Van Life Essentials - Women’s Clothing
When is comes to Van Life, less is essential and this now minimalist lifestyle will make you realize how you really only have a few clothes you wear weekly.
Versatility is key! Think about tops and bottoms that can be worn all day to explore, lounge, and get a little sweaty in. Having anti-stink properties (like lululemon does) embedded in the clothing is incredible so you can get multiple days out of wearing them.
We partnered with lululemon to sponsor this post because amongst our very limited clothes space in our van, you’ll find mostly active and casual wear from lululemon. Their exceptional quality of fabrics and versatility are unmatched!
Where to store your clothes living in a Van —
A lot of pro van lifers like to use packing cubes to separate and store clothing. Since I have two descent size drawers in my van for clothes, I prefer to roll my clothes as it saves the most space and my clothes don’t get wrinkled with this method.
I also use air seal storage bags for winter items like sweaters and ski gear to condense them down and store under the bed.
Essentials for Van Life Clothing
In van life, you’re going to be condensing your wardrobe down to a capsule collection, aka, making sure each top can pair with at least 4-5 other bottoms.
Van Life Essential Tops
Here are my go-to lululemon tanks, shirts, and sweaters for Van Life.
Align Tank: best everyday tank, extremely soft
Sculpt Tank: loose, breathable, flattering, perfect for workouts
Organic Tshirt: a staple item that is soft, flattering on all bodies
Organic Dress: if you can only have one dress, it would be this semi-fitted and very soft dress. It’s so flattering and comfortable.
Swiftly Tech Longsleeve: these are the anti-stink shirts from luulemon that I swear by! I can wear them 3-4 backpacking and no stink.
Scuba Sweater: there is no better sweater. Loose, comfy, warm. I love in this summer fall, winter and spring.
Like a Cloud Bra: it’s all the name. The most comfortable bra you’ll ever wear. From A to DD cups, I promise you will grab for this bra every day.
Energy Bra: when you need medium to high support from running to all day hikes, this is the bra that’ll dry fast, keep its shape, and not digging in after hours of wear.
outfit ideas —
Van Life Essential Bottoms
I don’t bring as many bottoms as tops since I can get more wear out of them, but almost all my bottoms are actually from lululemon because I love how they fit my curves and the shorts never ride up when I walk or run.
Track That High-Rise Shorts - I swear by these shorts and being the absolute best for running, hiking, lounging. They come in 3” or 5” and hit just under the belly button.
Shake it Out Shorts: the side hem on these shorts give a more “cute” added detail that I love. I can also walk all over town comfortably wearing these.
Wunder Train Shorts: for anyone who loves a tight style short, the wunder train is the best for being comfortable but thick enough to hide cellulite and workout in.
Align Leggings: what lululemon is known for, the best leggings to exist as they stay in place, are buttery soft, and fit perfectly
Dance Studio Cargo Pants: very lightweight, versatile to wear anywhere from the brewery to the mountain top
Scuba Joggers: my most worn pants are these sweats as they are extremely comfy, warm, and lounge worthy.
outfit ideas —
Van Life - Accessories
When shoe space is this limited, I have narrowed it down to my favorite three: slides, trail shoes, and running shoes.
Restfeel Slides: I live in these slides year-round. Great for Van Life when you need to easily slip on shoes and they don’t take up much space. The cushion is perfect too.
Trail Runners: the all new trail runners from lululemon are now rivaling my Altra’s. They have a minimal drop, extremely grippy, and very comfortable to run or hike distance. The 30 day trial makes them easy to try as well!
As for accessories from lululemon, these are the only two hats I bring (one for winter and one for summer), my favorite all weather gloves, and my new travel purse.
Slouchy Sling Bag: i’ve replaced the best-selling lululemon belt bag with this slightly bigger sling bag and love it!
Ponytail Run Cap: I felt ridiculous at first but now I always run in this cap because I like having my long hair in a high pony.
Merino wool beanie: it’s perfectly weighted to keep warm in winter and looks good on me where most beanies don’t.
Run gloves: besides skiing, I only wear these gloves from running to snowshoeing. They are lightweight, warm and sweat-wicking.
