What To Pack For A Trip To Nashville: A Complete Style Guide For Music City
The Prelude
Well, well, well.. look who’s planning to visit music city (you!). I’m not sure what you’ve heard about Tennessee so far, but as a native, I’m here to tell you that the food is top tier. And although I have a long list of restaurants to recommend, I would much rather spend this time recommending clothing that you should pack for your trip instead (you did come here for fashion tips after all!). With that being said, let’s get into the different types of clothing that you’ll need in your travel bag. For your convenience, each recommendation has been sorted by season and to be honest with you our seasons are pretty consistent so feel free to bookmark this blog post and refer back to it as needed throughout the year.
Sidenote: All working/updated links are highlighted in pink (I’m currently working on editing the non pink links and should have them completed by May 31, 2025. Most of the items that I recommend sell out quickly so I appreciate your patience with this). Also please note that this curated style guide does contain affiliate links, so some of the items I link to may earn a small commission. However, any recommendations that I share are solely based on what I think would work best for your upcoming trip and each item is pulled from brands that I truly believe in. Moreover, these commissions help support the Styled by Breyana blog so we can continue to offer you free resources (like this one) and the best pricing on wardrobe styling services. Thank you so much for your support! Now let’s get you ready for your trip to Nashville!
What To Pack For A Trip To Nashville: A Complete Style Guide For Music City
Spring
Spring is my absolute favorite season and Nashville is like a breath of fresh air during this time. The warmest weather typically doesn’t trickle in until mid to late April and early May. So if you’re planning on traveling here for spring break then I would recommend packing lightweight sweaters, lightweight jackets (denim jackets are a popular style here!), cropped jeans (this will give you coverage if the weather changes up on you and it will also give you some breathability in case it’s a bit warmer during a certain part of the day), lightweight/flowy dresses, and a few pairs of comfortable and cute sneakers/flats because the outdoor events will be rolling out everywhere!
My Top Clothing Recommendations For Spring!
Women’s Laguna Linen Bayview Short: If you plan to take a trip downtown but don’t want to subscribe to whole cowboy/cowgirl theme (by the way ONLY tourists and wedding parties - who are mostly tourists do the whole cowboy/cowgirl theme), then the Laguna Bayview shorts will be the perfect piece to add to your travel wardrobe. These shorts feature an elastic waistband for comfort (which will be extremely helpful while walking), breathable linen fabric to help keep you cool and fresh as you tour the downtown area, and if you’re cold natured you can pair these shorts with the Miramar Linen Polo Sweater (located in my fall recommendations) to create an outfit that keeps you warm and cool without adding on all the bulky layers.
Joe’s Jeans Mutton Sleeve Denim Jacket: You’ll need this for the bipolar Tennessee weather. Thank me later!
Hudson Natalie Mid Rise Cropped Jeans: In my opinion these style of jeans should be a staple for the spring! They provide such great coverage and breathability for the everchanging season.
Men’s Stretch Shorts by Hugo Boss: Is it really spring if you don’t wear white?? I personally love recommending white for spring trips because of its versatility (aka less packing!) and the vibrant touch it adds to spring outfits. Of course not everyone can wear white without getting it dirty, so in that case my two second color recommendations for this short are light green and light blue. However, if you do want to try your hand at the white short, then check out my article 10 Things To Keep In Mind While Wearing White Clothing for tips on how to keep your white clothing spotless while on vacay.
Men’s Shorlite Trunk: So if you can’t already tell…I’m an advocate for traveling light while still creating a memorable vacation wardrobe. That’s why I adore these swim trunks because not only can they be worn to Nashville Shores or the pool at your hotel, but they can also be worn as regular shorts as well. Another thing that I really enjoy about them is that they come in vibrant colors and patterns that practically scream vacation vibes.
Summer
During most of our summers we can cook an egg on the sidewalk so keep that in mind as you’re packing your vacation outfits. Typically the record breaking temperatures take place between late June until August. If you’re looking to travel to Nashville during this time, I highly recommend adding these items to your suitcase: shorts, short sleeve or sleeveless cotton/linen tops, lightweight dresses, jumpsuits or rompers, and sandals (they can be heeled or flat). Bringing a swimsuit can also be helpful if you plan to stay at the Gaylord Opryland hotel, take a dip in the lake, or visit the notorious “wave country” for a quick swim.
My Top Clothing Recommendations For Summer!
Men’s Faux Leather Slides: If you decided to take me up on the waterpark offer, then you’ll need to take these slides with you. They have a comfortable insole ensuring that you have a seamless waterpark experience plus the neutral color scheme makes it easy to style these slides with various types of swim trunks.
Men’s Cotton Terry Shorts: To my sporty men that value comfort and casualness over crisp and classic fashion this one is for you! These shorts have the sporty and comfortable feel that you’re looking for while still allowing you to look put together. What I like the most about them is that you can pair them with a number of different shoes which opens up your outfit options and keeps your packing to minimum.
