend was a fun time to re-explore Charlottesville with friends who haven’t spent as much time there, eat tons of good food, and enjoy each other’s company and the four-day weekend to the fullest. With these outfits, I was always photo-ready (we took one million pictures to document the gang getting back together) without spending a lot of time getting ready!

What are you wearing the most this summer? Which of these outfits do you like the best? Let me know in the comments!