The Great Outdoors in Old Navy
Being an LA native, I didn’t really get to experience the traditional change of seasons growing up. Don’t get me wrong, I can’t really complain about sunny, relatively warm weather most of the year, but often I found myself fantasizing about frolicking in fallen leaves, watching the slow change of color from vibrant green to gold and burnt sienna, and actually getting to layer up in cozy sweaters, toasty thermals, and other autumnal fashions. I love exploring different parts of the country and surround myself with different climates and landscapes.
Recently, at the suggestion of my heartmate and his two close friends, I agreed to observe the change of season smack dab in the great outdoors, during my first ever (yup, ever) camping trip. As a bona fide city boy, I was definitely out of my comfort zone, but thanks to Old Navy’s layering pieces and outerwear, style wasn’t something I had to sacrifice as I was camping, hiking, and roughing it through Zion National Park and the Grand Canyon.
Top of Observation Point
The weather in Arizona and Utah is still on the mild side: partly sunny and as warm as the mid 70’s during the day, but a crisp 40 degrees or so at nights, so I needed to pack a wardrobe that could keep me warm and cozy during the evenings, but also keep me cool and dry during daytime hikes. Their go-dry fleece joggers and pullover was made of a lightweight but resilient fabric that wicked away moisture, which made it perfect for our treks through the canyons.
Old Navy has so many great patterns right now, so it was the perfect time to try out the mixing trend. As I’ve mentioned before, my personal style can be pretty minimal but I couldn’t resist combining this striped pocket tee with this tartan vest. To keep the look from being too busy, I kept the rest of my ensemble neutral with either denim or olive green khakis. If, like me, you’re also looking to experiment with juxtaposing patterns, I recommend looking for those with similar color stories. These two work because red is the only dominant color — cream, charcoal, and black all read as neutral, so altogether it’s still pretty harmonious without being matchy-matchy. Another thing to consider is contrasting the scale of your prints. The stripe in this tee is fine and the plaid vest is more blown-out, so they’re different enough not to meld together visually.
You know I love me a good photo, so in addition to actually living, breathing, and soaking up the epic surroundings during the trip, I obviously had to capture the moments (despite the fact that I was totally off the grid — ack!), so the fact that I could look stylish while staying cozy and comfortable in clothes that are totally affordable was a major plus. I may have had to brave the outdoors without my usual city boy amenities, but with the help of my Old Navy gear, style never left my side.
Sponsored by Old Navy