Women’s Royal Blue Halter Top: As I mentioned earlier, summer can get hot. So I always like to recommend sleeveless options whenever possible. So with that being said, here is one of my sleeveless recommendations. I selected this sleeveless top because you can be both cute (and cool!) without sacrificing one for benefit for the other. It’s also a plus that it pairs perfectly with both shorts and jeans giving you two different outfits without having to take up more space in your luggage.
Fuchsia Pink Midi Dress: Super trendy and perfect for date night (just make sure you aren’t doing too much walking downtown in this beautiful dress!).
Harbor Blue Wide Leg Jumpsuit: This is a piece that you want to wear when experiencing downtown Nashville (make sure to wear comfortable shoes because you will be walking!).
Fall
Fall is definitely number two on my favorite seasons list! Much like the spring, I really enjoy the balance between the warm and cool weather. Typically fall starts making it’s entrance in Tennessee during mid to late October and early November. During this time I recommend packing: booties or thigh high boots (booties are a fall staple and thigh high boots look amazing with short skirts and sweater dresses), lightweight sweaters (they can be long or short sleeve), short sleeve tops (these can help keep you balanced during the day when it’s a bit warmer and you can also layer them with a jacket in the evening as it gets cooler), an above the knee/knee length dress with leggings or a long midi/maxi dress (these dress styles will help keep you warm in the crisp fall weather), and one or two lightweight jackets coupled with pants or jeans. Keep in mind that we have a lot of fun outdoor events going on in the fall too, so make sure to pack a pair of comfortable shoes if you plan to get involved in the more active ones.
My Top Clothing Recommendations For Fall!
Levon Leather Knee High Boot: This boot is so cute and it definitely gives off fall and iced latte vibes! At the time of this post it’s on sale so make sure to take advantage!
Women’s Miramar Linen Polo Sweater: If you’re looking the ultimate (quality) lightweight sweater then you’ve found it! This linen polo sweater is perfect for all day wear and is going to help you transition seamlessly from warm and sunny fall days to cool and airy fall nights.
Women’s Utility Jacket: Remember how I mentioned that denim jackets are a popular style here in Nashville? Well they aren’t just popular in spring, they are popular in practically every season we have (when the weather calls for a jacket I can guarantee that people in Nashville are reaching for their denim jacket!). Since we’re talking about fall though, I think it would be nice to put a twist on the denim jacket trend. So let’s follow the trend…but instead of classic denim, let’s opt for a rich, burnt olive color with a tiny bit of edge (tap the women’s utility jacket link above to see my vision!).
Men’s Summer Crochet Cardigan: I understand that the name of this piece is misleading, but once you take a look at this cardigan hopefully you’ll understand why I selected it for my fall recommendations. I personally love everything about this cardigan — the look, the color, how polished it is, and how it can be worn as is or layered. There’s also no doubt in my mind that it will be the perfect addition to your fall suitcase — especially since we experience so much weather fluctuation during this season.
Reverse Stitch Jacket: If you want a break from the muted and traditional fall color palette, then try switching things up with this dusty mint stitch jacket.
Winter
Our winters here are typically mild but as of lately they have been pretty cold and icy (disclaimer: northerners have nothing to worry about I’m sure this is child’s play to you all). For winter pieces I would recommend bringing a coat (make sure it’s stylish and functional), a pair of boots (they could be any kind that you want but make sure they are sturdy enough for ice especially if you’re coming between the end of December and February), lightweight and chunky sweaters (lightweight is a good choice for the earlier part of winter because the weather tends to fluctuate and chunky sweaters are good for the latter part of winter because it’s freezing!), jeans, and layering pieces (layering pieces are a really great option due to the unpredictable winter weather. You can always layer more when it gets colder and you can always take off a few layers on warmer winter days).
In short, the winters here are all about layering and how much you need to layer will depend on how hot or cold you get and which part of winter you’ll be here for. The earlier part of winter (late December) tends to fluctuate so lightweight sweaters, jeans, a mid size coat, and layering pieces will take reign here and the latter part of winter (mainly January through February) will be the coldest so it’s best to wear mid size to heavyweight coats, chunky sweaters, and scarves. Boots are good throughout the entire season but make sure they are as functional as they are cute - I don’t want you slipping on the ice!
My Top Clothing Recommendations For Winter
Good American Rib Crewneck Sweater: Winter is all about balancing keeping warm and looking cute. This Good American sweater checks both boxes!
Premium High Waist Cotton Leggings (Plus Size): Create warm layers with these premium cotton leggings by wearing them under your favorite dress or skirt.
Vance Co. Men’s Landon Dress Boot: Talk about stylish and functional! You can wear these boots with jeans for a casual winter look or with dress pants to create a dapper style that’s perfect for the winter season.
Men’s Colorblock Stripe Wool Blend Scarf: Here are a few words to sum this scarf up: classic, versatile, and fashion forward! This scarf is made up of 50% wool guaranteeing protection from the cool, brisk air and requires minimal cleaning.
DV Dolce Vita Women’s Villa Chelsea Lug Booties: It’s essential that you have a classic white boot for winter and this pair doesn’t disappoint! Plus they come with a cushioned insole and memory foam for added support.
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