Into the Wild

While my boyfriend plans our excursion to Death Valley—the one he's been trying to get me to go on for years—I  am of course planning what I'm going to wear. Surprise, surprise.

While I would be perfectly content to never have to sleep in a tent or pee behind a bush, my SO is a huge camping enthusiast. Since he indulges my frequent shopping sprees, I, in turn, put my high heels aside in favor of something a bit more rugged.

One of my biggest qualms about camping, aside from the bugs and lack of showers, is how difficult it is to look remotely attractive. No offense to REI and other camping supply stores, but that stuff is ugly. Functional, sure, but hideous and made of plastic. I don't know where the clothes took a frumpy turn after the elegant explorer outfits of the 20s, but they did.

On the other hand, fashion magazines like to put their spin on camping gear with couture-filled spreads. But while they're pretty to look at, 4-inch heels just won't cut it when you're trudging up a mountain. So what's a fashion-loving gal to do for a weekend in the middle of nowhere? Well, here's what I have in mind for our trip.

Since we're going to Death Valley in October, the weather is going to be a bit of both extremes, highs of 90 with lows of 60. Layers are essential, as are clothes that I don't mind getting a little—or a lot—dirty. When I started making my list, the first thing I turned to were clothes in various shades of brown and olive. But really, what's stopping me from wearing neon yellow in the desert? Absolutely nothing.

Clockwise from top left:
T by Alexander Wang short sleeve tee, $81
Madewell cotton tee, $85
TNA Newport Raglan Tee
Coffee Shop puffy vest, $45
Mango Anorak, £130
J Brand army pants, €146
Lemlem green shawl, $59
Ray-Ban metal aviator sunglasses, £120
Bank Fine Stripe Socks, £2.66
Pachacuti straw fedora hat, $80
ASOS leather booties, $82
Current/Elliott boyfriend shorts, $147
Dorothy Perkins ivory cardigan, £28
Proenza Schouler short sleeve t shirt, $165
3 1 Phillip Lim racerback dress, $75

Cambio Riding Pants, €160

Zadig&Voltaire twill shorts, £160