Clothing Tips for the Nomadic Lifestyle

People ask me all the time how I manage clothes on the road. Do I keep four seasons with me at all times? Where do I store it? How many outfits do I have room for? The answer is simple. A Road Duchess must have stylish, comfortable, and practical clothing that can be worn in varying climates and of course that she loves! You will make room for what's most important to you.

Being on the road doesn't mean sacrificing all your clothes! It does mean making wise choices such as only keeping clothes you actually wear on a regular basis. Ladies if you've been looking for a reason to purge your closet, this is it! Living on the road means paring your wardrobe down to its essentials. Your very most favorites, the ones you can't live without. You know you want to ditch the pair of pants you've been hoping to fit into the last 10 years (just me?). Or what about the fancy dress you wore to a banquet one time 5 years ago? Time for that beauty to go.

We're not talking about getting rid of pieces you love and wear, just getting really clear on the pieces you love and actually do wear and the ones you maybe love but don't wear, or that you don't love and don't wear. Those gotsta go!

Think about how you live life. Do you hike a lot? Do you go out to eat at fancy restaurants often? Do you need to be on camera for work? Figuring out these key details will help guide you as to what you want to keep on the road.

Download our FREE nomadic closet checklist here!

Now that you have your clothes figured out, what do you do about storage? We share 1 closet, well let's be honest, hubby gets about 1/4 of the shared closet 🤣 Since we only have 3/4 and 1/4 of a closet each, we need alternative places to store our clothes. These lightweight, attractive, and affordable dressers from Amazon have been amazing! They hold SO MUCH! I seriously love them! And they happened to fit our space to a T. Win-win.

Another item I absolutely love that is super cute and holds a TON of clothes is this gorgeous moroccan pouf . The best thing about this pouf aside from how pretty it is and how much it holds, it also works as a footstool, chair, table, doggy bed, and more! I have used this thing in so many different ways, it never fails me! And if you don't need it to hold clothes; extra blankets, towels, coats, winter gear, etc. works really well too.

Another tip for clothing on the road is two part. One, go through your clothes regularly! Every quarter or so look through your clothing and see if there is anything you haven't worn or don't really want to wear. Does all of your clothing "spark joy" as Marie Kondo would ask? If you have any pieces that are no longer working for you or you just don't wear them, donate them! We have donated clothing all over the country. It's easy to find a Goodwill or other local charity that will accept used clothing in good condition. Plus you're giving back!

Two, shop at local thrift stores! Road Duchesses are in a unique position of being able to shop all over the country. Take advantage of it! We've found some amazing clothing at thrift stores. Living the nomadic life means we aren't stuck to the same 2 thrift stores in town, and the different regions provide a lot of variety to choose from! Colorado is great for gently used winter/ski gear, Florida will have all your summer needs, etc. You get the idea!

Traveling with clothes inevitably means you will have to contend with laundry. I'll make another post about the pros/cons of having a washer/dryer vs laundromat. Until then, I hope this post has served you well and given you some ideas and tips for managing clothing on the road. Til next time!

Moroccan Pouf with a TON of Clothes In It!